How to Take Advantage of Trending Topics on Social Media
A trending topic, hashtag, or keyword is one that has a high volume of engagement on a social media platform like Twitter or TikTok. These topics are highlighted by platforms in an effort to encourage discussion and engagement among their users. Trends are determined by algorithms that analyze the content being shared on the platform, identifying those subjects most popular at a given time. If a topic is popular enough, it will rise to the top of the list of trending topics and be featured prominently on the platform’s homepage (e.g. TikTok’s FYP).
Trending is a powerful tool for marketers to use, but it can also be misleading. While Google Analytics is an excellent tool for measuring your website’s traffic, it only gives you an overview of what people are searching for on your site – not what everyone else is talking about or interested in. Google Trends shows you what everyone is searching for, and gives you a better idea of the overall interest in a topic or subject.
The trends that are shown on social media platforms are catered specifically to each user, taking into account their location, what they’ve previously searched for or liked, and who they follow. This is why it’s important for brands to keep an eye on trends, so that they can take advantage of them in a timely fashion.
To begin, you’ll need to determine what trends are relevant to your business. This may involve research into current events, industry news, and consumer interest. It’s also helpful to look at what other similar businesses are doing in order to see what might work for your company.
Once you have an understanding of what is currently trending, it’s time to plan your strategy. First and foremost, decide on a hashtag that you’d like to use. It’s important that your hashtag is unique, so that it stands out from the crowd. You can then plan to create content that incorporates the hashtag, aiming to get it trending.
Depending on your industry, you can plan to take advantage of the trending topic by using it in a blog post, infographic, or other type of content. You can even plan to partner with influencers to promote your campaign.
It’s also important to plan for potential backlash from the public if your trending content is controversial. For example, if you’re planning on discussing a political issue, you may want to plan for negative reactions from those who disagree with your viewpoint. Finally, make sure to track the responses that you receive in order to assess your strategy’s effectiveness.