A trend is the general direction something is taking as it changes or develops. In terms of social media, trends refers to specific topics or hashtags that are being talked about and getting more impressions and interactions than other topics and posts on a particular platform (such as Twitter or TikTok). Trending can also mean that something is popular in a certain geographic location, such as a city or country.

Keeping up with social media trends can give businesses, brands, and individuals a chance to stay relevant and receive a boost in engagement on their own posts or those of their followers. Depending on the topic, trending can also increase visibility and attract new visitors to websites or social media profiles.

Trending is determined by algorithms that are based on user activity across the platform. A hashtag must be relatively unique and have a concentrated spike in usage for a short period of time to appear on Twitter’s ‘Trending’ list. If a business or brand wants to get their hashtag to trend, they can try to create an organic upsurge in use by asking people to post with it or create a dedicated campaign on Twitter and Facebook. In the case of Twitter, there is a dedicated ‘Trending’ section on the left-hand side of the homepage and within the Explore tab. These can be personalized, based on your location, who you follow, and what content you like.

As with other marketing activities, it is important for marketers and businesses to be judicious in using trends. It is important to ensure that any content created is in line with the company’s values and principles, that it fits into a larger strategic goal or vision for the organization, and that it isn’t overdone or fake. It is also important to understand the demographics and culture of the platform on which you are creating content. Trends can vary by region, so if your content is going to be posted on YouTube, for example, it is important to know whether the audience there is different from that of the US or Canada.

It is also important to not only be aware of what is currently trending but also to look further out into the future and try to predict what will be popular at a later date. This way, you can be prepared to jump on the bandwagon before it gets too crowded. For example, when MySpace was at its peak (in 2008) it was reported that 76 million users logged in on an average day. Sadly, Myspace is now only used by 36 million users and is valued at a meager $35 million. This is an excellent example of how a trend can quickly turn and change. A new generation of users may be more interested in using a social network that is already established, and this could see it reclaim its former glory.