Living for the ‘gram: the influence of social media trends
Hear from Love, Bonito’s Rachel Lim, Korean lifestyle Instagrammer, Chailee Son and Xavier Lur of Twitter fame
Social media has captivated our lives since its inception, from the early days of exchanging testimonials on Facebook to the present of sharing Instagram stories and the next big meme. Speaking of memes, @world_record_egg recently scrambled the Instagram community and whipped them into a boiling frenzy.
This humble image of an egg poached the record for the most liked photo on the platform from reality TV star Kylie Jenner (@kyliejenner). In an eggshell, the result was a staggering 48 million likes to-date over a period of two weeks. Woah.
Viral trends come and go in the blink of an eye. You may often be left scratching your head and wondering how a seemingly simple, yet absurd idea got so popular.
The INSIDE team checks in with three influencers doing it for the ‘gram to find out more.
Rachel Lim | @ms_rach
Rachel, who is synonymous with homegrown women's fashion label Love, Bonito, helped to steer the brand to where it is today. She also plays an active role in advocating fellow female entrepreneurs at industry conferences and events.
Over the weekend at Funan Showsuite, guests of Love, Bonito were treated to an exclusive preview of their Chinese New Year collection, which features loud prints, bright colours, and romantic prairie silhouettes.
To top it all off, Rachel announced that the largest Love, Bonito store will arrive at Funan, come 2Q 2019! Yes!
1. What’s your take on viral trends that took off on Instagram?
I think people like them because they’re engaging and interesting.
It gives them a platform to connect and reconnect with friends and within their community, and it definitely sparks conversation!
2. Have you tried letting your fans take control of your decisions via Instagram stories? How did it turn out?
No, but we have the @lovebonito account where we often engage our followers through polls, Q&As and other interactive feedback functions specific to Instagram Stories.
For example, when we conducted our recent live styling workshop at the Funan Showsuite - in anticipation of Love, Bonito’s new upcoming store in 2Q 2019.
We showcased various Chinese New Year outfits and used polls to ask our followers which pieces they loved; actively listening and gathering feedback on what they wanted to see more of from us.
3. What social content do you hope to push out more in 2019?
I would love to give my existing followers more insight into the ongoings of my day-to-day life.
This year, I hope to share more of my workout routines, the books I am reading and loving, and even more behind-the-scenes snippets of work and life in Love, Bonito.
Chailee Son | @chaileeson
In the beginning, Chailee started out by posting selfies and travel photos with family and friends on Instagram.
With her rising popularity taking a life of its own, Chailee soon received many opportunities to expand upon her interest in fashion and travel.
Fans will be delighted to know that Chailee is in town for a meet-and-greet at DR’s Secret first pop-up store in Singapore, courtesy of the folks from Digital Fashion Week (@digitalfashionweek).
Date: 19 January 2019, Saturday
Time: 5.00pm
Exclusively at NomadX, Plaza Singapura Level 3
Hear from Chailee and her go-to skincare tips, indulge in a floral workshop and more!
1. What’s your take on viral trends that took off on Instagram?
Viral trends are viewed as an avenue to create a community, or even start a conversation with like-minded individuals digitally.
People are drawn to the sense of belonging that they feel in support of an initiative or movement.
2. Have you tried letting your fans take control of your decisions via Instagram stories? How did it turn out?
Of course, I have!
I’m sure every girl shares the moment when they decide to either grow their hair out or not.
I asked for my followers’ opinions and they wanted me to keep my hair longer. So, I finally made the decision to go along with that.
3. What social content do you hope to push out more in 2019?
I would like to have more content for beauty. As I just started my YouTube channel again, I’m going to make more tutorials for those who are curious about my secrets.
Of course, I would be keeping up with fashion too!
Xavier Lur | @xavierlur
Xavier first arrived on the social media scene with the use of Twitter. Over the years, he gradually gained more attention with his first-hand perspective of the latest events and best deals in Singapore.
#Didyouknow that Xavier was also one of the Instagrammers that captured stunning yet #unREal perspectives of CapitaLand properties, which helped to shape our 2019 calendar!
1. What’s your take on viral trends that took off on Instagram?
Viral trends usually take off when there is an element of surprise and strong community participation.
The fear of missing out (FOMO) mentality also further accelerates the virality of social media trends. In the case of the world_record_egg recording the most-liked photo on Instagram, there is an element of surprise as people did not think it would become the most-liked photo because it is just a simple photo of an egg.
A strong community of participation subsequently made the unexpected a reality with people sharing the original post on their Instagram Story and creating memes around the world record egg.
2. Have you tried letting your fans take control of your decisions via Instagram stories? How did it turn out?
Nope, I have not tried it before, but I have seen an Instagram user who allowed his followers to “plan” his day through the Poll and Question stickers on Instagram Stories.
While it was interesting, I thought it was a little extreme and we should draw a line as to how much social media can control our daily lives and decisions.
3. What social content do you hope to push out more in 2019?
I will continue to share new, interesting events and product launches in Singapore that interest the younger demographic, but with more emphasis on Instagram.