Trending occurs when a specific topic, hashtag, or keyword becomes more popular and receives higher visibility and engagement on a social media platform. Trending topics can provide valuable insights into public sentiment, emerging stories, and cultural phenomenon, making them an important part of social media marketing and research.
Trends are a result of social forces that can be difficult to spot at first. People follow the lead of those around them, absorbing ideas and adopting trends that capture their attention. Once they’re established, these trends become a part of culture and may even recur in the future.
The emergence of trends can be influenced by many factors, including culture, technology, and consumer behavior. For example, the rise of streetwear can be attributed to the influence of hip-hop and street culture. Technology can also drive a trend, as evidenced by the growing popularity of subscription services and the rise of natural and organic products. Additionally, consumers’ changing tastes can inspire new trends, as seen with the recent shift toward sustainability. Finally, companies such as Pantone can be considered “trend setters” as they distill trends and report on color of the year proclamations.
While trends can be a useful tool for marketers, they can also be manipulated. There have been instances of groups artificially inflating a topic to make it trend, often with the intent of pushing a political agenda or influencing public opinion. This can undermine the organic nature of trends and lead to a distorted representation of what people are genuinely discussing and interested in.
Google’s Trends homepage offers a general look at the top search terms in your country. You can dig a little deeper by clicking the ‘Explore’ tab at the top of the page to customize your search by location, date range, and categories. Alternatively, you can use premium tools such as Ahrefs to search for trending content based on a particular criteria such as keyword volume.
Whether they’re memes, viral videos, catchphrases, or the latest design fad, trends are powerful forces that can influence our lives and shape our perception of the world. The emergence of trends can be a fascinating study, but it’s important to understand the underlying motivations behind them so we can avoid falling into the trap of chasing the newest shiny object.
As trends come and go, it’s crucial to remember that they’re just a symptom of our human desire to connect with one another. In the end, what matters is that you’re putting forth authentic content that speaks to your audience. So next time you hear about a trending topic, don’t be afraid to think outside the box and push yourself to create something truly innovative. This will help ensure that your efforts aren’t just a flash in the pan and that your content remains relevant long after it’s gone viral.