Trending topics reflect a social media community’s interests, discussions, and collective attention at a given moment. They can stem from current events, viral content, holidays, or online campaigns and challenges. Regardless of the source, trends tend to have a limited lifespan before they lose popularity. This is due to the high velocity at which they’re discussed and analyzed, as well as the volume of comments and shares that contribute to their rise.
While it’s tempting to piggyback on trending topics, doing so may have a negative impact on your reputation. Posting irrelevant content or attempting to capitalize on trending topics without a clear connection to your business will alienate audiences and damage your credibility. Additionally, if your company violates Twitter’s rules against trend abuse, it may be subject to account suspension.
To ensure that your editorials are well-researched and relevant, find a topic that resonates with readers. For example, a controversial social issue, such as how to balance LGBTQ rights and religious freedom, or the conflict between surveillance and privacy is sure to grab readers’ attention.
Once you’ve chosen your topic, use a variety of tools and resources to research it thoroughly. Using Google Trends, Buzzsumo, and TikTok Creative Center will help you identify trends in your niche and discover what’s currently popular. If you want to be even more effective, select a topic that’s trending but has not yet been covered in depth by competitors. This will give your article a better chance of ranking well in search results.