Trending is a social media feature that highlights topics and hashtags that are popular at a given moment. Trending is often displayed on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook as a way to encourage discussion and engagement among users. Trending topics are selected based on a combination of factors, including location and who you follow. While it is possible to abuse the trending feature by posting irrelevant content, doing so can draw ire from Twitter and result in account suspension. For this reason, it’s important for businesses to carefully monitor trends to avoid being seen as irrelevant or spammy.
To qualify as a trend, a topic must have enough interest to drive conversation and engagement. It is then promoted by the platform’s algorithm, and can be viewed on the platforms Explore or Trending pages. While the definition of “trending” varies by platform, there are generally some similarities across them. Trends are typically centered on specific events or subjects, but can also include popular memes or celebrities. Additionally, they can be related to local news or weather.
While there is no guarantee that a video will make the Trending page, it can be helpful to know what factors play into the algorithm. View count is certainly one of the biggest considerations, but other metrics like comment and share counts can also impact whether a video is featured. YouTube also considers other criteria, such as the country and state where viewers are watching, to ensure a diverse selection of videos.
The “trending” section on YouTube is updated frequently, with new videos appearing and others dropping off the list as their popularity fades. This can be frustrating for some creators who work hard to generate a lot of views but don’t necessarily see their videos rise to the top of the list. However, there are a few things you can do to increase the likelihood of your videos being featured in the trending section.
First, be sure to use a unique hashtag that hasn’t been used before. A fresh hashtag is much more likely to trend, as opposed to a popular one that has already been used many times before. Second, be sure to have a solid plan in place for how you’ll promote your content once it becomes trending. For example, you may want to create a call-to-action that includes the hashtag and the timeframe for when you’d like it to appear trending.
As a final tip, it’s important to keep in mind that the algorithm behind trends is constantly changing and can be difficult to predict. It can be especially challenging for smaller brands who might have to compete with larger brands that are more well-known and have more organic reach. As such, it’s important for small businesses to be thoughtful and strategic when planning out their content strategy in order to gain visibility on the platform. This will help them avoid getting pushed off the Trending page in favor of more established brands.