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Welcome to the Socialized Forecast. It is Tuesday, June 18th, and I have so many things to say ahead of going into the trends. So I'm just gonna power right in because I've made a list of topics I wanna make sure I cover. And the first one is this idea of, I'm gonna call it, the trend trickle down effect, which is in this morning's newsletter. One thing I've noticed, and I have been noticing this for a long time because the people that have not been on TikTok, but they were on Instagram and their and Facebook, They see trends much later than those of us who see it on TikTok.
Helen:And it's something that I haven't really ever talked about before except among friends and family because I will notice that, for example, my sisters will send me something on Instagram and I'm laughing because it's like, wait, that was 3 months ago on Tik TikTok or 2 months ago, I saw that on TikTok. I mean, it's funny. It's just that they're not on TikTok seeing it, so they're sending it to me the minute they see it and think it's funny. So this has been going on for a long time, and some there was a creator who called it out and made a video about it. If I can find it, I will include it in the newsletter.
Helen:Hopefully, I can find it and include it in the show notes as well. But it's a fact. And so one of the things that people have mentioned about the newsletter to Julie and I is that we focus heavily on TikTok, on the trends and the things we talk about. And the reason for that is that even if you're not on TikTok and you're on Instagram, we are getting you ahead of it. So even though you're not on TikTok, all of the trends are relevant.
Helen:Because if you give it a month and you stack them up, you'll be very relevant and ahead of the curve on Instagram if you're paying attention. So it's note to self if you're an Instagrammer and you think that you're not seeing these trends, I don't understand why we're putting these in the newsletter. It is because they won't show up for, like, a month. So one of the trends for today, actually, Julie found it and she picked it up, pulled it out, and it's the looking a man in finance. I'm gonna talk about that.
Helen:But that has been that's almost old news now on TikTok, and it's just hitting Instagram now. And the woman in this in this video that I mentioned talking about this even mentions how months later it shows up on Facebook, and then months later it shows up on YouTube shorts. I'm not sure that that's the timeline, but I do know that TikTok is a leader and has been leader. And there's not that's not gonna change anytime soon unless not gonna even say TikTok goes away because it's not going to. But that's just one of those things that we've got to realize and acknowledge in the social media world.
Helen:And not to say one's better, one's worse. Instagram is really, really good for small businesses. And when you have an audience over there, they are loyal. I f. You know what I mean?
Helen:You've got a loyal audience. I even think most of my most loyal TikTok followers are in my Instagram watching my Instagram story. So I do think there is such value in being ahead and watching these TikTok trends and being aware of them. And even if you do save the newsletters for, like, a month out and then go back to them in Instagram, you might be still ahead of what the trends are gonna be. So use it as a use it to your advantage if you're if you're solely on Instagram and stick with us on if you're on TikTok and and stay on top of them as the way we're sharing them.
Helen:So that's the first thing I wanted to talk about. The second thing I wrote on a list here. Oh, yes. Cap cut templates. I wanna talk about this for a minute.
Helen:Because right now, there is a cap cut template trend really trending hard on TikTok. I'm gonna post it on Instagram as well because I do think, as I always say, it's gonna come there eventually and you'll be ahead of it. But I wanna explain something about capcut templates that I think is gonna be very helpful to people who like to use them. So let me start by saying, some of the templates require another app to do something to a video or a photo first before putting it into the template. I'm gonna use the example of when the LinkedIn photo pictures were trending, where people were creating LinkedIn photos using a separate app.
Helen:I forgot what that app is even called now, but it was a separate app where you create your AI LinkedIn photo. And then there was a cap cut template that you could post that had a, like, a little slide effect or something like that that transitioned from one to the next. But it required you making the photos in another app. Okay? So I wanna just mention that because sometimes the cap cut templates, you think, oh, grab the template and I'm gonna make this video.
Helen:And the template doesn't do the thing because the thing was created first in another app and then brought over into the cap cut template. So that's number 1. Number 2 is a hot take on if you are in a cap cut template. I'm gonna see if I can can explain this. At some point, I'm gonna make a tutorial.
Helen:But if you are in a cap cut template and it requires let's say it's it's asking you for 5 photos or 5 videos. And you go, oh, darn it. I really wanted that to be 10 videos or 10 photos, but I don't know how to make a template. You can simply take your 2 photos. Let's say you want okay.
Helen:Wait. Let me say this better. I got this. So let's say each slot requires 1 photo, but you want it to require you wanna oh my gosh. But you want 2 photos to happen at the same time.
