A month in review: July social media trends and updates

On Friday, July 19th, a major global outage affected numerous websites and online services, causing widespread disruptions. The incident, linked to a software update for Microsoft Windows operating systems issued by the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, led to downtime for platforms across various sectors, from airlines to healthcare. 

Popular websites like Amazon, Reddit, and Spotify experienced significant outages, leaving users unable to access their accounts or use services. The disruption also impacted financial services, news websites, and government portals. One expert said it could be the most significant outage ever. 

Amid the chaos, internet users found a way to make light of the situation by creating memes and jokes about the digital blackout, which quickly went viral, providing some comic relief for the frustrating event.

Fans of Barbenheimer, listen up: the upcoming Wicked musical movie has been moved up by five days to November 22nd, coinciding with the opening of Gladiator 2. This aims to create another sensational blockbuster pairing, dubbed "Wickediator."

Despite our groans over sequel fatigue, Hollywood is bringing back our beloved ogre and friends with "Shrek 5." Fans are buzzing with mixed emotions, wondering if this new installment will capture the original magic or simply cash in on nostalgia.

Beauty brand REFY trended on social media after organizing a community trip to Mallorca, Spain. Unlike typical influencer trips, REFY selected members of their community through their Instagram broadcast channel, offering a unique twist. The lucky participants enjoyed an all-expenses-paid getaway featuring exclusive beauty workshops, meet-and-greet sessions with the brand’s founders, and picturesque tours of the island.

This innovative approach boosted the brand's online presence and strengthened the connection between REFY and its dedicated community. The trip's success has generated buzz and engagement across various social media platforms.

• Meta is rolling out Meta Horizon Worlds to all Meta Quest markets in supported languages, enabling more global connections. To celebrate, Sabrina Carpenter will headline the season with an immersive summer concert on July 19th.

• Meta announced that 10-12-year-olds will soon be able to engage in chats and calls in VR, offering a new way for youngsters to connect. Meta has implemented parental supervision tools for teens, requiring parents to approve each contact for young users.

• Meta AI is now available in seven new languages and additional countries, including its first expansion into Latin America. Meta is also introducing new creative tools that make it easier to transform ideas and imagination into images.

• Meta has launched the initial phase of its "AI Studio" platform, allowing select Instagram creators to develop AI versions of themselves to interact with fans via DM. These AI bots, marked with a star icon on the message button, will respond to questions in the creator's style. Currently, this feature is in beta and limited to selected creators.

• Threads is celebrating its first anniversary by revealing significant insights into app usage. Threads has added party hats to profile images and a confetti effect for users who join the celebration using the "One Year of Threads" tag this week to mark the occasion.

• Meta is introducing a new AI feature on WhatsApp that allows users and creators to create profile pictures by inserting themselves into fantastical scenes. To use this feature, upload a selfie or a collection of selfies, then type "Imagine me..." followed by your desired setting.

• WhatsApp is enhancing transparency in group invites by providing more details about who added you and the group's purpose before you join. The new group context cards will also include a group description, helping users avoid spammy groups.

• Youtube is expanding its channel handles feature to support 75 languages, enhancing accessibility and engagement for creators worldwide. This update enables users to use handles in their native languages, making it easier to connect with their audiences.

• The platform has rolled out six new tools for Short Video creators to make content more dynamic and interactive. These include auto layout for transforming longer videos, text-to-speech narration, "Add Yours" stickers for community engagement, Minecraft-themed effects, customizable captions, and a "Remix a Remix" feature.

• YouTube now allows users to save music from Shorts for future use, Enhancing the creative process for content creators. A comprehensive channel management guide has been released to help users optimize their channels and improve their overall experience. These updates aim to streamline content creation and management on the platform.

• LinkedIn is expanding access to its automated “Accelerate” campaigns, which use AI to automate the entire campaign creation process. First tested in October, this tool reduces campaign creation time from 15 hours to just five minutes, cutting costs per action by 52%.

• Reddit has launched a partnership program with major sports leagues to boost fan engagement on the platform. This initiative will provide exclusive content, interactive experiences, and "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) sessions, enhancing the connection between sports leagues and their fans. The program aims to offer a more personalized and immersive experience for fan communities.

One thing is abundantly clear: the digital landscape is constantly in flux. New trends emerge weekly, and the social media giants introduce innovative features that shape how we connect, share, and engage online.

Keeping a finger on the pulse of these changes is not just beneficial; it's essential. Whether you're a business looking to stay ahead of the competition or an individual navigating the social media universe, staying informed is the key to success.

The insights and updates we've covered this month provide a glimpse into the exciting journey ahead.

Stay tuned for more trends and industry news from our Strategic Services team in the coming months. The world of social media is a never-ending adventure, and together, we'll continue to explore its uncharted territories.