As social media trends constantly evolve, brands that tap into them meaningfully can gain significant exposure and boost engagement. Here’s how to effectively leverage trending topics while avoiding common mistakes.
Timely jump on the bandwagon
Brands should act quickly when a trend arises, aligning their marketing efforts with the topic while it’s still fresh. This could include creating memes, short videos, or social media posts that play off the trendin a fun and creative way.
By adding their originality to a trend, brands can tap into the existing conversation, reach broader audiences and enhance their online engagement. For example,the Thai Embassy in Tokyo encouraged visitors to the zoo while Washington Commanders created a meme by featuring Moo Deng in their X posts. This resulted in increased content views and post engagement.
To seize opportunities before they slip away, brands should leverage social listening tools to spot emerging trends early, ensuring their creative content remains relevant before the hype dies down.
Avoid forced connections
A common mistake brands make is forcing a connection to a trend that doesn’t relate to their product or service. Consumers quickly pick up on when a brand is jumping on a trend purely for visibility without offering genuine value.
Instead of simply reposting trending content, brands should add original thought and creativity. Failing to do so can hurt both engagement and credibility. To truly capitalise on trends, focus only on those that align with your brand’s values and resonate with your audience’s interests, ensuring authentic and meaningful connections with your followers.
Avoid overly promotional content
Overcommercialising a trend can quickly turn consumers off. If your approach feels too sales-driven, you risk losing authenticity, as consumers may perceive the brand as more focused on profit than genuine engagement.
For instance, leveraging Moo Deng’s popularity to promote unrelated products could come across as exploitative. Instead, brands should aim to add value to the conversation—whether through entertainment or creative twists that resonate with the audience—rather than just pushing product promotions.
By ensuring that engagement with trends is authentic, respectful, and value-driven, you can avoid common pitfalls and foster positive connections with your audience. At Midas PR, we are experts in creating content that converts and ensures your brand’s presence in the online conversations of your target audience. If you want to enhance your online exposure and engagement with trendy topics and catchy content, contact us for a consultation by visiting www.midas-pr.com or via email.