Spotting Social Media Trends: Your Essential Guide
Spotting Social Media Trends: Your Essential Guide
Social media is constantly changing. With so many changes, it can be tricky to stay afloat of changing trends. However, this is a must for all brands if they want to remain relevant.
Whether you’re looking to boost your social media presence or create viral content, understanding how to identify and utilise trends can significantly enhance your marketing strategies.
Below, we guide you through various methods to find social media trends across popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram and X, as well as tools like Google Trends.
What are social media trends?
Social media trends can include topics, hashtags or behaviours that gain popularity over a certain period of time.
They can emerge from cultural movements, events or even viral content that captures the attention of users across multiple social media platforms.
Keeping an eye on the latest trends is crucial if you want to effectively engage with your target audience.
1. Monitor popular social media platforms
Not all social media platforms are made equal! In fact, each has its own unique trends.
Here’s how to find trends on some of the most popular ones:
On Instagram, trending hashtags can reveal what’s currently popular.
Check the Explore page to see what content is currently getting the most attention. By following trending topics and influencers, you can gauge what type of content resonates with users.
X
X trends are often highlighted on the platform’s homepage. You can see trending topics based on your location or follow specific hashtags to stay informed about what’s buzzing in real-time.
Engaging with these trending topics can help your content reach a wider audience.
TikTok
TikTok is one of the fastest-paced platforms out there. Explore the Discover page to find popular challenges or sounds that are currently making waves.
2. Use Google Trends
Google Trends is a very powerful tool. It helps you discover the latest, most popular search terms across various topics.
By typing in keywords related to your interests, you can see how their popularity has changed over time. Results can be filtered by region, category and timeframe, allowing for a granular level of analysis.
Google Trends is extremely useful for identifying emerging trends that haven’t yet hit mainstream social media.
3. Follow media groups and influencers
Another way to gain valuable insights into upcoming trends is by monitoring influential media groups and personalities in your niche.
Many influencers are quick to adopt and promote new trends, which can serve as an early indicator of what might go viral.
What are they posting about? Be sure to engage with their content and that note of what topics they are discussing. Joining relevant groups on platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn can also connect you with discussions about emerging trends.
4. Engage with your audience
Another way to stay on top of social trends is to directly engage with your audience.
You could:
· Ask questions
· Run polls
· Host Q&A sessions
When you do this, you’re able to gather feedback and understand what interests your followers.
When you better understand their needs and preferences, you can create content that resonates with them while aligning with trending topics.
5. Analyse competitor strategies
What are your competitors doing on social media? This is another way to gain insights into current trends.
What topics or hashtags are they using? Look for patterns in their posts. What type of content gets the most engagement?
By understanding what works for others in your industry, you can tailor your marketing strategies to better align with these trends.
6. Leverage trend-tracking tools
There are several tools available to help you track social media trends more effectively.
Some popular options include:
BuzzSumo
This allows you to analyse which pieces of content are performing well on social media. You can search by topic and see what’s trending, along with engagement metrics.
Hootsuite
Hootsuite provides comprehensive social media management tools, including trend tracking across various platforms. You can set up streams to monitor specific hashtags or keywords.
Sprout Social
Similar to Hootsuite, Sprout Social offers tools for tracking engagement and performance. It helps you identify what’s resonating with your audience in real-time.
7. Look for patterns in engagement
Trends often show patterns of engagement over time. When do certain topics peak in interest?
You might notice, for example, that specific types of content spikes in popularity during certain seasons or events. This could include memes or video tutorials. This understanding can help you time your posts for maximum impact.
8. Be prepared to adapt
As we mentioned above, social media trends can change rapidly. What’s trending today might be old news tomorrow! This is how fast social media trends change. It’s essential to be flexible and willing to adapt your content and strategies. You should regularly review your performance metrics and adjust your approach based on what’s working and what’s not.
9. Create engaging content around trends
Identified the latest trend? Now it’s time to create content that aligns with it.
The options are endless, and include:
· A blog post
· Social media post
· Video
· Meme
· Poll
· Tutorial
· Infographic
Make sure your content is engaging and adds value to your audience. Use trending hashtags to increase your visibility and reach a broader audience.
10. Evaluate the success of your trend engagement
Once you’ve posted your content, you need to evaluate its effectiveness. Did it receive more engagement than usual? Did you gain any new followers?
These insights will help you to refine your future strategies.
By continuously analysing your performance, you can enhance your ability to engage with trends effectively.
Are you aware of the latest social media trends?
Finding and leveraging trends on social media is an ongoing process that requires attentiveness, flexibility and creativity. By adopting the above strategies, you can stay ahead of the curve.
As you create content around these trends, remember that the goal is to provide value to your audience.
With the right approach, you can turn social media trends into a powerful tool for enhancing your social media presence and achieving your marketing objectives.
Check out our available services or reach out to the EWM team to discuss your individual requirements.