In this issue of Trend Tap, we break down how we've leveraged new content types like GIFs, Instagram Stories, and memes to earn millions of impressions for clients and how you can do the same. Inside the Content Issue: -Best-in-class examples from brands that are crushing it with GIFs, Instagram Stories, and memes -Content creation best practices that we've used to earn millions of organic impressions for clients -Untapped content opportunities your brand can start leveraging today Brought to you by The Social Lights, an award-winning social media marketing agency based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Visit us: thesociallights.com.

1. TREND
TAP
SUMMER 2018
Creating Stand-Out
Social Content:
The Ultimate Guide To GIFs,
Instagram Stories, and Memes
A quarterly trend publication
unfolding all things social content,
data, and perspectives by
THE
CONTENT
ISSUE

2. Hello!
The Social Lights here. We’re back this summer to present you with
our second issue of Trend Tap: The Content Issue.
In this issue, we break down three on-the-rise formats — GIFs,
Instagram Stories, and memes. They have been packing quite the
punch through dark social, a tough-to-measure but incredibly
important indication of a brand’s effectiveness in the social sphere.
Whether you're looking to stay up-to-date on the latest content
trends or hoping to find a fresh set of ideas for your upcoming
content, set aside the next 20 minutes and let this be your ultimate
resource for creating stand-out social content. We’ll walk you through
the evolution of these formats, showcase best-in-class brands doing
it right, and explain how you can get started.
Ready to step up your content game? The keys are in your hands.
MARTHA MCCARTHY KRUEGER
CO-FOUNDER + CEO
2
The Social Lights is an innovative social media agency that partners with leading consumer
companies to grow their audience and achieve their desired business results.
A NOTE FROM
THE EDITOR

3. TABLE OF
CONTENTS
3
Untapped Opportunities
Stand-Out Memes
Stand-Out Instagram Stories
New Content Features To Know2 mins.
5 mins.
8 mins.
2 mins.
Stand-Out GIFs8 mins.

4. SO, WHAT’S
NEW?

5. 5
INSTAGRAM
BRINGS TV TO
SOCIAL WITH IGTV
Instagram debuted a new app,
IGTV, which allows creators to
upload vertical videos up to 60
minutes in length.
TL;DR
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
IGTV enables you to upload vertical
videos longer than 60 seconds to
Instagram.
■ Product reviews or tutorials
■ Recipe videos
■ Q&As
■ Brand stories longer than 60 seconds
■ Thought leader interviews
HOW BRANDS CAN USE IGTV
THE OPPORTUNITIES
If you have long-form content (or the ability to
produce it), it’s worth experimenting with IGTV.
After publishing your first video to IGTV, you can
link followers directly to the video via your
Instagram Story (even if you aren’t verified or
don't have over 10k followers).
N E E D M O R E I D E A S ?
See what’s popular on YouTube in your industry, then create
your own version on IGTV.

6. STAND-OUT
GIFS

7. EVOLUTION
OF GIFS
GIFs! They’re just like us! At 31 years old, it’s crazy to think that your
favorite file format is also a Millennial. But before they were your go-to
visual analogies used to express all the feels, they initially served as
simple decorative elements for websites. With the gradual adoption of
GIF support in 1:1 messaging apps and social platforms, GIFs have
grown from compressed file alternatives to completely shaping internet
culture — one loop at a time.
STEVE WILHITE INVENTS THE GIF
His original intent was to create a graphics
format that would work on all computers,
regardless of their connection speed, by
quickly displaying sharp images.
7
1986
GIFS RE-ENTER MAINSTREAM
Embedded in articles and social media,
NBC’s usage of GIFs during the London
Olympics meant you didn’t need to watch
the whole telecast. “GIF” was also the word
of the year.
2012
GIPHY BECOMES INTERNET’S
GO-TO GIF LIBRARY
Social, mobile phone keyboards, email, and
Slack — everything had a GIF button thanks to
GIPHY.
2013
GIFS + GIF STICKERS ARE NEW
DIGITAL MEDIUMS FOR BRANDS
200 million active users later and brands are
leveraging GIPHY's free “brand channels” to
have users unknowingly share looping ads
and to connect with Gen Z.
2018

