Trending is the phenomenon where a topic, hashtag or keyword becomes more popular and visible on a social media platform. These trends reflect the collective interests, discussions, and attention of the community at a given time. They can be sourced from current news, cultural and other events, viral content, holidays, and even online campaigns and challenges.

Trends are identified by algorithms on social media platforms and are displayed in the ‘Trending’ section of the website or app. They vary by platform, location, and personalization of users.

Keeping up with trends allows brands and influencers to participate in conversations and increase their reach and engagement with both followers and non-followers. When done well, it can showcase a brand’s personality, humor and creativity.

However, it is important to approach a trend with sensitivity and ensure that the content doesn’t come across as inauthentic, contrived or overdone. For this reason, brands and marketers typically rely on skilled teams of social media and SEO experts to identify and create appropriate content for each trend. For example, a recent trend on Twitter was the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag that surfaced in response to the lack of diversity at the Oscars.