With more people turning to Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and other social media platforms to adapt with the new normal, there is no doubt that a single post could easily dominate the list of trending topics, go viral, and even be highlighted in mainstream media within a couple of hours. To add to that, people’s mood, interests, and attention span have largely shifted due to longer hours being spent at home, resulting in unpredictable behavior in social media.
As experts in social media services in Davao City, our CB Year in Review: Davao City Facebook Stats 2019 has recorded roughly 1.5 to 2 million Facebook users present in the economic hub of Mindanao. What could these millions of Facebook users be sharing, liking, and posting about while in quarantine?
Here is a list of the recent online trends and some of the people who have been taken by storm of the things that went unexpectedly viral in Davao City
1. Dance Challenges on TikTok
From Renegade and Savage to Number One Baby and Don’t Start Now, TikTok videos spread like wildfire on the internet as people already started to get bored at home to observe social distancing measures.
In fact, the Davao City Tourism Operations Office even launched an online TikTok challenge called #DavaoLetsKulataCovid last March 16 to keep Davaoeños amused. Participants wowed viewers with their unique take on daily themes such as “Zumba sa sala”, “Singing Diva sa banyo”, and “Tala Dance Challenge House Tour”.
Check out some of the entries here!
2. Yes, I do the cooking!
Most of our favorite cafés have closed during the quarantine period to observe social distancing. This probably meant saying goodbye to your favorite salad or suppressing one’s cravings for your go-to frappuccino. However, others saw this as an opportunity to unleash the inner chefs, cooks, and bakers in them.
Stories on Facebook and Instagram were filled with home-made pastries, dalgona coffee and baked delights, that browsing through them would trigger a gastronomic urge!
For mother-and-daughter tandem Marichu and Carmina Demerey, baking at home has become a bonding moment. Having a family that loves to eat desserts, closed shops made them explore baking to stay productive at home and satisfy their sweet tooth. And of course, they enjoy sharing photos of their baked goodies on social media, contributing to the growing trend.
Sticky Cinnamon Buns (L) and Mango Graham Cheesecake Photo courtesy of: Carmina Demerey
Cookies and Revel Barse
Photo courtesy of: Marichu Demerey
Youtube served as their main source of ideas, following tips and recipes from their favorite food content creators like Mortar and Pastry, Preppy Kitchen, Lutong Tinapay, and CakesbyLynz.
Meanwhile, some people whose usual routines were interrupted or cancelled due to COVID-19 took this time off to reignite their passion for baking and most of them turned to Facebook Groups for support and resources.
For Kai Cayamanda, a college student who tried baking two years ago, the longer time being spent at home and her love for desserts encouraged her to pursue it again. For now, she bakes blueberry cheese cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies, and has even started selling them to close relatives and friends.
Blueberry Cheese Cupcakes Chocolate Chip Cookies Photos courtesy of: Kai Cayamanda
Her parents’ support and tips from other local bakers and suppliers from the Support Local Davao Facebook Group revived her interest in baking.
Support Local Davao, a Facebook Group for online shops in the city
https://www.facebook.com/groups/supportlocaldavao
She also observed that the number of members grew during the quarantine period, which shows how more people wanted to try baking, online selling, and other hobbies while staying at home.
What’s nice about these groups? They reflect healthy digital marketing in Davao city, which reveals how Davaoeños are slowly embracing the importance of social media for businesses.
3. Barter Communities
A potted plant in exchange for rice, a popcorn maker for a DVD player, a sling bag for some groceries, and the list goes on–who would have thought that this century-old trade system would rise in popularity again today?
Bartering, or the cashless exchange of goods and services, has served as a means to cope with difficulties in access to necessities while mobility in cities and provinces are limited. Using Facebook as a platform, modern barter communities first emerged in Iloilo and eventually reached Davao and other parts of the country.
Davao Barter Community Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/250473383051328/
Ianne Calatrava-Villanueva founded the Davao Barter Community, a Facebook group, last May 22. Today, it has over 168,000 members and has even been featured on national news!
Some of the first barters that occurred include a tea set for an Ottoman chair, shampoo bars for pomelos, groceries for kids’ toys, and a ukulele for cans of luncheon meat, which has become a crowd favorite.
Acoustic and electric guitar(L) and a Macbook(R) posted for barter on the Facebook Group
Today, you can find almost anything and everything in the group. Enjoy scrolling through the group and find the best deals that suit you!
