Trending is when a topic, hashtag, or keyword becomes more popular and visible than usual on a social media platform. This is a good way to gauge public interest in a certain topic or issue, and is especially useful for businesses looking to engage with an audience. Trends can originate from a variety of sources, including current news events, viral content, holidays, or even online campaigns and challenges. Trends can be viewed in a platform’s Explore or Trending area, i.e. TikTok’s Trending page or Instagram’s Explore page.
Twitter’s algorithm identifies trends by measuring conversations on the platform, looking at factors such as volume and velocity of discussion, to identify topics that are popular amongst their audience in real time. When a hashtag or topic becomes trending on Twitter, it means that a significant number of tweets have been made about it in a short amount of time.
Facebook and Instagram also have a ‘Trending’ feature that identifies and displays trends in the home timeline, notifications, and on a user’s profile pages. This is often personalized to an individual’s location and interests by the algorithms on each platform.
Google’s search engine also features a ‘Trending’ feature that analyzes interest in keywords or topics to provide insights on public interest. It is important to remember that trends are a reflection of current interest, not necessarily popularity. This can make it difficult to see how well a campaign or idea is performing in terms of generating interest, as the data displayed on the Trends page is not always accurate or timely.
Participating in trending discussions can increase the visibility of a brand, but it is essential to approach them with sensitivity and care, particularly when discussing serious topics. Insensitive or inappropriate posts can quickly turn a conversation from positive to negative. For example, during the aftermath of a tragedy such as Sept. 11, many American brands were accused of insensitivity for posting insensitive comments on social media.
It is also important to keep in mind that the trending topics displayed on social platforms are not a comprehensive list of all conversations happening. Trends can sometimes be filtered or hidden by account settings and filters, as well as how closely a particular topic is associated with a brand’s page.
Using a tool like Google Trends can be an effective way to monitor trends on all major social platforms, as it allows you to view more accurate and up-to-date data than would be available through the built-in algorithms on each platform. It is also possible to filter results by specific locations and a variety of other criteria, making it easier to identify the most relevant and effective trends for a particular region or target market. This is especially useful when assessing the success of a local marketing campaign or event. This can help to ensure that future campaigns are more effective in achieving their goals. It can also help identify any potential issues or obstacles that may need to be addressed.