A trend is a pattern of behavior that seems to be sweeping a group of people at a certain point in time. It can be anything from a popular clothing style to a fad food or exercise. Trends can be fun, fabulous or even appalling, but they always come and go. Keeping track of trends can help you see what is coming up and where to invest your money.

Use a search engine like Google or Bing to see what is currently trending. Look for trends that are relevant to your interests and those that will be around for a while. For example, you would probably want to avoid a business that is based on autonomous vehicles (AVs), which are still in the very early stages of development and have a long way to go before they become mainstream.

Social media is a great place to keep up with trends as they emerge. Most platforms have their own section for trending topics, including Instagram’s Explore page, X’s Topics of the Day and TikTok’s For You. Trends that emerge on these sites can quickly make it to YouTube, where content creators often create videos about them.

When trying to start a new trend, be strategic and think about the impact your action will have. If you are going to create a hashtag, make sure it is unique and has a high number of searches in a short period of time, which will increase its chances of trending. Also, don’t use a hashtag that is already being used by someone else, as it will likely be buried in the current trending list and won’t get the attention it deserves.

Encourage friends to join your trend and spread the word. This is a great way to build up momentum and get the trend started, especially if you are trying to start a fashion or social media-based trend. Be careful with this, however, as you don’t want to make it obvious that you are out to set a trend; this will seem fake and can backfire.

If your trend involves clothing, be mindful of school and workplace dress codes. Similarly, be careful about using any type of political or religious symbols in your trend. Finally, don’t try to set a trend that is too “wild,” as it may be difficult to maintain.

If your trend is a fashion-related one, consider whether or not it is affordable and accessible. If the trend is based on expensive accessories, shoes or makeup products, it will be hard to sustain and might not catch on as quickly as something more affordable. Likewise, you will be less likely to succeed with a trend that requires an excessive amount of bare skin or suggestive clothing items. In these cases, a less extreme version of the trend can be just as effective.