That’s way more than double. Because, as the internet’s become a sea of not-so-subtle sponsored content and AI-generated videos of raccoons jumping on trampolines, Reddit has remained a safe haven. The platform has always been extremely anti-advertising (and frankly, anti-bullshit). And most brands have steered clear for fear of getting on users’ bad side. But now, Reddit’s one of the most-referenced sources for AI (which means if you want ChatGPT to know your brand, you really want to be on Reddit). Just… tread carefully [4 ways to do it right]

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

Meanwhile other brands are going viral every week. Their secret? They're not working harder. They're using a system (and you need one, too).

At this workshop, Stanley Henry (1.4M followers, 1B+ views/year) teaches you that exact system live in just 90 minutes.

You'll learn:

✅The 1 thing you need to never run out of content ideas
✅How the biggest brands go viral on IG (plus what NOT to do)
✅How to create a repeatable content system (that doesn't take hours every day OR a creative team)

Thursday, 5 March | 11am NZDT | 9am AEDT | $79 NZD

Find out exactly how the biggest accounts are blowing up on IG (and how your brand can become one of them) 👇

p.s. Got YAP dollars to cash in? Head here to spend them on this workshop!

Meta’s Zuckerberg just testified in a landmark trial about social media’s effects on children. And the whole thing has been just about as surreal as you’d expect lol. We all know he’s been absolutely grilled (deservingly, might I add) about IG’s role in teen mental health crisis, algorithmic amplification of harmful content, and the company’s internal research saying they were aware, of both, the whole time and chose not to act on it.

Zuckerberg's defence, as always, is that Meta takes safety seriously. That they've invested billions in moderation. That parents and educators need to be part of the solution. Which is corporate speak for "we built a machine that prints money by exploiting adolescent insecurity and now you want us to fix it?" Yes Mark, we do 😩. Also kind of crazy when you’re at a trial and the judge tells your entire team off for wearing Meta glasses. Not off to a good start, my guys.

Moving on, if you’re a thrift queen like me, then this will interest you – if not, sorry x

Etsy just sold Depop to eBay (say that five times fast) for a whopping $1.2 billion. In this economy? Pop off! Kinda makes sense in a weird way. The second-hand fashion app that became synonymous with Gen Z thrift culture is now owned by the same company that sells used electronics and vintage Beanie Babies. I guess it’s an opportunity for eBay to capture younger users who don’t want to buy an Atari, but still like vintage, just in another form.

Ok this morning, I read about this and I just had to throw it in here because what is even happening anymore. The Hollywood Reporter (I should have known better) wrote an article about “the rise of the celebrity prison influencer.” Which is as insane as it sounds. Convicts are now using social media managers outside of prison to grow and monetise their social media following. Read about it here (it’s wild). All I can say is, if y’all make Ghislaine an influencer, I’m going to riot.  

-Sophie Randell, Writer

Particularly when it comes to insights. For years, people ignored it as a marketing platform because, well, I mean its core culture is deeply anti-advertising. So yeah, it was risky, labour-intensive, and pretty difficult to control compared to platforms like Facebook or Instagram.

Also the community would downvote you into oblivion if you came in too hot with anything that seemed gimmicky or too advertising-heavy.

However, times have changed.

The platform just dropped its 2026 creative trends guide, and it’s totally worth paying attention to.

Reddit's been growing like crazy over the last few years, going from 52 million DAUs in 2020 to over 121 million in 2026.

More users = more engagement. And increasingly it's where people go when they want actual human opinions instead of AI-generated slop or obvious sponsored content. It's also become a key data source for AI chatbots, which means your Reddit presence can and absolutely does impact how AI tools talk about your brand.

So yeah, it makes sense that brands are finally paying attention. And Reddit's giving them a playbook that doesn't involve being immediately roasted in the comments (thank you gracious kings and queens.)

Which, on Reddit, is basically winning the lottery.

Nostalgia-driven story telling.

Reddit loves nostalgia. Like, deeply loves it. Entire communities are built around "remember when" energy. Brands tapping into this - showing throwback products, referencing cultural moments, leaning into retro aesthetics - are seeing real engagement. Because Redditors will absolutely derail a thread to argue about whether the blue Power Ranger was better than the red one.