Helen:And then so 2, 4, 6, 8 instead of 1, 2, 3, 4. If you want 2 photos, 2 photos, 2 photos, 2 photos, or 2 videos, 2 videos. If you want 2 video clips to happen during over the slot where there's only 1. Okay. The hack for you is that you can create a a cap cut project.
Helen:Put your 2 videos in or your 2 photo photos in, time them, split it split the time in half, and then export it. And then when you go to the template and you select the photo for slot number 1 or the video for slot number 1, you're gonna select the combo video that you made of the 2 photos together. Okay? So think of it as, we called this back in the day, dubbing it down, where you create something with 2 shots and then you dub it down and then you put down the dubbed one the one that you created gets put in the slot for the first one. Anyway, it's a really good hack to know about to understand.
Helen:Just process that in your head for a minute. And if you're trying to do a cap cut template and you wanna use more photos or videos than are in the template requirement, you can create those by combining them first. So you're gonna make your new one video is gonna be comprised of 2 videos. It really works. Anyway, a little hack for you right there.
Helen:Just wanted to remember to mention it because capcut templates are really frustrating. A lot of people contact me and they're like, I wanna put more photos or I can't figure out how come I want why can't I make this the way I want it? And that's a hack for you. The last thing I'm going to share is a fun little experiment I am in progress on. That is, I have been I received the ability.
Helen:I got a little alert on TikTok that I can post up to 60 minute videos. 60 minute videos on TikTok. Mind boggling. However, it leads me to believe that really TikTok is trying to be YouTube because they're giving us this this, avail this option. This, yeah, option to post longer format content.
Helen:And I was really when I first saw it, I thought, oh, nobody's gonna watch my 60 minute videos on on this app. Right? But I decided, whatever. I like to try and experiment. When I see a new feature, I'll I just dive right in just like I did with landscape videos when landscape videos came to TikTok.
Helen:So what I did first is I took one of my 25 minute podcast episodes. Usually, the podcast episodes like this are 15 to 20 minutes long, but this one was a little bit longer. I took the whole 25 minute episode and I uploaded it to to TikTok, and I thought, why not? Let's see. And now I'm watching this as and I'm seeing did it get engagement.
Helen:I was told by a bunch of people that they saw it on the for you page, so I know it's getting pushed out because it's a new feature on TikTok. New features on any app do get pushed out. So number 1, it's being seen on the for you page. Number 2, the engagement's pretty good. Now I'm not gonna say a lot of people watch the whole thing, but I noticed immediately there were saves.
Helen:So the intention that people will come back and watch it later is there. So quality content that's providing, And if you're a person that teaches whatever English, math, whatever, teaches a class, throw the class up on TikTok. Take your YouTube video now. If you create on YouTube and you always have to make cut downs for TikTok, forget it. Don't make cut downs.
Helen:Post the whole thing. See what happens. That's what I'm doing right now. So I needed to share because I'm not only am I experimenting with the podcast, which now I have 2 episodes uploaded as of the recording here today, and I have put them into a playlist. I also, this morning, just uploaded a full 1 hour workshop to TikTok.
Helen:Unfortunately, my workshops, the headphones. I don't like the quality of the audio, and I'm gonna fix that on the next workshop. But I posted the whole thing. I'm like, let's go. LFG.
Helen:We're gonna put them up there, and we're gonna see what happens. So I now have an entire 1 hour video posted. And I'm I'm watching this closely to see the analytics, to see what the percentages of the watch time. And after I watch this for about a month and try this as a little experiment, I'm gonna come back and report in. Alright.
Helen:So stay tuned for my for the mothership the mothership, what do we call it? Market research on my own content. I always use my own content for research, and so I'm doing it again. Also, just noticing my new my shirt for today is a is I'm throwing in a plug, but I do have a rental clothing rental. And Nuuly is the clothing rental, and I bought this.
Helen:I rented this cute shirt, and I don't know if it's gonna go back now because it's very comfy. And I like wearing it because it's very versatile. Alright. I sigh I digress. I don't even know why I mentioned that because we don't have any sponsorships happening with that with clothing brands, at least not yet.
Helen:Let's get into the trends. Woohoo. So the first one is halfway through 2024. I like this because I've seen a few versions of this on my for you page again and again. And the other night, I went through some videos to select so that I can make one myself.
Helen:So we've included 1, I think, the better one that I've seen, because I saw one which just has, like, text on the first scene. It's not that exciting. And it looks like almost looks like a Twitter feed or something. It's a really strange opening. So we put the better one here for you in the newsletter.
