7th-11th April: Social Media and Marketing Updates

11 April 2025

Welcome back! From new features to the latest news, we’re diving into the updates that matter and trust us, you don’t want to miss these.

Let’s get into what’s hot, what’s not, and how your brand can ride the wave.

Instagram tests new lockable posts

Instagram’s getting spicy with engagement and we’re here for it.

The platform’s testing a new feature that lets you lock posts behind a secret code. Yep, we’re talking gated content that only the chosen ones (your superfans, top customers, or VIP insiders) can crack open.

Spotted over on the Instagram Design profile, this new “Enter secret code” prompt gives creators a slick new way to boost interaction and make your audience work a little for that exclusive content.

Want to drop a discount for loyal customers? Serve geo-specific updates? Reward your inner circle with early access? Now you’re going to have the tools to do it.

TikTok lives to scroll another day

TikTok’s not getting kicked out of the U.S. just yet. The app’s dodged the ban hammer for now, with a 75-day stay of execution courtesy of president Donald Trump.

In true Trump fashion, the announcement dropped last-minute just hours before the original 5 April deadline. He claims “tremendous progress” has been made on a deal to sell TikTok to a U.S.-based buyer but not quite enough to seal it.

So, what’s next? A mad scramble. Again.

What’s trending on TikTok?

Speaking of TikTok, here’s what’s flooding the For You Page right now.

God forbid a person has hobbies

This trend claps back at the weird cultural habit of mocking people (especially women) for simply… enjoying things.

“You knit? You bake bread? You journal? You care about your skincare routine?”
Cue the sarcastic voiceover: “God forbid someone has hobbies.”

Creators are using this sound to highlight how harmless joy gets treated like cringe and flipping that narrative with pride.

It’s wholesome. It’s defiant. It’s a vibe.

Use the trend to champion your audience’s niche interests. Sell art? Call out the craft-shaming. Run a fitness app? Spotlight your most passionate users. Basically, whatever your product supports. Hype it up unapologetically.

I’m bored, please share your most unhinged…

TikTok said “chaotic energy only” and this trend delivers. It all starts with a deadpan prompt:

“I’m bored. Please share your most unhinged [insert thing here]”
…and then the madness unfolds.

From friendship breakups to first dates to corporate horror stories, creators are spilling the kind of unfiltered, jaw-dropping, did-that-really-happen?! tea that makes you forget to blink.

Invite your audience to share the most chaotic stories related to your brand’s niche. If you’re a food brand, ask for crazy food fails or unhinged snack combos. If you’re in fashion, get people to spill on their wildest outfit fails. Make it fun, relatable, and a bit of a guilty pleasure.

Probably needed a hug…

This trend is a TikTok mood where people reflect on those extreme decisions that, in hindsight, were maybe a little too much. The vibe? You know you probably didn’t need to do all that, but here we are.

The format goes like this:

“Probably needed a hug…”
It’s paired with clips of what they did instead like spending every waking hour in the gym, cutting off all social contact for a month to study, or diving headfirst into a hobby.

Brands can use the “probably needed a hug” trend to humorously showcase how their products. For example, “probably needed a hug, bought [insert your product here].

Join us again next week for more of the same or drop us a message if you can’t want that long!

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