Dig deep into your memory…it’s 2014 and the ALS ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ is everywhere. You couldn’t open Instagram or Twitter without seeing the challenge on your feeds. It simply took over the nation and possibly the world for a few weeks. A report from RTI International indicates that the 2014 challenge increased annual funding for research by 187 percent. Of course, this is great for the research and the association, but you may be asking yourself, “how does that help my business”?
According to the 2019 Impact of Culture Study by Magna, consumers prefer brands that are culturally relevant. It doesn’t have to be complicated either. Taking advantage of a trending meme on Instagram or Twitter is one way to put your brand in the conversation, or you can hop on to a long-standing tradition like Discovery Channel’s famous “Shark Week”. Like it or not, social media is the place where trending and viral topics are born. It’s a good idea to make sure that your business has a voice in the conversation.
There are a few brands that pull this off exceptionally, such as:
- Wendy’s on Twitter (have you read their ‘roast tweets’?)
- Sephora on Instagram (one of the first brands to utilize the in-app checkout feature!)
- Duolingo on TikTok (guaranteed to make you laugh and remember them!)
Here are three steps to help your business start embracing social media trends:
- Look at trending topics and searches on Instagram / Twitter / Tiktok
As you’ll see below, Crumbl and Georgetown Cupcakes have embraced the phenomenon that Shark Week has become by offering cupcakes or cookies that are only available for a limited time.
- Personalize the trends to fit your audience
While you want to insert yourself into the conversation pop culture wise, you also need to keep your audience in mind. Try to personalize the trending topics so they still speak to your everyday audience.
- Post and engage with other brands also using trending memes or relevant events (see below for examples!)
By engaging with other brands, you’ll increase your brand awareness by also getting in front of their audience. Make sure you’re also using relevant hashtags so people can find you in their own searches as well!
If you don’t have the resources to keep up with social media marketing, consider how MoreVisibility can help you.
