Whether you’re a social media manager or just a curious Twitter user, you’ve probably encountered the term “trending.” Trends are algorithms that sort through tweets and determine which topics are popular at any given time. Trends are based on a variety of factors, including how many people are tweeting about the topic and how often those tweets are retweeted.
To participate in a trend, users add the topic’s name after a hash (#) symbol at the end of their tweets. This creates a searchable tag that allows users to easily see the most recent tweets about the topic, which then appears as a trend on Twitter’s list of popular trends. Twitter also sorts its trending topics by geographic region so that users can see what’s popular in their own community or in other countries.
YouTube has a similar feature that helps viewers find videos they might like. However, YouTube doesn’t sort videos based on geographic regions, instead it ranks its trending videos based on how many views the video has received and how much this number has increased over time. It also considers the location from which the views are coming and whether those views are a mix of new or returning views.
The trending section of the social media website Twitter is one of its most useful features because it helps users keep up with current events and engage with other Twitter users. The site uses an algorithm to determine which topics are most popular at any given time and then displays them in the Trending section of its home page. Significant world events, international sports results and news about famous celebrities are some of the most common items to appear in the trending section of Twitter.
Being a trending topic can be a boon for any brand that holds a stake in the subject matter, be it a product (like an iPhone) or even a creative piece of work (think: #Kardashian). It’s a way to gain visibility among the horde of Twitter users who might not otherwise come across your post.
However, it’s important to note that the trending algorithm is not foolproof. For example, Twitter was criticized for failing to catch the correct spelling of #SanBernardino when it became a trend in the US. Also, the trending algorithm can be manipulated by spammers and others who seek to hijack conversations that are already happening.
If you want to use a trending topic to your advantage, make sure it’s relevant and not offensive. It also helps to use a unique hashtag that hasn’t been used before. This will give you a better chance of getting your trend to stick and show up in the same search results as other trending topics. Also, don’t be afraid to jump in and join a conversation. It’s a great way to get your message seen by a lot of people at once. Be careful though, don’t try to trend-jack every conversation — that could be a disaster.