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Top 100 Popular Social Media Trends in 2012

From Satellite Storm Snapshots to Web User Graphics

— January 19, 2013 — Pop Culture
The most popular social media trends in 2012 included Instagram and Pinterest becoming household names. The two photo-based social sharing platforms took off in the past year, with Instagram eventually being acquired by Facebook.

An experiment done by Intel and Toshiba showed that social films may be a clever way to market and engage in the future. The companies looked to include viewers in the film experience as much as possible, and released new episodes of the series titled 'The Beauty Inside,' which allowed people to submit webcam videos. The result was a crowdsourced film that integrated the audience in a meaningful way.

Social media trends are further explored in the Trend Hunter Social Media Research Report. Understanding this ever-changing digital landscape is now more important than ever, so drawing out implications from the social trends that surround you is imperative.
6
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
98
Personalized Smartphone Artwork
Personalized Smartphone Artwork
The Instagram CanvasPop Photos Turns Images into Murals
<
97
Digital Marketing Method Charts
Digital Marketing Method Charts
The Social vs Search Infograph is compared by MDG Advertising
<
96
Comic Hero Blogger Comparisons
Comic Hero Blogger Comparisons
'Who are the Dark Knights of Tech Blogging?' Analyzes News Breakers
<
95
Web User Graphics
Web User Graphics
The ‘How Social is the Web’ Infograph Compares Social Media
<
94
Facebook Founder Timelines
Facebook Founder Timelines
The Mark Zuckerberg Infograph is Cinematically Inspired
<
93
Web Purchase Infographics
Web Purchase Infographics
These US Online Spending Statistics Highlight the Power of the Internet
<
92
Flight Trick Infographics
Flight Trick Infographics
These Useful Graphics Break Down Travelling by Air in the U.S.
<
91
Social Media Disappointment Songs
Social Media Disappointment Songs
'I Like You Better On Facebook' by Livia Scott is Hilarious
<
90
Microblogging Service Guides
Microblogging Service Guides
The Twitter 2012 Infographic Has the Freshest Stats on the Service
<
89
Frugal Personal Planes
Frugal Personal Planes
A Jetsuite Private Flight Provides Luxury Flying for Less
<
88
Doomed Social Media Stats
Doomed Social Media Stats
The 'Google+ Failure' Infographic is Not Encouraging
<
87
Social Film Finales (SPONSORED)
Social Film Finales (SPONSORED)
The Intel/Toshiba The Beauty Inside Conclusion is Riveting
<
86
Custom Fragrance Tools
Custom Fragrance Tools
DKNY Scent Finder Helps You Find the Perfect Perfume
<
85
Web Hit Increasing Charts
Web Hit Increasing Charts
The Anatomy of Going Viral Infographic Lists Ways to Generate Traffic
<
84
Social Network-Savvy Editorials
Social Network-Savvy Editorials
The 'OscarPRgirl Looks' Editorial was Styled by the Twitter-Lover
<
83
Social Media Network Infographics
Social Media Network Infographics
John Lanigan Shows How Visuals are Prevailing Online
<
82
Pinterest Facebook Apps
Pinterest Facebook Apps
'PinView' Makes FB Visually Stunning
<
81
Electronic Callout Alerts
Electronic Callout Alerts
The Feedair Notifier is Your Source for Staying in the Loop
<
80
Video Business Cards
Video Business Cards
The EyeJot vCard Lets You Distribute Your Details in VCF Form
<
79
Social Media-Savvy Guides
Social Media-Savvy Guides
The 'Maximize Your Tweets' Infographic is a Huge Helper
<
78
Soccer Star Stats
Soccer Star Stats
The 'Messi vs. Ronaldo' Infographic Compares Two Athletic Superstars
<
77
Taking the Lead Role (SPONSORED)
Taking the Lead Role (SPONSORED)
Be the Star of Intel & Toshiba's Social Film 'The Beauty Inside'
<
76
Picture-Editing App Charts
Picture-Editing App Charts
The Instagram Nation Infographic Details the Success of the Program
<
75
Nostalgic Pinterest-Imitation Sites
Nostalgic Pinterest-Imitation Sites
The 'When I Was a Kid' Medium Looks Back
<
74
Hysterical Pop Culture GIFs
Hysterical Pop Culture GIFs