Helen:And it's about getting half picking 1 video or a photo from each month, January to June. It's perfect for people who just wanna do a quick recap. If you don't have time to make content, you can't get on camera, and you just wanna use existing footage or existing photos. So hop on it if you're busy. That's always the kind of content I like for when I'm having a crazy week and I need to figure out what to post, and I don't have time to record.
Helen:Alright. So that's a tip. The next one is called but baby eye. And what's the second part of this? 2nd photo is that I'll love you too the day that I die.
Helen:Oh, that's the song. I love you too the day that I die. Anyway, cute cute song. And this quick trend is one that's great for business owners because you can adapt it. Always love when you can adapt a trend that's maybe just something cute or funzy, and then you can make it for your business.
Helen:Those are all your business. The accent. Jersey coming in hot. Alright. Julie made a a video about the words that peep that we say that then you know we're from New Jersey.
Helen:I kinda love it. It's kinda funny. And I'm just gonna add that one right to it. So the trend is a photo of yours you can do a photo of yourself and then a photo of your favorite things. And then it's you can even do this if you wanted to do it where you're singing and you lip sync and put videos, you sure can.
Helen:But this is a nice easy photo carousel one. So, again, if you have something in your phone, you you don't have time to make content, go for it. You can also do it as a lip sync and cut from one thing to next, whatever works, whatever you enjoy, but it's a nice easy and trending audio for you. The last one I mentioned already in the beginning is an Instagram trend, which is now the former TikTok looking for a man in finance that is now trending on Instagram. So we've provided the link so you can have the audio and make your video Have fun with it.
Helen:It's it's gonna go it's gonna go. It's gonna go hot on Instagram because it's been very live on TikTok. Also, the creator who first did the song has been performing with David Guetta, who did the is it David Guetta? Oh, no. I don't even know if that's right.
Helen:Oh, g 6? Okay. Look at wow. It's the g 6 song. I'm blanking out a 100 percent.
Helen:Anyway, the g six song, whoever created it, she's been performing with him in in concert. So bless her. She's, like, off and running, and I love it. I think it's just really fun, and it's once again, shows the magic of TikTok. Okay.
Helen:Or the magic of social media, but in this case, started on TikTok as as they seem to. Alright. Now I'm gonna just mention interrupt for a second because I had a free workshop today, which is now going to be Friday's podcast where we featured Tammy Nelson from My Conquering, the ring brand, and she was amazing. So listen to this on Friday. Mark it on your calendar to make sure, because if you have any inkling of an idea that you wanna make into a small business, or if you have an idea that's been ruminating around in your head, I literally had her start from the beginning.
Helen:Like, okay, you had an idea. What did you do next? Because a lot of people don't know where to start. They might have an idea. They can talk about it for years, but never act on it.
Helen:So we went through how she acted on the idea, how she created the brand, what order she did things in, what things she did simultaneously, how she launched on social media, how that whole thing happened, and how she she exploded. So come with us for the ride because, boy, was it a good one. I had a lot of fun. I always have fun on the workshops because I always pick people that I really enjoy talking to. So I'm I'm like, I wanna say 5 or 5.
Helen:I can't remember how many we've done so far, but really happy with workshop choices. So hop on that one. Pay attention. You know, you'll see it in the link to listen to it on Friday. And I also have released the link for the next free editing workshop, which I'm hosting next Tuesday.
Helen:So a week from today, so sign up. It's going to cover editing speaking videos. So if you do speaking content and you can't figure out how to make them tight and engaging and how much to edit them, this is the workshop for you. Come and join us. Okeydoke.
Helen:Onward. Now let's talk about original content ideas. First one is just a suggestion to go live. Go live. So we've been sharing a lot of tips on TikTok and Instagram lately about how to go live.
Helen:Basically, what Julie did was she grabbed one of the workshops where I talked about tips for going live, and she's been posting clips and reminders for people. So whatever you do, whatever you love, going live will get you in front of a loyal audience. You'll make friends. You'll have good support. And every single time I go live, I get sign ups on my newsletter, sign ups on my workshop.
Helen:It's really, really beneficial. Honestly, wish I could make time and go live 3 times a week. If I if I really could, I would. But it just becomes weeks fly by. I'm making content.
Helen:I'm making podcasts. I'm doing my production work. And all of a sudden, another week went by. But I'm gonna try and go live more. I really need to because I enjoy it so much.
