Keeping up with the latest social media trends is crucial for any brand to succeed in the industry in this digital era. Not only are social media platforms and their features constantly changing, but trends that go viral on these platforms don’t stay relevant for too long.
While it may be challenging to keep up with the latest social media trends, we outlined several reasons why it would be beneficial to your business and your brand to stay on top of hot trends!
Analyzing the latest media trends can help your brand develop effective content that seamlessly fits into your brand's voice. Creating relevant content can attract more attention and encourage your audience to share it more frequently.
An average person today is bombarded with thousands of social media posts and commercials daily. If you just keep producing content without knowing what your audience demands or what is trending, people will just scroll through it without interacting with it. But hopping on a viral trend will grab people’s attention and keep your brand relevant in the eyes of your target audience.
When developing your social media strategy, consider quality over quantity. Look for what is trending among the masses and tie your brand strategically. If a specific trend seems impossible to tie into your brand, don’t force it. You don’t want to come across as disingenuous to your audience. Trust me, there will always be a new trend you can take advantage of.
For example, Burger King used TikTok in 2020 to run its "Whopper Dance" campaign, challenging users to submit unique dance moves inspired by the brand's signature Whopper Burger. Users who completed the challenge could get a Whopper for only $1.
Burger King used TikTok's rising popularity to stay relevant to customers amid the pandemic, to encourage people to express their creativity online while they were bored and stuck at home.
To stay relevant and engage your audience, it's crucial to keep up with the latest trends, such as the Top 5 Wellness Trends in 2023, As Seen on Social Media.
One of the most effective ways to reach your audience is to write about current events. You can identify opportunities to create truly unique content that will appeal to a larger audience when you understand the topics currently trending in your industry.
If there is a "gap" in recent coverage or an angle other news outlets and websites overlook, you can also shed a unique perspective on a current issue. Try to think outside the box and come up with some solutions.
Demonstrating empathy by writing about or commenting on a current trending topic is a way to deeply connect with your audience. Younger generations put a greater emphasis on showing empathy or positive brand values than previous generations. In fact, people are more likely to purchase from and support your brand if it has positive values. According to a recent report from Sprout Social, 70% of people think it's important for brands to take a stand on social and political issues.
Engagement is crucial for successful social media marketing. Many companies desire higher engagement but find it difficult to come up with new strategies or get stuck using the same methods over and over again.
Keeping up with social media trends can also help you get a high impression rate when creating content. The more your audience is engaged, the more visibility your posts will get. Creating content around hot topics is more likely to be picked up more often by consumers which will automatically increase your impressions across various platforms. Not only will your impression rate increase, but your audience will be more engaged because people like seeing how brands participate in trends.
A higher number of impressions can also strengthen your brand by increasing message retention and encouraging more people to interact with your content by liking, commenting or sharing it.
Many social media platforms include an analytics section where you can track your posts' impressions and popularity. Analytics are available for users to track engagement on various platforms, such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest.
Having a social media presence involves more than just having a profile with content. Staying up-to-date with the latest trends can help establish it. In fact, by simply maintaining an active and engaged presence on social media, you can draw attention to your business without spending a dime on advertising.
This not only helps to build your brand's reputation and credibility but also allows you to connect and engage with your target audience in a more meaningful way. By regularly posting relevant, high-quality content and interacting with your followers, you can establish a strong online presence and establish yourself as an expert in your industry.
Additionally, an active social media presence can also help drive traffic to your website and potentially lead to more conversions. In this day and age of technology, having a strong social media presence is essential for any business to better reach and engage with their target audience.
For example, with a strong social media presence, people interested in your brand can easily access any promotion you post. As a result, when you share your content, the number of people who click on your links may increase without you running an ad campaign.
Take Nike as an example. The sportswear company has one of the best social media presence in the industry. With 270 million Instagram followers, Nike seized the moment by putting its online store landing page in the bio.
Nike also has a long-standing partnership with soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who has double the followers it has on Instagram. The partnership has been a highly successful marketing campaign for both parties. Ronaldo has become one of the most popular and recognizable athletes in the world, and Nike has been able to leverage his popularity to promote its brand and products.
A strong online presence also facilitates communication with your ideal customer base and develops lasting, mutually beneficial bonds, eventually giving you a loyal customer base.
You should keep an eye on trends for the reasons given above. However, you don't need to produce content relating to a topic simply because it is currently popular on the internet.
It is best that you do not try to force a connection if one does not exist, especially if it has nothing to do with your brand. If trends don't fit your brand's vision, they can confuse your customers and potential customers.
Nevertheless, you can write about a trending subject in almost every industry. When an opportunity presents itself, seize it and use your skills to get things done while avoiding a needy, spammy or insensitive approach.
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