8. GIFS: A GUIDE TO
GETTING STARTED
CREATE YOUR OWN
Do you have video content you can
shorten and add a caption to?
Images you want to stitch together
into a slideshow? Use GIPHY’s
creator tool to convert your existing
assets into GIFs.
When you have 10+ GIFs created,
apply for your own GIPHY Brand
Channel and upload your looping
pieces of art.
HOW BRANDS CAN USE GIFS
BEST PRACTICES
AUDIO WILL BE STRIPPED. So choose video clips that show a lot of
movement or simply add text.
KEEP THE SIZE DOWN FOR SOCIAL SHARING. Tumblr can be
tricky with its 2MB limit.
DESIGN WITH MOBILE IN MIND. It’s better to design closer to a
square, as narrower images will look smaller in portrait orientation.
GET YOUR LOOPS NICE + SMOOTH. Having the last frame of your
animation the same as your start results in a tiny little hold where you
see the same frame twice. Remove it to create a seamless loop.
to respond
Drive even more engagement
by replacing your text
responses with reaction GIFs.
Netflix uses them to respond
to both fans and haters.
to educate to gamify to capture attention
Easily give your still images
some life by adding
movement through
animated text or graphic
elements. Noosa uses them
to emphasize a focus point.
VIEW HERE
Create an interactive
experience allowing fans to
push-and-play. Truly uses
them to start a game of
spin the bottle.
8
Show fans a wide variety of
products, demonstrate
multiple uses, or provide
tips. Starbucks uses them to
showcase their array of frap
flavors.
VIEW HEREVIEW HERE VIEW HERE

9. FOOD
LOOPS
Because GIFs are smaller projects with generally
smaller budgets, it’s less of a risk for brands to use
this format to try something different. Take
Chobani, who teamed up with creators Stephanie
Gonot and Nick Marchese to showcase their Flip
flavor varieties in one seamless loop. The playful
way each flavor is shown both in its original and
indulgent form before unexpectedly transforming
into a Flip has you doing a double take (to confirm,
it’s not magic).
Lesson: The most engaging GIFs are the ones that
can loop seamlessly and indefinitely, with swift
movements and an element of surprise.
GIFS FOR FLAVOR FUN
Chobani
9
1.5M
GIF VIEWS
VIEW HERE
VIEW HERE

10. I FEEL LIKE PABLO GIFs' rise in popularity can be heavily attributed to the
designers that have been using them for creative
expression. The most notable GIF creators include
Martina Martian, Emma Darvick, and of course, Pablo
Rochat. Each of these creators has a deep understanding
of what is trending on social and a familiarity with how
younger audiences interact with GIFs. Using this, they
translate funny, relatable, and sometimes even bizarre
moments into GIFs.
Pablo has leveraged the flexibility of GIF stickers to allow
people to play games through Instagram Stories. He also
creates stickers of commonly used call-to-actions (swipe
up) that allow people to apply a funny remix to their
posts.
Lesson: Brands should look to GIF creators for
inspiration before looking at other brands. Even better,
partner with a creator for custom assets on a budget and
higher reach potential (i.e Pablo x Chipotle).
GIFS + STICKERS FOR GAMIFICATION
PABLO ROCHAT
10
478M
GIF VIEWS
gifs for gamification
stickers for brand partnership

11. FRIENDS WITH BENEFIT
Benefit Cosmetics is on a mission to find the next big
brow trend this summer via Instagram contest. The rules
are simple — recreate two of Benefit’s four new brow
styles and post the final looks on Instagram. The more
you post, the more chances you have to win a trip to
Camp Benefit (brow masterclass hosted by influencers)
and $50,000.
Because voting is open to the public, Benefit has created
GIPHY stickers for fans to show whose team they're on.
Benefit also created GIF stickers that the brand could use
on their own Instagram Stories to maintain the look and
feel of the campaign.
Lesson: Go beyond polls and give fans fun ways to
answer questions through GIF stickers. Also, think about
what common sentiments, phrases, and reaction
statements could be incorporated in your custom GIF
library to give your Instagram Stories a cohesive look.
GIF STICKERS TO SUPPORT CONTESTS
BENEFIT COSMETICS
11
stickers for fan use
stickers for brand use
78.4M
GIF VIEWS

