Trending is a feature on social media sites that displays a list of topics popular at a given moment. It is based on a combination of algorithmic creations by each site, as well as what people are talking about or searching for at that moment. The most popular trending topics often include current news, events, viral content, holiday topics, and societal discussions.

Seeing your post, hashtag, or video in the trending section is an excellent way to boost your visibility and engagement on social media. When your topic is trending, it will appear at the top of the page on Twitter and TikTok, and it’s usually displayed in other ways as well (for example, the ‘Trending’ tab on YouTube). Trending can be a great way to promote your brand or create awareness for a specific campaign.

It can be difficult to get your posts or hashtags to trend, especially if there’s a lot of competition. To increase your chances of being featured, choose a hashtag that is unique to your project or campaign. This will make it easier for your followers to recognize and use, and can help you avoid the confusion of other, similar hashtags. It’s also important to consider the timing of your campaign when trying to get it to trend. You’ll likely want to avoid large events that would compete with your efforts, such as a political rally or the president’s State of the Union address.

The reason that trends don’t always stay at the top is because each platform’s algorithms are constantly changing and analyzing user data to determine what is most popular with users at any given moment. This data can be manipulated by influencers with massive followings, such as celebrities and athletes, who can push certain topics or videos to the top of the Trending page.

Additionally, trending topics are often subject to misspellings and other errors, such as when the incorrect spelling of a location or event is used. This can split the volume of traffic and affect whether or not a topic stays on the trending page, or for how long.

A recent debacle was when some users were complaining that YouTube’s Trending section showed a video of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that appeared to be a crisis actor, leading to outrage and criticism of the company. As a result, the platform removed this video from the Trending tab.

In addition to a wide variety of factors, each platform’s algorithms and personalization settings also affect what is shown in the Trending tab for each individual user. This is why the same hashtag or trend might be seen by different people at different times, depending on their location and who they follow.

While there are a number of benefits to getting your posts, hashtags, and videos to trend, the main benefit is that it can expose your content to a wider audience that might not otherwise be exposed to it. In turn, this can lead to more likes, comments, and overall engagement for your posts and content.