Coach Rachael Hite breaks down the most recent viral TikTok development and provides steerage on whether or not actual property brokers ought to hop on the bandwagon.
Whether or not it’s refining your small business mannequin, mastering new applied sciences, or discovering methods to capitalize on the subsequent market surge, Inman Join New York will put together you to take daring steps ahead. The Subsequent Chapter is about to start. Be a part of it. Be part of us and hundreds of actual property leaders Jan. 22-24, 2025.
Have you ever observed how “demure” everyone seems to be as of late? Everyone’s recording themselves being low-key cool, calm, collected, and, after all, stylishly modest whereas speaking about being “very demure,” “very conscious,” “very cutesy.”
It’s the most recent social media microtrend. Celebrities like RuPaul, Jennifer Lopez, Lance Bass, and Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan have posted demure movies, and even Vice President Kamala Harris and Merriam-Webster can’t appear to withstand it.
TAKE THE INMAN INTEL INDEX SURVEY FOR AUGUST
You may be asking your self: Why is that this a development proper now? What’s a microtrend? Ought to I be doing this on my social media?
For brokers making an attempt to remain in entrance of their viewers in a enjoyable and significant approach — dissecting TikTok tendencies might be difficult. Let’s get into what micro-trends are, how this development began and my three golden guidelines for deciding whether or not a development is price incorporating into your advertising and marketing technique.
Background and context
A micro-trend is often when one thing magnificence or fashion-related picks up momentum on social media. The development emerges quick and normally leaves simply as rapidly, and the subsequent microtrend emerges.
The “demure” development started with trans TikTok influencer Jools Lebron making a collection of movies about how they keep “demure” {and professional} within the office.
@joolieannie #fyp #demure @OAKCHA @Paul | Perfume Influencer ♬ authentic sound – Jools Lebron
Lebron emphasizes in a “cutesy” approach that it’s important to bypass authenticity and adapt to your environment to keep away from calling pointless consideration to your self.
It’s additionally essential to know the context of the place the influencer is coming from. For instance, Lebron created this development as a nod to the web dolls within the trans group, who’re continually up towards social and political pressures.
This development will not be just like the “Hawk-Tua” development, which isn’t demure, elegant, conscious or very respectful.
It’s the last word “be vanilla” to indicate that you just’ve acquired it collectively — as a result of who might have a problem with somebody who’s low-key making an attempt to have an organized, skilled, conscious existence and look?
However in true Gen Z and Gen Alpha vogue, this development turned towards sarcasm and satire, calling out each the ridiculousness of getting to be demure and in addition saying that those that are simply too loud or making an attempt too arduous ought to be demure.
Outline it: Demure, an adjective which means reserved, modest, or critical.
Thus far, we’re seeing brokers bounce on this development to explain how they run their companies and name out different brokers who aren’t ready and create chaos in transactions. Workarounds on commissions? Not very demure or conscious.
Fail-safe system for evaluating tendencies
Like every microtrend, you’ll want to weigh the professionals and cons of being related to it. I’ve been teaching and educating about social media tendencies for actual property brokers since 2012, and there are three golden guidelines I comply with in terms of tendencies:
Analysis and perceive the development to be sure you perceive the context.
Weigh the professionals and cons of the development towards the mission of the model. Ask your self: What’s the mission of the “fashionable” put up, and is it useful to the purpose? Is that this price being connected to my private digital footprint endlessly?
Are you able to clarify the development to your grandma with out being embarrassed. (It is best to have seen me explaining the Hawk-Tua development to my grandma.)
So far as tendencies go, this one is fairly tame, and because it hints about professionalism, it could possibly be a enjoyable area so as to add a bit humor into your advertising and marketing if that’s a part of your model.
Parting ideas and knowledge
What are we, as a tradition, saying at this second? That if you wish to be taken severely, it’s important to pull your self collectively, but in addition, is it actually important to be taken severely? I’ve written quite a few articles about what one ought to or mustn’t put on, and if it’s even moral to ask somebody to vary who they’re “promote” to the correct shopper.
In case you are on a mission to get issues accomplished at work with the least quantity of friction and frustration, you’ll have to present in and be demure, conscious and modest. I work with seniors, and my shoppers get excited once I put on a pleasant pair of pleated slacks and pearls.
I’ve been dress-coded a number of occasions in life, since I used to be 16. Even most not too long ago, there have been discussions about firming it down, staying modest, being skilled.
Vivid colours, animal prints, plaid pants, how I fashion my hair, if I put on comfy footwear, the size of my skirt are all matters of debate and a “downside” to resolve.
Throw in your present weight and the way a lot make-up you’ve on (an excessive amount of you seem like a clown, not sufficient you look drained or sick), and you’ve got a typical day simply interacting with the general public at giant. That is the enjoyment of being a girl in company workspaces; every little thing is up for public commentary.
So go forward, try to be demure or not demure. The subsequent micro-trend shall be right here earlier than you already know it.
Rachael Hite is a enterprise growth specialist, truthful housing advocate, copy editor, and former agent. Rachael is at the moment perfecting her lengthy sport promoting endlessly properties in a retirement group in Northern Virginia. You may join along with her about life, advertising and marketing and enterprise on Instagram.