12. STAND-OUT
INSTAGRAM
STORIES

13. EVOLUTION
OF INSTAGRAM
STORIES
Instagram Stories paved the way for people to share whatever
they want on the channel without breaking their feed. Coming
into the game as a new social format eerily similar to Snapchat
Stories, Instagram Stories took real-time sharing to the next level
by providing more layers of customization. Started from the
bottom, now we're here.
INSTAGRAM STORIES CREATED
Instagram releases a new feature to
battle Snapchat Stories, providing a way
to create a temporary post outside of the
feed.
13
AUGUST 20161
STORIES OPEN TO OLD CONTENT
After constant encouragement from
users, Instagram opened Stories up to
content created more than 24 hours prior.
NOVEMBER 2017 2
STORY HIGHLIGHTS DROP
Users can now publicly archive their
favorite Stories and see their work live
longer than 24 hours.
STORIES INTEGRATIONS
Instagram introduces integrations to
make your Stories more interactive. You
can now link Spotify songs or add GIFs.
DECEMBER 20173
JANUARY 2018 4

14. 14
KEEP ‘EM CLICKING
Create a narrative that keeps the user clicking
to see what's next. You can hold their attention
with intrigue or an element of suspense.
Rocking it: Glossier
MAKE IT INTERACTIVE
Turn your Instagram Story into a game, an
interactive story, a quiz, or a poll to get the
user engaging with your content beyond
simply viewing.
Rocking it: HBO
BEST PRACTICES
TRY A CONTENT SERIES
Create recurring content to give your audience
something to look forward to! Try giving a new
phone wallpaper on Fridays or sharing a
weekly roundup of UGC – keeping a cadence
encourages your followers to check in.
Rocking it: Brit + Co
USE YOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Give your followers a place to check back on
some of their favorite content. Create
organized highlights on your page to archive
some of your best work.
Rocking it: CB2
INSTAGRAM STORIES
FOR BRANDS
Instagram Stories unlock a unique world of
social opportunities for brands and should
be treated as such. Check out some best
practices for all-star content!

15. CHIPOTLE GIVES
THE PEOPLE WHAT
THEY WANT
Chipotle has mastered the art of turning what's
going on in the mind of their consumers into
engaging Instagram Stories. They turn popular
Tweets and memes into stories that are easy to
share, collaborate with influencers in areas their
consumers care about, and share their fans' love of
their delicious food.
The Mexican grill turns content moments into
engaging opportunities by adding simple
integrations, like a sliding scale in a dreamy
guacamole recipe and some 🔥 GIPHY stickers for
fans to share. They keep their Stories simple with
designs often created in the app.
Lesson: Turn the knowledge of your audience into
a unique content experience.
BEST-IN-CLASS INSTAGRAM STORIES
CHIPOTLE
15

16. WEWORK BRINGS
COMMUNITY
LOVE ONLINE
WeWork makes their goal clear with one look at
their Instagram profile: You can be a part of a
community. They carry this sentiment into their
Instagram Stories by featuring different WeWork
locations from around the world and store them in
the Highlights on their profile.
They use a mixture of user generated content and
professional photography to give their audience a
feel for their communities and have staff cover fun
events at each location to share with the group.
Lesson: Let your core values shine through with
Instagram Stories.
BEST-IN-CLASS INSTAGRAM STORIES
WeWork
16

17. STAND-OUT
MEMES

18. EVOLUTION OF
MEMES
AND THE
OPPORTUNITY
FOR BRANDS
Memes are not new to the Internet.
Depending on your definition of a
meme, they’ve existed online since
the late ‘90s or early 2000s. Yet in the
last few years, we’ve seen a rise in
brands leveraging memes to earn
massive organic reach and brand
affinity.
But making a brand meme isn’t as
easy as updating a meme template.
Bad executions of brand memes
invite ridicule and humiliation.
MEMES 101
The dictionary definition doesn’t capture the full value
of a meme: an idea, behavior, style, or usage that
spreads from person to person within a culture.
Memes are much more than funny images and copy.
They’re a way to communicate an idea quickly in a
highly shareable way.
WHY ARE MEMES SO EFFECTIVE?
People don’t have time for clever content on social
media. If people can’t quickly grasp what your post is
about, they’ll swipe to the next post.
The effectiveness of memes comes from their ability to
communicate an idea and point-of-view quickly, often
leveraging humor. Relatable humor is one of the most
highly shared types of content on social.
ARE MEMES ONLY FOR TEENS?
This is a common misconception. Memes are simply a
vehicle to communicate an idea. Everyone from teens
to retired grandparents shares memes on social media.
The audience for a meme depends entirely on the
concept and what is communicated.
18

