Top Sounds 

Our curated picks of the top sounds on TikTok

1. Somebody Wake Up, The World Is Gonna Roll Me 
   This sound makes a LOT more sense if you’ve been on TikTok in the past few weeks (or if you subscribe to this newsletter).

2. Really? Well, All Right… 
   Sorry to say my retinas have experienced watching The Boys. This means I know the exact vibe of the scene this comes from- this sound encompasses the realization that something totally evil is accepted.

3. Here I Am A 2000’s Kelly Clarkson song is trending on TikTok for nostalgia and pure drama. Perfect for a little self-promotion video.

4. Hello, My Name Is Keith Book Of Mormon but with Keith (of internet fame, à la Try Guys/Lewberger). Use this sound to highlight a pretty drastic, but comedic, development.

Our Sound Highlight 

What Makes These Two Different?

Mood: 

Use this sound and let your audience have a little discourse on something that divides your community or to clarify a subtle distinction between two concepts.

Video Highlight

Emo Amtrak Train has arrived and we’re here for it. We love to see an organization’s online presence (especially on TikTok) be a little silly, willing to tell some jokes and respond to comments. If you take a look at Amtrak’s TikTok page you’ll notice that most of Amtrak’s content is focused on hyping up Amtrak services (i.e Amtrak being their own biggest fan) so humorous content like this video doesn’t fall into the trap of trying to be Denny’s.

 Effects Highlight 

You’re on the move! You don’t have time to listen to the bad takes and the drama. You tell it like it is and you keep on going!

Never fear, Giordano is here to help! Whatever initiative you want to push forward, Giordano’s always got your back, literally!

 The Moment 

Issues that are at the forefront of online discourse— Police.

Recently released body camera footage from the police who entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde has sparked a question people have been asking for decades— what and who are police for?

It doesn’t seem to be school children (not even getting into the school-to-prison pipeline), not Black people, not disabled folks, and certainly not immigrants.

Just because pastel Instagram infographics have disappeared from your feed doesn’t mean the fight to end police violence is over. The world without police violence (and yes, inaction is its own form of violence) needs building together. The myth of police protection has shattered for many if it ever existed at all. The work we do to build safe communities is as critical as ever.

July is Disability Pride Month and while your local newsletter author is proud to say she is disabled, it’s often hard to feel pride amidst a highly transmissible COVID variant with a policy response of shoulder shrugging, employers racing back to their commercial real estate investments offices making work inaccessible, and abortion bans having a disproportionate effect on disabled people.

 The Zeitgeist 

Hot topics from across the internet

• A questionable pink sauce has taken over the internet. A TikTok cook released a pink sauce (called “pink sauce”) to much criticism. Maybe buying a sauce with an incorrectly spelled ingredient list (using angel numbers!) and questionable food safety is a bad idea. In fairness, the creator of the sauce did say that the pink sauce “doesn’t contribute to your health.”
• Comic-Con was back in San Diego (s/o to my home during college) and along with SDCC come many highly anticipated trailers.
• Keke Palmer continues to delight the internet, and the world at large on her NOPE press tour, with Angela Basset impressions and meme-worthy moments.
• A startling 4,000 beagles were found in a Virginia testing facility. Rescue efforts are underway, rehoming these dogs across the country.
• The Wakanda Forever trailer is making people cry.
• Beyoncé released her seventh album Renaissance. Sound it out, baby.

 The Takeaway 

Don’t sleep on the importance of community.

This could be our takeaway for social media, politics, or life in general. It’s just so true and evergreen. Increasingly, creators and marketers alike are looking to community versus traditional metrics like views and shares.

With apps like Discord and Geneva, there’s a clearer sense of how invested a creator’s community is. These spaces become about more than watching an influencer, they become hubs for discussion, TV recommendations, and inside jokes.

These apps take some of the Patreon model to a new height by transforming viewers into members of a community. They are privy to information the average viewer might not have, sometimes including additional content, without the promise of direct monetary support.

Investing in creators with well-established communities may be a smart move if you have a call to action to share. Their audience, even if it is numerically smaller, may be far more likely to act.

Made it to the end of this newsletter? Here’s a treat, my new favorite Twitter account.