UGC social proof.

User-generated content isn't anything new, but on Reddit it's essential. The community can spot inauthentic content from a mile away. To succeed here, you need to amplify real user experiences instead of manufacture them. You know, actual reviews, real humans saying "yeah this product is good" without being paid to say it.

Niche inspired campaigns.

This is where Reddit really shines. The platform is built on hyper-specific communities. There's a subreddit for everything, and I mean everything. Brands that create campaigns speaking directly to these niche interests - not broad demographic buckets, but actual specific communities with shared obsessions - are seeing way better results. Because generic doesn't work on Reddit. Specific does.

Campaigns that unfold instead of launch.

Reddit isn't a platform for dropping one-off ads and disappearing. The campaigns that work are the ones that develop over time. Think serialised storytelling, ongoing conversations, building momentum across multiple touchpoints. Redditors want to feel like they're part of something unfolding, not just being marketed to.

The platform is growing, the audience is engaged, and unlike other platforms, Redditors actually trust each other's opinions.

When someone asks "what's the best X" on Reddit, they're getting real answers from real people with real experience. Forget the influencer shilling, and the obvious ads. Reddit provides real humans who tried the thing and have opinions about it.

Which means if your brand shows up authentically, you can actually break through the noise.

Reddit's community can smell bullshit. Instantly. It’s like a superpower of theirs. You cannot fake authenticity here. You cannot be performative or obviously corporate or try to manufacture virality.

The brands succeeding on Reddit are the ones genuinely participating in communities, not just shouting advertising at them. They're the ones who understand the culture, respect the norms, and show up with something actually valuable to contribute.

So if you're going to use these trends, use them thoughtfully. Don't just slap nostalgia onto your campaign because Reddit said it works. Actually understand why it works, which communities care, and how to show up without being immediately dismissed as corporate spam.

The platform's growing, the engagement is real, and the community trust is something you literally cannot buy on any other platform.

But you have to do it right.

Nostalgia, UGC, niche targeting, unfolding campaigns – you can’t just copy-paste these tactics. Instead, look at them as principles for showing up authentically in a community that values authenticity above literally everything else.

Good luck out there, soldier. Try not to get eaten alive.

-Sophie Randell, Writer

The trend comes from hilarious streamer CaseOh playing Outlast 2. In a moment of pure survival instinct, he panics and yells "oh my goodness kill him! kill him and leave me I promise I won't tell nobody" - IMMEDIATELY throwing his companion under the bus to save himself. 

The clip went viral because it's hilariously relatable. People are using the audio to roast hypothetical kidnapping scenarios where they'd need their friend or partner to lock in and perform under pressure, but knowing they'd absolutely fail, they're ready to sacrifice them in a heartbeat.

My fav examples include:

Use the CaseOh "kill him and leave me" audio. Set up a kidnapping scenario where someone close to you has to prove they know something about you or perform a task to save both your lives - but ultimately, you know they're gonna fail.

A few ideas to get you started:

-abdel khalil, brand & marketing exec

😂Yap’s funniest home videos: Right back at ya
✨Daily inspo: Wise words from Keanu
😊Soooo satisfying: is this ai?
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: Bang bang cheesy chicken subs

Hey Stef,

You might not like this answer, but just like in any creative realm, your constraints are just the framework you have to work inside. Depending on your brand, you could make product-based content. You could make content about office dynamics, working remote... there's always an angle that's going to be relatable to your audience.

The trick is changing your mindset from “I can’t do this because...” to “I can do this within these parameters.” If you're really stuck, start by listing your constraints, then brainstorm what kind of content is possible to create in that framework. Every successful content series was made within constraints. That’s literally what forces you to think creativity. 

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

We get it. Creating content that does numbers is harder than it looks. But doing those big numbers is the fastest way to grow your brand. So if you’re tired of throwing sh*t at the wall and seeing what sticks, you’re in luck. Because making our clients go viral is kinda what we do every single day.