Trending is the term used to describe popular topics or hashtags that are being discussed on social media at a given moment. It’s often a result of something going viral, or it could be that a topic is being talked about due to a specific event or news story. Social platforms like X, Twitter, and Instagram display trends in real time so that users can stay on top of what’s popular at any given moment.
Trends are determined by algorithms that watch the activity on your account and those of other users. They also take into consideration how much interest a topic has shown over the course of a long period of time, and what other similar topics have been searched for in recent weeks. There’s no set formula for what makes a trend, but videos that have high view counts and are showing rapid growth tend to be the most likely candidates. Other factors include the age range of viewers (younger audiences are more interested in certain content), whether the trend is being driven by a large group or an individual, and the amount of engagement on the subject (likes, comments, shares).
The Trending tab on YouTube takes all these factors into consideration, as well as its community guidelines (hate speech, violent content, etc.). The platform also doesn’t feature any videos that violate its terms of service, and it prioritizes content that sparks conversation or engages viewers. In the past, there was some human curation of the trending list, but now it’s mostly algorithm-based. The platform does, however, consider your location when determining what you see on Trending (except for India, which has its own localized list).
When it comes to tracking trends, there are many tools available, each with its own unique set of benefits and drawbacks. Some are designed specifically for businesses, while others have a broader scope and can be useful for anyone looking to stay on top of what’s happening.
Identifying trends early is critical for businesses to optimize their marketing efforts and ensure that they’re capturing the attention of their target audience. Using social media trend tools such as Buzzsumo or TikTok Creative Center can help you find trends in real time, so you can develop campaigns based on them.
Google’s Trends Explore tool can provide you with insights about search trends, including a graph of popularity over time. The tool allows you to compare up to five topics or search terms at a time, and you can select from several different categories such as People are Talking About, Politics, and Music.
Google’s trending data can be particularly helpful for journalists who want to know what subjects people are paying attention to in real time. Journalists can even utilize the results in their articles and features to show a general level of interest around, for example, a particular political candidate or social issue. They can also use this information to find story ideas and to determine if they’re in the right timeline to start a trending topic.