Trend

What is Trend?

A trend on social media is a piece of content, a behavior, a sound, or a hashtag that is spreading rapidly across the platform at a given moment, typically surfaced by the algorithm to users who engage with related content. For short-form video creators, participating in a trend early can increase the likelihood that the platform distributes the video to a wider audience.

When you'd use it

1. 1When a sound, challenge, or content format is spreading rapidly and there is a plausible brand angle to participate.
2. 2When posting early in a trend's cycle, before most accounts have adopted it and the algorithm has begun to saturate the feed.
3. 3When organic reach is low and participating in a trend increases the likelihood the algorithm surfaces the video.
4. 4When researching what content to produce next based on what the platform is currently distributing most widely.
5. 5When a brand's category has a recurring trend pattern, such as a seasonal format or recurring challenge, that can be planned around.

Example

The 'Put a finger down' audio trend on TikTok spread rapidly in 2020, with brands from Chipotle to Netflix posting their own versions within 72 hours of the original going viral. Brands that posted in the first three days averaged 3 to 5 times more views than those who posted the same content two weeks into the trend's cycle.

Use cases

1. 1Adapting a trending audio format to show a product benefit, matching the structure viewers already recognize.
2. 2Posting a trend-based video early in the trend cycle to capture algorithm distribution before the format becomes oversaturated.
3. 3Monitoring the For You Page daily to identify which formats are gaining traction before building the week's content calendar.

FAQ

Related terms