5 social media trends you can try right now | May
Adobe Express is teaming up with social media expert Rachel Karten to bring you five high-impact post ideas every month. With over a decade of experience in social marketing — including her time at Bon Appétit Magazine — Rachel knows what works. She also writes Link in Bio, a must-read Substack newsletter for social pros.
We get it — consistently creating engaging content is one of the biggest challenges of running a social account. That’s where Rachel comes in! She scrolls the Internet so you don’t have to, curating the most effective post formats that drive engagement. Each month, she’ll break down five proven ideas — plus easy ways to bring them to life with Adobe Express.
5 social ideas to try this month
As a consumer, I love trending sounds and memes. As a marketer? Well, it’s tricky. These moments typically have trademarks or IP that brands simply can’t touch. Today I want to highlight five post formats that feel fun and Internet-first, without risking a call from your legal department. While I understand the temptation to engage with, for example, a celebrity meme, the below post formats are more ownable. No one remembers how a brand used that one image from The Big Game, but they do remember how that brand built customer love through an unexpected video format. Let’s dive in.
1. Dream product challenge
Think big and design the product of your customers’ dreams. This is less of a trend and more of a challenge. Not all social content needs to be rooted in reality. In fact it’s fun when brands take their products and position them in whimsical ways that their die-hard fans love. What would a tattoo flash sheet for your brand look like? An extra-large version of a customer-favorite product? A huge shopping bag? The ideas are endless!
- Examples of a tattoo flash sheet and an oversized product shot
- Express tip: Use Generate Image in Adobe Express to bring a wild product idea to life — like oversized merch or fantasy versions of fan-favorite items. Just type your prompt and let AI do the heavy lifting.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C2QD9hKPgws/?img_index=1
Ready to try this trend for yourself? Check out the collection for templates related to this trend and others mentioned in this article.
2. Unexpected voiceover twist
Experiment with unexpected voiceover in your next video. The VO of a video can be a helpful tool to add personality to your brand — why not switch up who your audience usually hears from! Maybe it’s a parent of the founder. A “voicemail” left by a customer. A celebrity with an iconic voice. There is so much fun to be had here.
- Examples of a heartfelt family member and a humorous customer VO
- Express tip: Record voiceovers directly in Adobe Express. Just open your video, go to the Media > Audio tab, and hit record. You can trim audio, add Adobe Stock music, and layer on sound effects — all in one place.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFwJzcizwQY/?hl=en
3. Swipe to transform
I love the idea of a carousel where you swipe to make something more ____. Think of a carousel as a lever to make something bigger or older or funnier. I have seen brands successfully use a carousel to “turn back time” or to “make our product bigger.” It’s a fun format that encourages deep engagement and time spent with the piece of content.
- Examples of a humorous suspense-building with cookies and gaming
- Express tip: Use Insert Object to generate fun, exaggerated elements — like making your product bigger or turning back time. Duplicate pages to build a carousel that evolves with each swipe.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DEc5XQpP1gz/?img_index=1
4. Printed & placed IRL
Have a design you love? Print it out and take a photo of it. Whether it’s a mood board or a pull-tab flyer or a brand announcement, try designing something eye-catching and hanging it in situ. Doing this adds a level of intrigue to the design and announcement, making it feel like you just came across it as opposed to uploading the design straight onto a social platform.
- Examples of blending in old-school IRL placements for travel and beauty giveaways
- Express tip: You can create and order high-quality printed flyers, posters, cards, business cards, t-shirts, and more in Adobe Express, for a seamless experience.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C-F2EbaIh90/
5. Give your PR some PR
Here’s an interesting way to share good PR. Create a post that shows several browser tabs, each with a different PR clip. Either record a video of you flipping through the tabs or create stills for a carousel. Adds a little delight to what would traditionally be a screenshot post.
- Examples of highlighting one major story from a major publication and a pile of many stories
- Express tip: Create a slick PR recap by uploading each media mention as a screenshot. Use a static template, duplicate for each tab, and export as a carousel post. Bonus points for layering in browser frames or screen-like effects.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DAv2B7quj4z/?hl=en
I hope these formats allow you to see the opportunity in ownable, trend-agnostic formats that still feel fun and built-for-the-Internet. Tag me and @adobe when you try one out!