'Whatshouldwecallme' Blog Documents Funny Events with Moving Pictures
<
73
Trend Hunter Hits One Billion Views
Trend Hunter Hits One Billion Views
Thanks to Our Awesome Trend Report Loving Community
<
72
Sob-Inducing Shorts (SPONSORED)
Sob-Inducing Shorts (SPONSORED)
Intel/Toshiba's 'It Has To Be Tonight' Episode is Heart-Wrenching
<
71
Interactive Inflatable Branding
Interactive Inflatable Branding
Heineken's 'Like for Balloon' Friend Finding Tactic Lifts Of
<
70
Emotional Interactive Movies (SPONSORED)
Emotional Interactive Movies (SPONSORED)
The 'I'd Like to Show You Something' Episode is Dramatic
<
69
Online Influence Graphs
Online Influence Graphs
The When Social Consumers Go Viral Infographic is About Tweet Power
<
68
Social Media Use Stats
Social Media Use Stats
This Infographic Compares Habits of Ad Professionals and Normal Users
<
67
Modern Romance Reviews
Modern Romance Reviews
The 2012 Guide to Dating Infographic Provides Everything You Need to Know
<
66
Tweet-Enabled Treat Dispensers
Tweet-Enabled Treat Dispensers
The BEV Twitter Vending Machine Trades Hash Tags for Iced Tea
<
65
Social Media Photo Booths
Social Media Photo Booths
Instaprint by Breakfast Provides Physical Prints of Instagram Images
<
64
Creature Courting Phrases
Creature Courting Phrases
The Pleated Jeans Animal Pickup Lines are Hilarious
<
63
Laser-Cut Social Media Jewelry
Laser-Cut Social Media Jewelry
The Data Necklace by Stef Lewandowski Visualizes Digital Activities
<
62
Social Media Escorts
Social Media Escorts
Pay Five Dollars to Get Cathy, an Imaginary Girlfriend for Ten Days
<
61
Transparent Tech-Encouraging Threads
Transparent Tech-Encouraging Threads
The DELTA415 Wearcom Jeans Will Change Your Perspective
<
60
Virtual Branding Infographics
Virtual Branding Infographics
The 'Breakdown of a Person's Google Results' Chart is Eye-Opening
<
59
Mobile Heath Monitor Add-Ons
Mobile Heath Monitor Add-Ons
The Tinke by Zensorium Tracks and Records Your Vital Signs
<
58
Object-Holding Puppy Pictures
Object-Holding Puppy Pictures
The Things Maddie Won't Eat Photos Feature a Dog Holding Items
<
57
Inspirational Instagram Lookbooks
Inspirational Instagram Lookbooks
SPY Optic Reveals the Brand's Influential Photos Via Smartphones
<
56
Celeb Spec Infographics
Celeb Spec Infographics
The Moxy Creative House ‘Framework' Poster Highlights Iconic E
<
55
Social Media Smartphone Concepts
Social Media Smartphone Concepts
The Facebook Phone Enters the Market With a Blue Bang
<
54
Gendered Craving Charts
Gendered Craving Charts
The 'What Woman Want' Infographic Gives You The Scoop On Desires
<
53
Wide-Awaiting Mouth Blogs
Wide-Awaiting Mouth Blogs
The Blow Facing Site is a Collection of Hand-Dryer Misuses
<
52
Crowdsourced Model Casting
Crowdsourced Model Casting
'I am Levi's' Instagram Campaign Searches for Next Star
<
51
Pop Culture Parody Gear
Pop Culture Parody Gear
These 'YOLO' T-Shirts are Satirical Yet Appropriate
<
50
Social Media Couture
Social Media Couture
The Victor Faretina Gown Collection is Pop-Cultured
<
49
Opportunistic Employment Stats
Opportunistic Employment Stats
The '7 Best Cities to Find a Job' Infographic is a Must-See
<
48
Multimedia Benefits Infographics
Multimedia Benefits Infographics
The 'M Booth' Storytelling Chart Explains the Impact of Videos
<
47
Instagram-Inspired Accessories
Instagram-Inspired Accessories
The 'Instasparkle' Site Creates Customized Jewelry Pieces
<
46
Photo-Sharing Service Graphs
Photo-Sharing Service Graphs
The Instagram Infographic Charts the Success of the iPhone App
<
45
Staggering Internet Flashback Charts
Staggering Internet Flashback Charts
'A Decade Later' Reflects on What the Web Looked Like Before
<
44
Faux Dating Site Ads
Faux Dating Site Ads
The Popchips World Wide Lovers Campaign Stars a Hilarious Ashton Kutcher
<
43
Pop Culture Faith Posters
Pop Culture Faith Posters
Studio Soleil Noir Promotes Personal Interests with 'Believe In' Series
<
42
Psychological Social Media Infographics
Psychological Social Media Infographics
Is Our Addiction to Facebook Effecting Our Psychology?
