To help digital marketers harness the power of social media trends, we’ve gathered seven insightful strategies from industry professionals, including Social Media Managers and CEOs. From being subtle and relevant to collaborating with influencers, these experts provide a comprehensive guide to enhancing brand visibility on social platforms.

 

• Be Subtle and Relevant 
• Combine Humor and Education
• Authentically Engage with Online Communities
• Take the Three-Step Approach 
• Strategically Time Trend Participation
• Use an Adaptive Content Integration Strategy
• Collaborate with Influencers

 

Be Subtle and Relevant 

Time is of the essence when leveraging a social media trend, and not all trends will be right or fit with your brand. First, make sure capitalizing on trends overall is the right fit for your brand and audience. From there, pick and choose which ones will work and make sure it makes sense. The relevancy and relationship shouldn’t require more than a few seconds to grasp.

 

Last, don’t do overt branding. The branded trend should be subtle, catchy, and fun, not over-the-top and salesy. Of course, once it has been posted, engage with your audience and measure the response effectiveness to see if it makes sense to do it again!

 

Kendra Lee, Social Media Manager, Urban Adventures Companies

 

Combine Humor and Education 

One highly effective strategy is leveraging trends with a touch of humor to deliver educational and informative content related to your brand. Always bring it back to your brand specifically. Striking this delicate balance is key. 

 

While humor holds the potential to captivate and entertain, it’s imperative that it harmoniously complements the educational essence of your content. The humor should not overshadow; instead, it should seamlessly support and enhance the educational message, ensuring that your audience not only engages but also gains valuable insights specific to your brand.

 

Helena Maranville, Social Media Manager, Flex

 

Authentically Engage with Online Communities

Actually, engaging with these online communities is one of the most authentic and easiest ways to identify and conceptualize ways that you can participate in the latest trends in a way that aligns with your brand values. Simply participating to appear that you’re “trendy” isn’t the same as being in on the joke.

 

Alex Dorner, Live Content Correspondent, National Football League

 

Take the Three-Step Approach 

First, define your target audience. Finding your target demographic is the first step in any successful social media campaign. What platforms do your ideal consumers use, and who are they? You can make your content and messaging more engaging by considering your audience’s tastes and behaviors.

 

Then, develop a content strategy. Once you understand your audience, it’s time to create a content strategy that supports your company’s goals. Your writing should be engaging, educational, and pertinent to your readership. Try out various formats, such as infographics, videos, and photos, to determine which ones your audience responds to the most.

 

Finally, engage with your audience. Since social media is a two-way dialogue, it’s crucial to interact with your audience consistently. To learn more about your audience, ask for input, quickly respond to comments and messages, and make polls and surveys.

 

Oliver Andrews, Digital Marketing, OA Design Services

 

Strategically Time Trend Participation

Hot take—wait it out!

 

When new trends hit social media, everyone quickly shuffles around their content calendars to fit new posts in; however, for visibility’s sake, it may not be a bad idea to let the dust settle before hopping on the trend.

 

Once everyone starts posting content that fits the new trend, the search surrounding that trend quickly becomes saturated. For smaller brands, it may be tough to compete with more prominent brands sharing the same sort of content.

 

If you can wait for the trend’s popularity to die down, it is more likely that your post, which plays on the trend, may get more traction without the competition of everyone else.

 

While waiting to create your post with the trend, you can still use it to your advantage. Create a post centered on “current trends” and how people or businesses can use them in their content.

 

You’re still going to increase your visibility by making use of these social media trends in a more nuanced way.

 

Chelsea Evans-Flower, Owner, Scott Social

 

Use an Adaptive Content Integration Strategy

In the ever-evolving realm of digital marketing, staying attuned to social media trends is essential. One strategy emphasized at Ignited Results is the “Adaptive Content Integration.” 

 

Rather than merely observing trending topics, this strategy actively integrates them into the content strategy. For instance, if a particular hashtag or challenge gains traction, relevant content is crafted that aligns with the brand message while participating in the trend. This approach not only amplifies brand visibility but also showcases the brand’s adaptability and relevance in real-time conversations. 

 

For digital marketers aiming to enhance brand presence, the advice is clear. Be proactive in embracing social media trends, but always ensure alignment with your brand’s core values and message.

 

Jon James, CEO, Ignited Results

 

Collaborate with Influencers

One effective way we use social media trends to increase our brand visibility is to collaborate with influencers associated with the trend. We do this by creating spotlight interviews with well-known figures in the industry. This endorsement by influencers helps amplify our brand’s reach and credibility, as well as provide a new platform of reach for our partner.

 

Shaun Gozo-Hill, Director, 2Game