Helen:It's my fun thing. So go live. It'll be your fun thing too. The next idea is to do goals for the rest of 2024. So we're halfway through.
Helen:It's nice to be at the 6 month mark where you can think about what you wanna accomplish by the end of the year. So maybe now is your time to do your mid New Year's goals. You can assess how you've done on your goals from that you set for the year, and you can see how you you can set new goals for the rest of the year. And that's a fun piece of content. A lot of people can relate relate to goals type content, and they'll come in and give you suggestions.
Helen:Because I do believe, truly in my heart, that the smartest people on TikTok are the ones in the comments section. Also, some of the most annoying people are the ones in the comment section, but we're gonna stay on the positive side. I have learned so much from my commenters. I have I've been inspired by them. I've been in there's creativity in there for things.
Helen:I can't believe it. Opening up your comments to opinions, it's like, you know, good and bad, but I've mostly find good from it. I truly do. So hopefully, you find the same. Alright.
Helen:And the last idea for this week is to introduce your team. Now this can be a team of people you work with. This can be at your posse, your friends, your team, your your cohorts who you hang out with. This can be your family team, you could make a video about introducing your your family members and who does what role. Those are really fun.
Helen:A lot of times those will become trends. When you make one of those, someone will hop on it. So if you pick a song, do a freeze frame, may maybe have someone and then do the freeze frame. There was a freeze frame effect done on, for example, this oh, I can't even I'm losing my words. But it's l is for the way you look at me, that song, where people were jumping in a pool and it was freezing as their bodies formed the letter l or the letter o, the letter v when they jumped in the pool.
Helen:So this was a hot one. And I had a question, how does the freeze frame get done? And so I'm gonna tell you right now in case you wanna do something where you have a family member and then you wanna freeze them and put, like, their what they contribute to the family or what their role is in the family. Alright. So this is how you do it.
Helen:You simply go into CapCut, edit those pieces those pieces together of the people. And then at when you scroll along the timeline and get to the very end of each shot, go along the bottom. There's a little icon that says freeze and you can create a freeze crane frame and then you can shorten it, make it longer, you can change it to black and white and that is how those effects are done. They're so so easy to do. They're really easy.
Helen:If you have any idea how to work cap cut, you can do those types of trends. If you don't have any idea how to work cap cut, you need to go to hellosocialize.com, click learn in the top menu, click workshops, and start from editing 101 and learn how to edit. It's so empowering to know how to edit. You will thank yourself because you're gonna be really good at making content if you learn how to edit. Okay.
Helen:For tutorials, today, we're featuring the CapCut AI dance trend. This is the thing I started to talk about earlier in the episode in the beginning when I was talking about cap cut trends that need another app. This one needs a website where you create a dancing figure out of a person that you've taken a photo of full body. So it's a fun one. I had a lot of weird comments.
Helen:Some commenters came in come in to say, you know, to kind of poo poo AI. Like, what can I say? AI, it's not going away. So you're either gonna learn it and figure out how it works to empower yourself, to understand it, or you're gonna put your head in the sand and it's not going anywhere. So all you're doing is is yourself as a disservice because you could learn something and understand it rather than ignore it and think it's not gonna be part of your life because we ain't stopping it as we as we say.
Helen:Alright. So that is my little, thoughts on AI. I could go more I can go on and on with AI, but I'm not going to. It is it is challenging to live this life that we're now moving into a new type of technology that's taking over, and it is somewhat terrifying to people. But I think that knowledge is power.
Helen:And I've always said it from the beginning. Learning and understanding something gives you an advantage whether you like it or not and whether you're gonna use it or not, fine. Your choice. But understand it because that is how you are going to numb either stay relevant, stay informed, be aware, not get scammed. There are so many reasons to learn it and understand it.
Helen:Okay. I'm gonna wrap it up for today. I'm gonna save the questions for this week, and we're gonna hit on them for next week. So if you've put in questions, please be patient. I will get to them next week.
Helen:And I might even feature some of them in a tutorial, so don't be don't despair. And if you have questions and you wanna put them in, make sure you do because I will hit them on a week from today's episode. Alright. Thank you so much for being here. I enjoy it so much.
Helen:I look forward to the times I record it's almost like a little bit of reflection. And I think it's from it gives me time to pause in the day and sit here and think, gather my thoughts and hopefully, convey them to you concisely. Some days, I'm better at it than others. Anyway, thank you as always, and I will see you. I'll see you well, Friday, you'll see me and Tammy together, and then I'll see you again next week.
Helen:Have a good one. Bye.