<
41
Satellite Storm Snapshots
Satellite Storm Snapshots
NASA Helps to Capture Monstrous Hurricane Sandy Pictures
<
40
Thoughtful Branding Tint Tables
Thoughtful Branding Tint Tables
The 'True Colors' Infographic is Insightful for Budding Companies
<
39
Beauty Blogging Stats
Beauty Blogging Stats
The 'Secrets of Beauty Revealed by the Internet' Infographic is Neat
<
38
Movie Death Parody Blogs
Movie Death Parody Blogs
'People Dying Like Marion Cotillard' Mocks Poorly Acted Demise
<
37
Haute Hunger Games Lookbooks
Haute Hunger Games Lookbooks
Lauren Conrad's Paper Crown Fall 2012 Lookbook Features a Cast Member
<
36
Comparative Media Graphics
Comparative Media Graphics
The Social Media vs. Traditional Media Infographic is Future Focused
<
35
Parallel Life PSAs
Parallel Life PSAs
The 'Drugs Set Your Timeline' Campaign Appeals to Impressionable Facebook Users
<
34
Diverted Attention Infographs
Diverted Attention Infographs
The Perils of Multitasking Chart Explains Why Focusing is Key
<
33
Pitiful Puppy Confessional Blogs
Pitiful Puppy Confessional Blogs
The ‘Dog Shaming’ Tumblr Exposes the Bad Behaviour of
<
32
Frightening Famous Faces
Frightening Famous Faces
Cholafied by Michael Jason Enriquez Gives Celebrities a Gangster Glam
<
31
Professional Network Guides
Professional Network Guides
The How Linkedin Works Infographic is a Great Intro to the Service
<
30
Social Media Comparison Infographics
Social Media Comparison Infographics
Go-Gulf.com Compares Statistics of Major Websites
<
29
Fake Hurricane Features
Fake Hurricane Features
The Fake Hurricane Sandy Photos are Trolling the Internet
<
28
Creative Industry Perspective Charts
Creative Industry Perspective Charts
The State of Graphic Design Infographic is Thoughtful
<
27
Charmed Layered Jewelry
Charmed Layered Jewelry
The Jennifer Fisher 2013 Spring Jewelry Collection Offers Glam Versatility
<
26
Camera Selection Infographics
Camera Selection Infographics
The 'What Type of Camera Should I Get' Chart is Realistic
<
25
Full-Figured Fashion Blogs
Full-Figured Fashion Blogs
Anticode is an Online Community in France Devoted to Plus Size Models
<
24
Over-Sharing on Social Media
Over-Sharing on Social Media
The 'Are We Sharing Too Much Online?' Infographic Assesses Privacy
<
23
Suggestively Sprawled Feline Sites
Suggestively Sprawled Feline Sites
The 'Cats That Look Like Pin-Up Girls' Tumblr is Spot On
<
22
Storm-Locating Maps
Storm-Locating Maps
The Hurricane Sandy Crisis Map Helps to Prepare for This Natural Disaster
<
21
Sneaky Alcoholic Decoys
Sneaky Alcoholic Decoys
The Andes 'Beer Camouflage' Campaign is Hilarious
<
20
Phone-Enabled Violence Campaigns
Phone-Enabled Violence Campaigns
Interactive Billboard by NCDV Allows Texters to 'Drag Him Away'
<
19
Cartoon Body Art Blogs
Cartoon Body Art Blogs
The Disneyink Tumblr Features Deviant Tattoos with High Nostalgic Value
<
18
Hilarious Instagram Parodies
Hilarious Instagram Parodies
These Facebook x Instagram Filters Will Enhance Your Social Profile
<
17
Social Media Sleepers
Social Media Sleepers
The FBed Concept is Inspired by the Facebook Logo
<
16
Adolescent Wealth Mocking Blogs
Adolescent Wealth Mocking Blogs
The 'Rich Kids of Instagram' Tumblr is Satirical
<
15
Foursquare-Inspired Accessories
Foursquare-Inspired Accessories
The Meshu Jewelry Fashionably Visualizes Favorite Places
<
14
Complete Body-Conditioning Charts
Complete Body-Conditioning Charts
Reddit's Guide to Fitness Infographic Offers Health Tips & Facts
<
13
Instagram Storm Blogs
Instagram Storm Blogs
The Hurricane Sandy Instacane Website Posts As-It-Happens Photos
<
12
Storm Destruction Photography
Storm Destruction Photography
These Beginner Hurricane Sandy Photos Are Devastating
<
11
Social Media Danger Ads
Social Media Danger Ads
The Facebook by TBWA Campaign Cautions About Online Interactions
<
10
Internet-Inspired Sneakers
Internet-Inspired Sneakers
Lumen Bigott's Social Media Shoes Bring Your Laptop Love to the Streets
<
9
Social Network Stats
Social Network Stats
The Facebook 2012 Infographic is an Update on the Leading Online Community
<
8
Vintage Gangster Lookbooks
Vintage Gangster Lookbooks
Mashkulture.net Collects Sharp and Classy Historical Mugshots
<
7
Social Snapshot Sunglasses
Social Snapshot Sunglasses
You'll Never Miss a Moment With the Instaglasses
<
6
Seaside Tresses DIY Videos
Seaside Tresses DIY Videos
Cup of Jo's Mermaid Braid Tutorial is Instructive and Eye-Catching
<
5
Custom Social Media Selfvertising
Custom Social Media Selfvertising
Facebook Cards Lets Users Enhance Offline Business Networking
<
4
Social Network Photo-Sharing Devices
Social Network Photo-Sharing Devices
The Instagram Socialmatic Camera is a Must-See Gadget
<
3
Generational Marketing Guides
Generational Marketing Guides
The Millennials Infographic Breaks Down Gen Y
<
2
Instagram Throw Pillows
Instagram Throw Pillows
'Stitchtagram' Creates Handmade Memories
<
1
Gaming Icon Profile Pictures
Gaming Icon Profile Pictures
Andrew Golden Imagines Facebook Photos for Video Game Characters
<