What Bluey Teaches Us About Making Engaging Social Media Content

I don't have kids myself, but I LOVE the TV show, Bluey! I’m at that time in my life where a lot of my friends have little ones and one unexpected advantage I’ve found is that I’ve been exposed to some cracking kids television… and the winner by far is Bluey!

Apart from allowing me to regress to being a six year old, Bluey can teach those of us who create engaging content on social media and elsewhere a lot about how to do it.

In recent weeks, TikTok has been blowing up with mention of the show's first LGBTQ+ characters. A character called Pretzel mentions their "moms" in the latest 28-minute long episode. And it’s not only TikTok which has Bluey fever, news outlets the world over have been writing story after story about the show - my favorite is a Glamour magazine article asking, "Are parents too emotionally invested in Bluey?" My answer: It's impossible to be too emotionally invested in Bluey.

But it might come as no surprise that there is also scrutiny of the show. Some in jest and some with a more serious and close minded angle (I’m looking at you comments section of the Daily Mail). If you do a bit of social listening --something we specialize in at Catnip, our social media consultancy -- you'll find a lot of #Bluey content out there. There's even some hilarious content making fun of adult Bluey fans and the things we talk about:

• How are they affording this house?
• What do the parents do? (*He's an archaeologist and she works in airport security. It's on the Wiki page. Obvs).
• Where's it actually set? (*It's based in Brisbane.)
• Which episode made you cry? Was it Baby Race? Was it SleepyTime?
•  

The show's social channels have also accrued more than 3.5 million followers. That's a lot. So, whether you've seen the show or not, it teaches us all about social media engagement. Here's how:

Relatability. When Bluey's mom, Chilli, says she wants 20 minutes by herself, or shows her competitive side, trying to get her children to walk first, she's like many other parents. Bandit, the show's dad, often would prefer to lie on the couch and watch cricket instead of play games with his kids. He also takes smelly dumps. The characters aren't perfect, and they're voiced by real people. There's a whole episode where the characters create a courtroom drama to dissect who farted. By including these relatable details about the characters' lives, the creators make us warm to them. When you're on social media, you may notice that being more open and human garners more engagement. How can you say what you want to say in a more relatable way? It's something to think about.

Complexity made simple. The shows are seven minutes long and often have a heartwarming moral aspect to them. But they don't force the learning on you. They're simple and fun, first of all. Then, there might be a deeper point. But only if you go looking for it. For example, there's an episode that hints at a prior miscarriage, but it's only referenced with a popped balloon. Another show delves into a Jack Russell's ADHD, but it's entirely told through his eyes, playing "army" at his new school. If you've got a complex story to tell, there are more engaging ways to do it than to use too many facts, figures, and explanations. How might you tell it using cartoon dogs? Can you switch the perspective on your issue to make your point land better?

Brave to take on tricky issues in a "fun" format. Just because the show is written for kids, doesn't mean it avoids tough stuff. There are episodes about relationship strife and infirmity in old age. There are episodes about being childless. There are episodes about breakups and romantic encounters. There are meet-cutes about badly behaved children who think they're special (there's even an online fandom for the naughtiest dog, Muffin). There's a very touching episode about two sets of parents supporting different sports teams. The lesson, here, is that if you get your storytelling right, your audience will come with you. There's nothing about a cartoon, or any short format, that precludes making a serious point. And that brings me back to social media.

If you've not seen Bluey, I'd recommend you start with one of the episodes recommended as "starter" episodes on Reddit. The Claw is good. Sticky Gecko. The Grannies. Takeaway. Magic Xylophone is the first episode and basically sets the theme. The Pool. DanceMode. Hammerbarn. Keepy Uppy.

Wait. Are you still here? You know what to do?