4. Instant Entrepreneurs
Contrary to how most physical stores have been closing, the number of online shops have increased during the quarantine period.
Seen as a “life vest” for businesses during these times, social media services in Davao City, and even in the rest of the country have helped in keeping the economy afloat. While online selling giants such as Lazada and Shopee continue to dominate, local startups have also become aggressive even in the middle of a pandemic, making them the talk of the town.
For instance, Klarisse Cruzado, who is a member of several Facebook groups for local businesses, has recently been encouraged to put up her own shop for organic bath products on Instagram. She sees social media as a practical and influential platform where she can sell, being able to reach a lot of people while staying at home and having the advantage of incorporating social media trends in their business strategies.
Klarisse Cruzado’s organic bath products on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/serene_dvo/
She also noted how easy it is to get feedback through social media, which helps build mutual trust between her shop and her customers.
Meanwhile, The Resellers Network-Philippines, a young Facebook Group for startups, online shops and the like, has seen a boost in activity during the quarantine period.
Some items up for reselling on The Resellers Network - Philippines https://www.facebook.com/groups/resellersnetworkph/
It has served as a thriving online community of resellers, giving small enterprises a push for better opportunities despite the unpredictable pandemic.
5. Biking
If you have gotten out of the house for a grocery run or to do a quick errand lately, you have probably noticed a new demarcation line on the road–bicycle lanes.
Facebook Groups for Bikers in Davao City https://www.facebook.com/groups/sikaddavao/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/2382705372005516/
Encouraged as an alternative mode of transportation in the “new normal”, biking has become popular once again, as testified by the growing community of bikers on Facebook such as Sikad Davao and Davao Bikers Community over the quarantine period.
Dean Arriesgado, a member of both groups, mentioned that he turned to biking because it helps him observe social distancing, as compared to the typical public transportation that we have, in order to prevent the spread of the virus while keeping him fit and without causing harm to the environment.
Some biking adventures of the group members when the enhanced community quarantine was lowered down. Photo courtesy of: Dean Arriesgado
How about you, are you ready to blaze your own trail? Make sure to put on your masks and safety gears, bring a bottle of water, follow traffic rules, and observe physical distancing!
6. #Plantitas and #Plantitos
Not only did the skies of the metro become bluer and cleaner from pollution, social media feeds have also become greener over the quarantine period.
Surprisingly, a lot have been flexing their succulents, herbs, and other plants on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. There has even been a surge of online shopping for plants, soil mixes, and basic garden tools, and even Facebook groups dedicated to those who acquired a green thumb.
One of them is Joshua Diaz who found plant parenting as a therapeutic activity to ease anxiety and boredom while staying at home. According to him, taking care of plants is fulfilling because it teaches responsibility and patience, especially when you are able to nurture a plant from cuttings.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1508013736120051/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/148142345943358/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/368565986876744/
To further improve his knowledge on plant parenting, he turned to Facebook Groups for plant lovers in Davao city, which eventually encouraged him to put up his own online shop for plants.
https://www.instagram.com/happycrates.ph/
Joshua Diaz’s plant babies Photo courtesy of: Joshua Diaz
While others enjoy indoor plants, Kiarrah Baluso has become fond of planting vegetables and fruits during the quarantine.
Curiosity urged her to test if the tomato seeds she has will grow in their garden soil, and to her delight, it sprouted within 2 weeks! Plant parenting has become a stress-reliever for her as gardening takes off the worries, even just for a few hours.
A tomato sprout Photo courtesy of: Kiarrah Baluso
With the help of Youtube channels of other plant parents, she has grown over 120 seedlings of tomatoes, calamansi, red pepper, American lemons, garlic, and malunggay. To track her progress, she occasionally flexes the fruit of her green thumb on Instagram Stories.
@kiarrahdanille ‘s IG stories of her plant babies
Who knew that plants can be such good companions during difficult times?
Trends come and go. One day, they could be on everyone’s news feed. Soon, they might just resurface through Facebook Memories. But unlike how short-lived these online trends are, it’s sad to say that the pandemic might still not be ending so soon.
While the world is still in a crisis, affecting people, jobs, companies, and a lot more in one way or another, let us go back to the basics and discover new strategies, such as harnessing the power of these online trends for your business by learning more about digital marketing in Davao City with us.
Are you ready for the next viral story? What do you think will the next online trend be? Let me know in the comments below.
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