Trending is an area of social media that shows the most popular conversations and topics. It’s a great way to identify what is currently in the spotlight and connect with your audience. When used correctly, trends can be an incredibly powerful tool for your business.
Trends are determined by an algorithm that takes into account several factors such as location, likes and searches on a particular platform, and who the user follows. It can also take into account the user’s language preferences and viewing history. This means that the trends you see on one platform may not show up on another, even if the topics are identical.
This personalisation of the trend section can sometimes lead to content being shown that is not in line with your brand. This can be in the form of hashtags or even specific keywords that have been tagged frequently on a particular platform. Often this content will be a fad, or a topic that is popular for only a short period of time. Some examples of this would be a celebrity scandal that breaks, a viral video or meme or a political event.
Keeping up with social media trends is important for any brand as it allows you to stay relevant to your audience at all times and can give a boost to your posts’ engagement rates. It’s also a great way to promote new campaigns or products to people who may not have previously been exposed to your brand. Trends are usually spotted on platforms such as Instagram’s Explore page, Twitter’s X Trending Topics or TikTok’s For You feed. These trends can then be seen in other places such as news feeds or search results.
Some of the most popular trends are around pop culture, music or fashion, and they can be fun, fabulous or appalling. But trends can also be about food, technology or politics and can reflect a nation’s mood. There are always new trends to be found, some of them long-lasting, and some that are short lived.
For example, if a new product is released and there are a lot of people talking about it, it can quickly rise up to the top of the Trends list. A sudden and sharp increase in volume is what determines a trend’s status, rather than a more gradual, sustained growth, according to data scientist Gilad Lotan.
The best way to get your brand or product to trend is by creating a hashtag for it and getting as many users as possible to use it. This can be done on your own or with the help of a specialist. Providing the hashtag, a time period you’d like it to appear in and a few sample messages can help grease the creative engine and encourage the right type of reaction from your audience.
It’s also worth noting that a hashtag can start trending simply because of the amount of people using it, but it’s unlikely to stay there if people stop posting about it. That’s why it’s so important to think carefully about your approach before starting a campaign that you hope will trend, and to keep up with the latest trends as they develop.