Coming off of “spooky season” in October, the internet came up with some scary good memes and trends to catapult users toward content creation around the globe.
We’re talking media references, SNL 50, and goofy moments that surely would’ve been a hit on America’s Funniest Home Videos back in the day. (Oh, wait – that show is still on?)
So what type of content topped the trending charts in October? Let’s take a look and see what we can glean from them in order to capitalize on the next round of meme-able magic!
The first hit was the “subtle foreshadowing” trend that made its rounds on the comedic side of the internet (TikTok especially). While the audio was not essential to the content, it certainly added to the ✨drama✨ of the moment. Essentially, this trend was created to give creators a fun way to make fun of themselves or others falling, spilling, dropping things, etc. Others took some creative license and recreated some relatable life moments like trying to calmly wake your mom up or what happens when sleepy people study at night.
Here are a couple of examples that left us chuckling:
Why it works: By teasing viewers with the end result flashing in and out of the lead-up, users effectively kept their viewers watching and waiting for the satisfyingly hilarious ending shot of the silly moment, creating a clever visual hook. While most probably didn’t consider the deep inner workings of why their loved one falling down the stairs performed well, we professional content creators could certainly learn a thing or two from this method of audience captivation.
Call-Out: Look for trends that give you an opportunity to create a visual hook that will increase watch time and replays. The potential for engagement is high with this chance at exhibiting creativity and comedic timing.
The second trend that has spent considerable time on our “for you” pages is this audio of Jennifer Lawrence singing a cover of Frank and Nancy Sinatra’s “Something Stupid” in her 2015 film Joy, coupled with a relatable fill-in-the-blank scenario. Creators lip-synced along to the line that says, “And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like ‘I love you’,” but changed “I love you” to something they’ve said that they deemed stupid or “ruining the moment.”
Check out these examples:
Why it works: One thing we love to talk about around here is a good catchy audio/relatable text combo. Take a catchy lyric or quote and find a way to relate it to the general public, and we’d say you’ve got a winner.
Call-Out: Look for trends that consist of this magic mixture and capitalize on its popularity to share something relatable or promote your niche.
Look at that! Another catchy audio/relatable text trend. These are everywhere, so it’s no surprise that we had a few of these this month. This particular ear worm comes from a scene of the show Broad City starring Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer.
In the scene, Ilana and Abby are dancing somewhat awkwardly in a club when Ilana waves over to two random girls and says “Heyyyy!” (to which they respond with an equally enthusiastic “Heyyyy”), prompting Abby to ask if she knows them. Ilana comes back with the newly famous line, “No, but in ‘da clurb’, we all fam.” Confused, Abby asks her to repeat it a couple of times, making Ilana snap out of her “cool-gal” attitude and speak normally saying, “In the club, we are all family.” She’s clearly upset by her friend’s inability to understand her super awesome, not at all offensive lingo.
Now, we outline this scene to give you the proper context as to why this worked so well. Creators took the chance to use this funny, memorable moment and turn it into something relatable. For example, some folks related the moment to Millennials trying to bridge the gap between generations and “speak Gen Z” to their kids. Others connected it to making a reference that’s painfully obvious to them but their friends just don’t get it.
There’s probably a million little ways to relate this feeling back to your niche or your experiences, but here’s a few examples that did well:
Why it works: Well, we already kind of explained this. (Sorry, we couldn’t help it.) But to recap, Broad City’s club moment and the trend that followed reached social media virality by having that hilarious relatability mixed with an already somewhat recognizable and catchy audio.
Call-Out: Don’t be shy about lip-syncing to TikTok and Instagram Reels audio. They’re doing well for a reason and, if you have the time, you might just have the next winning video idea right under your nose.
Lastly, with a few resident Saturday Night Live fans on the team, we can’t talk about October’s memes without bringing up Domingo. SNL’s 50th season just began in September, prompting a new wave of share-worthy moments. Their most recent hit came from their October 12 show starring Ariana Grande and Stevie Nicks, specifically from their sketch titled “Bridesmaid Speech.” (You’ve gotta watch it. Pretty cute.)
Basically, Ariana Grande and a few of the regular SNL cast members get up to do one of those cringey performances that bridesmaids sometimes do at a wedding to replace the boring speeches. The performance consists of the girls singing a made-up song to the tune of “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter, detailing the events of the bachelorette trip.
We quickly find out that, on the trip, the girls met a guy named Domingo who started out seemingly harmless but quickly turned out to be a huge problem that would cause a little drama for the bride and her new husband. (You can fill in the blanks.)
It didn’t take long after this sketch aired for the internet to begin their quarterly infatuation with SNL’s resident short-king, Marcello Hernandez, who played Domingo in the sketch. There’s nothing particularly relatable about the sketch to make it prime for the picking in terms of social media trends/memes, but something about the way the girls and Marcello sang the song just grabbed hold of everyone on the internet and now we’ve all got it stuck in our heads.
Here’s a few reels to showcase the chokehold Domingo had on the internet for a second:
Why it works: Let’s be honest: a certain side of the internet simply loves to obsess over a new celebrity every once in a while. BUT, it also loves a good reference back to a recent cultural phenomenon like “Espresso”, which they did by setting their sad tale of misfortune to Carpenter’s catchy tune.
Truthfully, the relatability aspect of this meme didn’t quite take off as much as we might have expected it to, but there were certainly enough uses going around to make it a memorable moment from the month of October. Had more top creators caught wind of it, we’d have had a monstrous wave of Domingo flooding our feeds.
Call-Out: The lesson here is to be as “online” as you deem necessary to be aware of memes/trends that are catching momentum. Even if there aren’t a ton of people utilizing it for more than just to talk about the funny moment, you have a great opportunity to make the meme work for you. Try getting creative with the wording of the audio to relate it back to your niche OR you can simply wait for it to achieve “trending status” on your desired social media platform and use it as background music for your next video. (People don’t seem to care or notice if the music doesn’t totally relate to what they’re seeing anymore.)
As we wrap up our exploration of October’s trending memes and content, it's clear that creativity knows no bounds in the digital landscape. From humorous twists on relatable mishaps to catchy audio that strikes a chord, these trends have not only entertained but also shown us effective ways to connect with audiences. Embracing these insights can help creators harness the next wave of viral moments. So, let’s keep our eyes peeled for fresh opportunities and continue to innovate as we dive into the content of the coming months!
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