Growing your business on social media takes time and effort. To save you half the job, I’ve collected a list of the top TikTok and Instagram Reel trends for May.
Read on for a full breakdown of the social media trends, including the ways brands have been using them and how you can recreate them yourself.
TikTok Trend: Hallelujah
🎵 Trending sound: Everything Hallelujah by Justin Bieber
Creators, including popular celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Lewis Capaldi, have been using Justin Bieber’s song “Everything Hallelujah” to show the things they love or are grateful for.
This TikTok trend for May is easy for businesses to recreate in a number of ways, including showing gratitude to customers, admitting guilty pleasures, and even to highlight discounts, restocks, or benefits of products.
- Click the linked audio and select “Use sound”
- Film a candid video of yourself working
- Write out a list of things you love or you’re grateful for at work and finish each line with “hallelujah”
- Examples I’ve seen from brands include:
- Show gratitude: Sold out/fully booked — hallelujah
- Highlight perks: Free shipping — hallelujah
- Promote product benefits: Reduced fine lines — hallelujah
Instagram Reel Trend: This Looks So Cool, I have To Capture It
🎵 Trending sound: Be Like a Woman by Chris Rainbow
In true Instagram fashion, this trend is all about sharing those “wait, this looks cool” moments — aka your Pinterest board brought to life. Creators have been sharing montages of beautiful sunsets, extravagant meals, and core memories to the beat of the trending sound.
Brands should use this Instagram Reel trend for May to show a collection of their most visually appealing products. To make your shots even more “Instagrammable”, use a complementary backdrop, such as a sandy beach to display your new summer jewelry line.
- Click the linked sound and select “Use audio”
- Film yourself until the beat drops (around three seconds)
- Cut to a montage of your aesthetically appealing product pictures and short clips
- Add the text “Wait this looks so cool I have to capture it” in a pastel yellow Calibri font for the duration of your first clip
TikTok Trend: My Top 5 Horror Movies
🎵 Trending sound: The One That Got Away by Katy Perry
List-style videos are popular on TikTok this month, and this one takes an opposite approach to the “Hallelujah” trend I mentioned previously. Instead of sharing their blessings, creators are ranking their biggest pet peeves or nightmare scenarios as a list of their top five “horror movies”.
This trend is widely relatable and adaptable for every niche. Generic annoyances, such as late shipments, are great for mass appeal, but you can also tailor your list to your industry, such as CafeSporelmundo, who called out her least favorite drinks orders to make:
- Click the linked audio and select “Use sound”
- Film a video of yourself working or posing with a frustrated expression
- Add five frustrating work-related scenarios or customer requests
- Ideas include:
- Corporate: A meeting on Friday at 4pm
- Hospitality: Dropping cutlery while clearing plates
- Ecommerce: Bank chargebacks
What Should I Post on Social Media in May?
May’s social media content calendar provides businesses with the chance to boost engagement and share their professional values through challenges, appreciation posts, and sharing their positive working relationships.
Here are easy content ideas for the key dates in May:
| 📅 Date | 📌 Event | 💡 Content Idea |
| May 8 | Victory in Europe Day | Share a throwback picture of your town in the 1940s |
| May 10 | Mother’s Day | Share a photo of "the CEO/founder Mom" to spotlight their achievements, or post a self-care discount to all the moms in your local area |
| May 15 | International Day of Families | Post a “family photo” of your staff to show appreciation for your work family |
| May 16 | Armed Forces Day | Highlight your military discount or share a “thank you” graphic |
| May 20 | World Bee Day | Share your top “busy as a bee” productivity tips for staying productive as a team during peak season |
| May 22 | National Maritime Day | Post a photo of your outgoing packages or a map of where you ship your products internationally |
| May 24 | National Scavenger Hunt Day | Post a photo of your office with a product hidden in it and offer the first three commenters who spot it a 10% discount code |
For May’s social content calendar, I recommend scheduling multiple list-style videos around various themes (e.g. gratitude, love/hate, ins/outs) and finding a trending TikTok sound or Instagram audio to attach close to the date. Not only is listed content trending at the moment, but it’s also a cheat code for businesses wanting to batch create easy content.
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