A word, term, or subject which is being discussed more than other subjects at a higher rate than other subjects is considered to be a ” trending topic” or just a “hot topic”. The fastest-growing topics tend to become the most popular ones. Also, trending topics gain popularity either through a coordinated marketing campaign by online users or due to some external event which prompts folks to discuss a particular subject. For instance, in January 2021 the release of the movie The Informant! was followed by a number of high profile celebrity interviews.
Today, some of the biggest social media brands such as: Google, Facebook and Twitter have found themselves at the forefront of this phenomenon. In addition to providing user based tools for tracking user activity, these social media companies also use “trending” topics to promote new business initiatives and programs. One example of this would be Google’s latest promotion of Google Maps. Google Maps is a new, free web-based mapping application that provides users with detailed, real-time street level views of cities around the world. Users can navigate through their own local area or explore global destinations using one of the many Google maps applications.
In addition to offering mapping tools, Trends can also provide users with access to viral lists such as: the Hottest trends of 2021, The 10 Most Popular Twitterwords of 2021, and the Hottest Books of 2021. Trends offer marketers immediate exposure to one of the most dynamic and exciting segments of online social marketing. However, trending topics do not occur on their own. They are influenced by external events, which prompt many brands to create multimedia campaigns around the topic. The strategies used by many brands to keep their brands within the trending radar varies greatly.
Social media outlets such as Facebook use “hashtags” to collect and aggregate information on various topics. These hashtags allow people to discuss a given trending topic by posting comments and adding #1 tags on articles and images. Brands that wish to stay on top of the latest trends should monitor these hashtags to find out what type of comments and posts are made around the trending topic. Brands that use the #hashtag strategy should research what keywords are commonly associated with the trending topic to maximize their presence in search engine results.
Many businesses use trending topics to engage their target audience more effectively. Social media companies use trending topics to encourage people to add their network to their bookmarking list. By bookmarking an article or video, readers can share the content with their networks and other friends. Social networks also use these shared links to generate organic traffic for websites. Therefore, if a brand can create quality content and engage with their target audience, they have a much better chance of driving organic traffic to their website.
While trending topics often times get a bad rap for being overly dramatic or manipulative, there are many legitimate ways that businesses use trending topics to their advantage. By using these strategies, businesses can ensure that they stay one step ahead of their competition and gain ground on their competitors. The use of trending topics is only one part of a successful online marketing strategy.