Trending is the feature that shows you what topics are gaining popularity on a given social media platform. The topic could be a celebrity, an event, or an issue that is currently in the news. Regardless of what the topic is, it is important to stay up-to-date on trends so that your business can take advantage of them if appropriate. Trending is a great way to learn about new things, interact with your audience, and increase engagement.
The Trending feature is available on most social media platforms. On Twitter, trends are displayed on several areas of the site including in the search section and a separate trending page. On Facebook, trends are grouped into categories such as News, Science and Technology, Sports, and Entertainment.
Each platform has its own process for determining what trends to show its users. Some platforms use a combination of factors while others solely rely on specific statistical measures. The difference in methodologies can lead to different results and can be confusing for businesses.
A popular method to determine what’s trending is analyzing the relative interest in keywords or topics over time. This is done by looking at a sample of searches conducted on Google and calculating the percentage of those searches that are relevant to the current trending topics. Trending can also be viewed on a per-country basis so that you can see what’s being searched in a particular region.
When a topic becomes a trend, it is usually because it is of interest to the majority of people using the platform. Popular events such as award shows, sporting games, or breaking news stories often generate trending topics. Occasionally, trending topics can be stoked by well-meaning businesses or influencers who want to drive attention to an event or product.
Many online businesses have been able to capitalize on trends for marketing purposes by creating content around the topic. For example, a pet store might post a video of a puppy being adopted to highlight its adoption program. If that content is a trend, it can generate a lot of positive press and exposure for the company.
It’s important to understand how trends are determined in order to make the most of them for your business. Some platforms may have a policy against abusing the feature, and violations can lead to an account suspension. For example, adding a hashtag to a trending topic in order to get your brand in the mix is not considered best practice.
YouTubers have complained about their exclusion from the Trending tab, but CEO Susan Wojcicki has said that the platform is careful about the videos it shows and only includes “safety-certified” content. She also pledged that 50 percent of Trending would be creator videos going forward.
YouTubers like Felix Kjellberg (aka PewDiePie) have pointed out that it’s hard for the company to know whether every video will be a hit or not, so it is erring on the side of caution. He has also noted that he has trended more times in Canada than the United States because the two countries have similar cultures, languages, and time zones.