Trending is a term that refers to topics or events that are popular, interesting and catching people’s attention at a given moment. These can be current news, cultural and other events, viral content or even online campaigns and challenges. These trends can be localized to a particular community, location or context.
Trends are usually displayed on the left side of a social media platform’s home page or within a dedicated ‘Trending’ section. The trends are curated by algorithms that take into consideration a variety of factors including the number of searches for a specific topic, time of day, location and other data points. Trends are ‘trending’ when the search volume for a particular keyword or topic rises quickly and remains high.
As a marketing tool, trending is a powerful tool. It shows what is currently popular and provides marketers with the opportunity to capitalise on this by creating a relevant campaign. By using a trending campaign, marketers can attract an audience that may not have otherwise been exposed to their brand or product.
Trending can be influenced by a wide range of factors, including popular celebrities and influencers with large followings. These individuals can help to amplify the reach of a campaign by promoting it or sharing it on their social channels. A trending campaign can also be a great way to raise awareness about an issue or event. For example, when the Grammy’s were held in 2014 there were 3.6 million tweets with the hashtag #grammys, resulting in widespread visibility for the event.
However, there are some risks to using the ‘trending’ feature. As the popularity of a topic or subject rises, so does the potential for controversy and misinformation to emerge. This has been a major problem with YouTube’s Trending section, which is why it has recently been under fire for showing offensive and misleading videos to millions of users. The company has responded to this criticism by hiring more employees to review the Trending section, and by ensuring that videos are appropriate for viewing by all users.
While there are risks associated with using the trending feature, it can be a powerful tool for marketers. By carefully analyzing the data, marketers can use this information to create campaigns that are more likely to be successful. For example, if search interest for a particular product is increasing in New York, it makes sense to target ads in that state.
Trends can change very quickly, and it is important to keep up with them. This is why it is essential for brands and influencers to monitor the trends closely, and to be prepared to jump on any opportunities that arise. This will ensure that their marketing campaigns are up to date and relevant at all times, and that they can capitalize on the popularity of a particular topic or event.