19. KROGER CONNECTS
THROUGH RELATABLE
HUMOR
When people think of great meme makers, a
grocery chain isn’t the first to come to mind, but
Kroger is one of the best meme-making brands on
Instagram. Roughly every 10 posts, Kroger shares a
laugh-out-loud worthy meme, usually centering on
a relatable experience at the grocery store.
Lesson: You don’t need to post memes exclusively
to benefit from them. By sprinkling in memes every
5 to 10 posts, you can deepen your connection
with fans who will think, “This brand really gets
me.” Lastly, Kroger is a great example of memes
connecting with audiences beyond teens.
BEST-IN-CLASS MEMES
KROGER
19

20. NETFLIX LEVERAGES
ORIGINAL CONTENT
FOR ORIGINAL
MEMES
Netflix is more than a master of original TV content
—they also create and share highly engaging
memes that leverage content currently streaming
on the platform.
Lesson: See if there’s an opportunity to use owned
content in brand memes. While using familiar third
party content is still very effective, using owned
content provides an additional branding
opportunity.
BEST-IN-CLASS MEMES
NETFLIX
20

21. GUSHERS BUILDS A
HIGHLY ENGAGED
FOLLOWING WITH
RELATABLE MEMES
Few brands create content as engaging as Gushers
does on Instagram. Since launching the account,
they’ve stuck almost exclusively to sharing relatable
memes that often feature a comical love of the fruit
snack.
Lesson: If you find a niche that works for your
brand, lean into it and focus. Gushers gets more
engagement than brands with bigger followings
because their followers know what to expect with
each new post (and Gushers delivers).
BEST-IN-CLASS MEMES
GUSHERS
21

22. UNTAPPED
OPPORTUNITIES

23. BRIDGING THE GAP
Showing up on your respective social channels
simply isn't enough. Inspiring a new, current, and/
or old consumer to trust you with everything is
what all brands need to aspire to do. But, there
are a few fundamental questions that make it
easier to stay focused:
LET’S GET TO IT.
We're all faced with an ever-changing
world and an ever-fickle consumer.
The good news: we've delivered
millions of organic and paid
impressions for some brilliant clients.
With our range of experience, we've
been able to help our clients outsmart
their competition and win on social
media. Here are a few untapped
content opportunities that we’ve
compiled just for you.
Have you experimented with new Instagram
Stories features?
How can your brand use GIFs to increase
engagement and word-of-mouth?
Do you know your audience well enough to
create relatable content through memes?
23

24. UNTAPPED BRAND
OPPORTUNITIES
JOIN YOUR OWN FAN CLUB WITH
INSTAGRAM STORIES
Use these short-lived moments to show your social
audience that you’re one of them. You know what
they know, like what they like, and can provide
specialized, valuable content.
LEVERAGE THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE
MEDIUM
Formats evolve over time as people find playful
ways to remix them. When it comes to GIFs, all you
need is an understanding of basic animation
principles, a sense of rhythm, and an
unconventional idea.
PARTNER WITH THE PEOPLE WHO DO IT
BEST
Team up with a creator who specializes in these
formats. Not only will they create off-beat content
suited to your brand, but you can also leverage
their large following.
CREATE BRAND GIFS THAT COMMUNICATE
A MESSAGE
Make something that enables your audience to
express how they feel through your brand. Doing
so will dramatically increase organic use of the GIFs
everywhere they’re shared.
24
SHARE RELATABLE BRAND TRUTHS IN
CREATIVE WAYS WITH MEMES
Every brand has core truths that the vast majority of
their audience would immediately recognize as such.
Use those core truths at the root of memes that your
brand shares.

25. YOU’RE
WELCOME.
CONTRIBUTORS
Emily Pritchard
Martha McCarthy Krueger
Ben Nesvig
Gina Vo
Tedi O’Brien
Jasmine Graper
Stephanie Steiner
Mollie Cook
SAY HELLO
25
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26. TAP THAT.
BEST READ WITH
OUR FAVORITE
BEER OF THE
MOMENT.