Trending Topics

They are starting to use this method because it can help them gain attention quickly. This area already has a lot of public interest. All companies have to do is “ride the wave” and hope people will notice them, hoping to boost engagement and reach. Moreover, following trending topics shows a brand is staying relevant to the current conversation. Making it appear modern, aware, and in touch with their audience.

However, you have to be careful if you want to use this approach for your business. It is because one wrong move can harm the image that you have built for a long time with effort and money. If it feels forced, insensitive, or out of touch, it will backfire and destroy you in a matter of seconds.

Understanding trending topics

Those are subjects or discussions that suddenly become very popular on social media platforms, news sites, or on the internet. It means there are many people looking, talking, and posting about an event at the same time. For example, this usually happens when there is breaking news, a major sports final, a celebrity scandal, or even a viral meme.

Each digital platform highlights trending topics differently. However, it has the same purpose, which is to show users what everyone is talking about at that time. For businesses, they are taking this chance to stay updated and relevant among the public. It offers chances for engagement, discussions, and visibility. It can even influence culture, opinions, and news coverage at times.

How do trending topics work?

Basically, this happens when a huge number of people are starting to post, search, and comment about an event in a short amount of time. The platform is going to notice a spike in this certain topic. Then, it starts to promote it even more so people can see what is happening. This can be based on popularity, timing, and other factors. 

Any kind of event can be trending topics. It all depends on how many people are paying attention to it. The way this works can be organic or inorganic. Organic is when users are engaging in the event. Meanwhile, inorganic is when someone pays to boost the event to be viral. For a better understanding, this is how the feature works:

Sudden spike in activity

When people start to post the same hashtag or keyword, watch or like the same post, or look at the same term on search engines, it causes a sudden surge in attention. This is what they called a “spike in engagement”. In short, this is when users are talking and looking at one topic at the same time, which causes a sudden increase in traffic. 

Boost from algorithm

An algorithm is a smart set of rules or code you can find on platforms like social media and search engines. What it does is detect and promote hot topics. Once they find a sudden rise in traffic on a certain topic, it will boost that event until it becomes trending topics. There are things this tool needs to read before choosing which one needs a boost, such as:

• Volume: It checks how many people are engaging online regarding the event.
• Velocity: How quickly it can attract attention.
• Recency: Knowing if it is an old or new trend.
• Geo-location: To see where it happens and if it’s trending globally or only in a specific region.
• Engagement: Looking at how many users are liking, commenting, and sharing about the event.

Comparing it to “normal” activity

When the algorithm sees a spike in engagement, it doesn’t suddenly make it into trending topics. It is going to compare the data, such as the typical levels for that subject and the normal posting levels for that time of day or region. For example, the word “Brand A” is getting posted consistently 1,000 times in an hour. They are going to ignore it and set it as the standard. But when people suddenly post it 100,000 times per 30 minutes, the tool will think it’s above normal. This way, it decides that this subject becomes a trend.

Pushing it to the trend lists

When an event is included in trending topics, the platform will push it to a visible list. Usually, they put the content on the “trending” section, discover page, and more, depending on the platform you are using. As a result, it increases the exposure, and more users will see it. This creates a snowball effect, making the topic grow faster.