A trend is when a specific topic, hashtag or piece of content gains traction on social media platforms at a certain moment. Platforms like Twitter, X and Instagram (rebranded as TikTok) use complex algorithms to determine trends, taking into account a number of factors including the velocity of shares, engagement on posts, location and personalization. Trending topics reflect a community’s interests, discussions and collective attention at a given point in time. This can include current events, cultural or other happenings, holidays, viral content, and even online campaigns and challenges.
Trending is often displayed on the homepage and the Explore tab on each platform. In addition, platforms display trends for a particular user based on their location and interests. Trends are a great way for businesses to get ideas about the types of content their audience is interested in and how they can better connect with them.
When a tweet, post or video becomes popular on social media, the algorithm that runs the platforms determines if it should be listed as “trending.” This list is displayed in a variety of ways depending on the platform. Twitter, for example, shows a list of trending topics on the homepage and in an Explore tab. Users can also stay updated on trends through their personalized feeds on both Facebook and Instagram.
While some of these trends are legitimate, others are not. Many times, a trend will appear on the trending list as a result of manipulation by influencers and others trying to garner more views and engagement for their content. This can include creating hashtags that are not related to a current event or discussion and posting unrelated content to increase search visibility. While this is not always intentional, it does happen and has led to some controversy.
One of the most controversial examples is YouTube’s Trending topic that reflects the popularity of creator Felix Kjellberg, known professionally as PewDiePie. This has been the subject of both ad boycotts and protests from other YouTubers. YouTube has acknowledged that they have a challenge in curating Trending as the company needs to balance the interests of its advertisers and viewers.
While trends can be a great tool for businesses, it’s important that they’re used with care and are aligned with the brand voice, principles and target demographics to ensure they don’t come across as inauthentic or contrived. Furthermore, businesses should avoid using a trending topic as the basis for a marketing campaign unless they have the resources to monitor and respond to trends in real-time. It is also a good idea to avoid posting irrelevant keywords or hashtags to the trend in order to avoid attracting negative feedback or risking account suspension for violating Twitter’s rules on trend abuse.