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Social media is THE most powerful tool for building your own brand or business. You can blow up your brand on social media and your life will never be the same again.
Staying ahead of trends is crucial to stand out on social media platforms and grow your audience. In this blog post, I’ll walk you through five key ways to leverage social media trends to build your brand and how I used these strategies to quit my corporate career and become a successful social media strategist as a mom of two.
1. Identify Emerging Trends Early
The first step to leveraging trends is spotting them early. You don’t want to hop on a trend to late. After your audience has seen the trend they will be less likely to stop and watch. Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are constantly evolving, and new trends are popping up daily. What was “trending” last week may be gone by next week. Don’t wait!! Pay attention to trending audios, hashtags, viral challenges, and the type of content that gets shared the most.
There are even season trends to watch for! What is unique for fall, Christmas, winter, Spring, or even specific holidays? I know I can think of a few Christmas trends off the top of my head that roll around every year. (cough cough Mariah Carey). You DON’T want to wait for December 24th to post your Christmas trend. Hop on it early!
Tip: Use platforms like TikTok’s Discover page, and Instagram’s Explore tab to track what’s gaining momentum. Tools like these can give you an edge in staying relevant and innovative. Remember, the sooner you act on a trend, the better chance you have of getting your content seen.
2. Trend Sourcing Routine
A common question I get is HOW do I find trends and use them ASAP before they are “overcooked” as I like to call it. Because nothing is more annoying than seeing the 50th “demure” video of the day. It will get you an automatic skip!
STEP ONE: Spend time on the apps. This is the most time consuming piece. You need to be familiar with what’s going on…
What are people talking about?
What are the new songs?
Are there any popular challenges righto now?
Are there any pop culture moments you can give your take on?
My clients go viral by doing something I call “trendjacking” – hijacking a popular trend or viral moment and talking about it or putting your own spin on it. Popular examples of this include
-Referencing a popular tv show at the moment
-Current events
-New news
Example: My client who is a hairdresser make a TikTok about popular services after everyone watched the Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives and every one wanted “Utah Curls” Everyone is talking about the show and this will give your post a mega boost to go viral!
Me and my team spend A LOT of time on social media…but we are also the FIRST to hop on trends and go viral for it.
If you want to skip spending hours on social media sourcing trends and get the trends directly from me and my team every week you can grab Weekly Instagram Trends right here and Weekly TikTok Trends right here.
STEP TWO: As you are scrolling be sure you are SAVING trends and content ideas. I have folders of saved videos on the apps called “New creations”. In that folder I save videos I see that I want to replicate. Whether it’s a song choice, a b roll idea, or a fun challenge I save it. Trust me you won’t remember that “one video” you wanted to do 4 days from now when you go to film. Just save it.
STEP THREE: When you go to film don’t start from scratch. Nothing is worse than pulling up your camera to film a video and needing an idea right then and there. That’s not going to work bestie. Instead open up the folder of saved videos that you have been collecting as you’ve been scrolling.
Go through the videos like a to-do list. And film all the ideas you had saved for this week. Film them back to back to back – without putting text on them YET. Simply save them to drafts. I personally ONLY save videos that I know will take me less than 5 minutes to film. That way I can create 4-5 in a row rather quickly. I don’t want to spend all day on content creation. My rule of thumb that I tell my clients is never spend more than 10 minutes on a video unless you KNOW FOR SURE it will work and go crazy. Because nothing is worse than spending hours on a post for a whopping 200 views. Be quick and efficient until you find your style and know what is going to stick. (Trends are usually short videos anyway)
After they are in my drafts I will go back in at a separate time and add the hooks and captions. I don’t try to do that while filming. That process gets to be a bit long.
3. Adapt Trends to Fit Your Niche
It’s one thing to spot a trend, but adapting it to your niche is where the magic happens. Whether you’re a fitness coach, a food blogger, or a travel enthusiast, find creative ways to apply trending content ideas to your brand. The trick is to stay authentic while tapping into the current social media pulse.
Example: If a dance challenge is trending on TikTok, and you’re in the wellness space, create a version where you’re showing off some fun exercise moves. This keeps you relevant while staying true to your brand. DON’T film trends without applying them to your specific niche.
3. Create Engaging and Interactive Content
Trends often come with built-in audience engagement. Many challenges encourage users to participate, comment, or share. Leverage this by creating content that invites your followers to get involved. The more interaction your post gets, the higher the chance that social media algorithms will push it to a wider audience.
Tip: Use a call to action of asking users to comment a specific keyword on your video to get a link to the dress you’re sharing, the guide, the freebie, or extra tips in their dms! You can automate this with specific softwares
4. Collaborate with Creators and Brands
Collaborating with other creators or partnering with brands in your niche can give you a massive boost, especially when you’re hopping on trends. A well-timed collaboration can put your content in front of a much larger audience and give you instant credibility.
Content with other people in it preforms better than solo content!
Tip: Look for creators or brands who are already engaging in trends and content creation and reach out for a collaboration. Make sure it aligns with your brand values to maintain authenticity.
5. Be Consistent and Analyze Your Performance
Consistency is key when leveraging trends. You can’t just post once and expect massive results. The algorithm loves creators who post frequently, so keep the momentum going. (This is why I batch record so that I have videos ready to go for the week no matter what happens)
Additionally, always analyze your content’s performance. See which trends worked well for your brand and which ones didn’t, then refine your strategy accordingly.
Tip: Use analytics tools provided by social media platforms to track engagement, reach, and follower growth. Data-driven decisions will help you focus on what’s working. The analytic I look at the most is NOT views it’s “new followers” from each piece of content.
6. Treat Trends As Fun!
Trends are meant to be lighthearted and fun and show a new side of your business! Don’t let them stress you out! Using the right trend at the right time could change your business forever!
