Trending is a term that refers to topics or keywords generating a lot of buzz on social media. These trends can be based on current events, pop culture, and viral content. They can be localized to a specific community, or they can be global in scope (think TikTok’s FYP). The trending process is often the result of algorithms designed by individual social media platforms. These algorithms analyze a variety of activity, including likes, comments, searches and shares, to identify what is trending. Depending on the platform, the trending topics may be displayed on the homepage or within search results.
Trends can be a useful tool for businesses to use in their marketing efforts. They can help them to create and target content that is most likely to resonate with their audience. They can also help them to stay up-to-date with the latest cultural and political issues. Many business owners and marketers have used trends in their social media marketing campaigns, and some have even created their own branded hashtags to generate buzz and increase visibility.
However, it is important to understand how trends are determined before using them for your marketing purposes. Most social media platforms have a ‘trending’ section on their homepages that displays popular topics and hashtags. These trends are determined by the site’s algorithm, which takes into account a number of factors, including location, recent likes and searches, as well as who the user follows.
Some of the most well-known platforms that feature a trending section include Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Each has its own unique way of identifying trends, and each displays the trending topics differently. For example, Twitter’s ‘trending’ list includes both hashtags and topics, while Facebook’s only lists hashtags. Instagram and TikTok both display trending topics based on their popularity among users.
The popularity of a topic or hashtag can be determined by various tools, including social media analytics and SEO software. There are several free and paid options available, some of which offer a more detailed analysis than others. Ahrefs, for example, is a premium tool that provides a detailed analysis of popular trending keywords with an emphasis on performance metrics like traffic and share growth. Alternatively, sites such as Sitechecker’s keyword rank checker allow you to get a more general overview of trends across different keywords and domains.
Another great resource for finding trending topics is Google Trends, which allows you to see what is currently popular on a global scale. The tool also gives you an indication of whether a particular trend is a short-lived fad or an enduring one that will grow in popularity for years to come.
YouTube and other video-based social media platforms also feature a ‘trending’ section that highlights popular videos. This can be a good source of inspiration for creating marketing videos. In addition, many news websites have a ’trending’ section that showcases the most popular current news stories.