How to Use Trending Topics in Social Media Marketing

One of the most effective ways to engage with your followers on social media is to talk to them about a topic that already interests them. If your business participates in conversations when it counts, your customers will listen when you post about your products or services too.

You may have seen major brand names tackle trending topics on social media before, but it can be intimidating to learn how to join the conversation as a small business owner.

Our team of social media strategists at VitalStorm understands how to use trending topics as a tool to improve reach and engagement online. Here is our guide on how to use trending topics in social media marketing.

Understand How Hashtags Work

If you work with social media daily, you probably have a firm grasp on the importance of hashtags. But if your only background in social media is personal use, you might have few common hashtag misconceptions.

Hashtags are more than just cute or funny phrases, they serve a purpose: exposing your post to a wider audience. Hashtags are a tool that social media platforms use to categorize their content. When social media users search for a particular hashtag word or phrase, they will be able to see all of the posts that use the hashtag.

Discover Trending Hashtags

With the purpose behind hashtags in mind, you can better understand why finding trending hashtags used by lots of other people will benefit your business. You can find trending hashtags on Twitter under the “Search” tab.

Twitter will automatically tailor the popular hashtags you see to your interests based on your locations and the content you have liked and retweeted in the past. This helps you narrow down which trending hashtags will be relevant and useful to your business.

Plan and Prepare for Posts

While hunting for relevant trending topics each day can be a good strategy, anticipating trends is an even better one. Plan ahead with your social media posts for national holidays, major sporting events, popular TV shows, or any other trends you can think of in advance.

Incorporate the appropriate hashtag into your post ahead of time so that you can make sure your content is edited, on brand, and won’t risk offending or alienating anyone in your audience.

Converse Carefully

Once you have discovered trending topics with a connection to your industry and you are ready to add your business’ voice to the conversation, make sure you have thoroughly vetted the material you post.

Stay away from polarizing topics or sensitive media that might alienate any of your potential customers. Just because a trending topic represents your personal opinion does not necessarily mean it coincides with your brand identity. Social media posts should always be written with a customer service mindset.

Because trending topics can be delicate, don’t entrust the responsibility of running your business social media accounts to just anybody. A trained and experienced social media strategist will understand how to capitalize on relevant topics and avoid potentially detrimental ones.

Be Authentic in Your Brand

Last but certainly not least, post about trending topics in an authentic way. Your followers are smart enough to tell when the connection between your business and a topic seems forced or unnatural. Focus on topics that enhance your brand message.

Your goal when posting about trending topics is to emulate a human relationship to your followers. If your audience views your brand as relatable, they will be more open to your lead-driven posts about products or services. Use trending topics to establish a connection with your potential customers.

Still wondering how to use trending topics in social media marketing?

If you are still developing a social media strategy for your business, talk to our team of experts at VitalStorm. Our social media strategists will develop a content calendar tailored to your industry and your unique brand that focuses on relevant trending topics.

Our Social Local team at VitalStorm knows how to capitalize on trending topics to improve reach and engagement for our clients. If you want to reap the benefits of a strong social media presence for your business, give us a call at 877-311-5695.

To learn more about how your business can benefit from social media strategy, check out our free eBook, Social Media Marketing for Home Services.