5 social media trends to try right now | June
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
Some of the best brands on social media take a familiar format and then twist it. Maybe they’re riffing on an old TV show like Milani Cosmetics or taking inspiration from sports trading cards like Golf Wang. Good social media content finds common ground with audiences — if someone hasn’t heard of your product, a familiar format gives them an easy way in. For June, let’s focus on trend formats that are rooted in the familiar but are flexible enough for your brand to tap into.
1. Yearbook superlatives
Channel your high school self and create yearbook superlatives for your products. Put a border around them and use text that mimics that signature yearbook style. This format feels like a nostalgic and personality-driven way into a more educational post. Zhuzh up the design with stickers and handwritten notes! I still think about these yearbook photos from Heaven by Marc Jacobs often.
- Express tip: Get that nostalgic school photo look by searching for “school photo background” in Adobe Express. Use Remove Background to cut out your product photo and layer it over your backdrop. Then zhuzh it up with Duotone Effects, stickers, and handwritten-style text for that retro vibe.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CpVPugiuXmC/?hl=en&img_index=1
2. Founder movie trailer
Make your founder the main character and tell their story like it’s a movie trailer. Narrate the video with a clever voiceover, add some dramatic music, and even add a “movie title” to drive the format home. We saw creators try a version of this a few months back with this trend.
- Express tip: Record voiceover directly in Adobe Express — then use the Enhance Speech tool to clean up any background noise. Layer in dramatic music, title slides, and big bold text to bring the trailer format to life.
https://www.tiktok.com/@hannahtrenches/video/7487578461784018198
3. Flyer IRL post
Announce a product or an update with an actual flyer. Grab online attention through a format that’s been grabbing our IRL attention for decades. Design it, print it out, hang it up, and take a photo. I’ve found that audiences respond well when brands take the effort of “committing to the bit.” This format is a good example of that. I love what CAVA and Graza did.
- Express tip: Search “missing flyer” in the template library to start your design. Once done, print it right from Adobe Express, hang it IRL, and capture it with your phone for an authentic, scroll-stopping moment.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C8my-qhuRzN/
4. Fake Press conference
Hold a press conference. Well, not literally. But make your followers feel like they're sitting in an audience of one. Set up a podium, design a backdrop, have camera flashes going off, and announce something big. Sally Hansen did a great job of this.
- Express tip: Create a press conference vibe by uploading your video into Adobe Express. Trim clips, add overlays like press backdrops, podium graphics, or camera flash effects, and rearrange scenes — all in a few clicks.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DGeNJ3IOPR5/?hl=en
5. Desktop folder carousel
Use desktop folders to explain information or tease a product. There is perhaps no more familiar format, considering how much time we spend staring at our computers all day. Use “folders” to let people click into more information like Supergoop!, or tease campaign imagery through small images on a desktop like Glossier.
- Express tip: Make your social post look like a computer screen. Start with a blank page in Adobe Express and add screenshots of folders, product images, or files — just like what’s on your desktop. Duplicate the page to create a swipeable carousel that lets your audience “click through” your folders to see more info or products.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DHi80lgtoF5/
These formats are everywhere once you start looking for them. Infomercials? Magazine covers? Billboards? The options are endless. Tag me and @adobeexpress when you try one out!