A trend is when a topic or hashtag becomes popular and receives more visibility and engagement than usual on a social media platform like Twitter, TikTok, or Instagram. Trending is a great way to get in front of more people and generate awareness about your brand, product, or cause. Trending topics are prominently displayed in the “Trending” or “Explore” areas of these platforms.
Trending can be based on current events, news stories, or pop culture. It can also be a call to action (like #PrayforJonBenet and #OccupyWallStreet). Trends can also reflect political or economic sentiment in a country.
To be considered a trend, a topic or hashtag must show consistent volume over a 24-hour period and display a rapid growth rate. These criteria are determined by the platform’s algorithms. A trend can have a variety of factors contributing to its popularity, including the following:
How do trends start?
There’s no one answer to this question, as the process of becoming a trend is very complex. It can start with a single person or tweet, but more often it begins with influencers who have large followings and who share content that their audience responds well to. As the popularity of a hashtag or topic grows, more people will search for it, creating more visibility and engagement. Eventually, the algorithm will recognize this growing momentum and identify it as a trend.
While some trends are manually curated, most are determined by the algorithms created by each platform. Some of these algorithms consider the user’s location, previous searches or likes, and who they follow. For example, a person in San Diego might see different trends than someone in New York, and a person who follows Target might see a trend about their favorite local store rather than one about online ceramics stores.
Many factors contribute to whether or not a topic becomes a trend, but some of the most important include:
Relevance: Topics that are timely and relevant are more likely to become trends. This can be anything from breaking news to viral memes. Virality: Trending topics are more likely to spread when they are shareable, engaging, and elicit positive reactions from users. Controversy: Trends about controversial issues or topics can quickly gain traction and generate engagement by sparking discussion.
Trends have short lifespans, so it’s important for brands and marketers to join conversations while they are still gaining traction. However, it’s important to only participate in trends that align with your brand values, voice, and audience interests. Otherwise, it can look inauthentic and can damage your credibility. For this reason, it’s important to have a streamlined process for content approval. By incorporating trends into your marketing strategy, you can increase your visibility and reach while staying authentic to your audience.