How Trending Topics Can Help eCommerce?
How Trending Topics Can Help eCommerce?
One can define a trending topic as a subject that has witnessed a surge in popularity on one or more social media websites for a limited time. Ecommerce businesses can take up these trending topics to find out what lies in consumer interest and capitalize on the current conversation. Today’s trending topics revolve around pop culture occurrences such as celebrity announcements, social concerns, current events, viral content, and breaking news. There is no limit to how long a topic space is popular. However, trending topics have a tendency to have a shelf life of one day to 1 week.
The algorithms by the website on which the topic appears to determine the trending topics. The majority of the platforms cater to the topics depending on the user accessing the website taking into previous likes or searches, account location, and who the user follows. For example, a user who follows a target may see a renowned store promotion, while a member of a mug collectors group would find a trending online ceramics store.
What does a trending topic look like?
While hashtags are one of the forms in which trending topics come, they can also come in the form of simple keywords that people frequently use on social media. Some sites have specific links or pages dedicated to trends, while others show up in or near search results. Let us see how various social media platforms handle trending topics(Ecommerce businesses):
Typically, Twitter users witness trends catering to their location, but they can also change this location on this social media website. Trending topics appear in several areas on Twitter’s desktop version, while the users can find the trends on mobile devices in the Search section.
Facebook separates trends into five different categories-
-All News
-Entertainment
-Science and technology
-Politics
When users click a category, it brings them different in-different and public posts.
- Google Trends
Google Trends calculates the trend by analyzing a percentage of keyword or topic searches depending on time and location. It does not use multiple searches or special characters by the same person or infrequent search terms to determine trending topics.
- Tumblr
Tumblr users can browse the Explore page to see featured and popular tags. For example, if a user sees a lightning bolt, it means that a particular tag is new and trending.
This social media platform has a search and explore page that will show the users different posters similar to those a user has liked or followed. This page also displays popular local images.
These are some of the ways in which different social media platforms handle trending topics. Now, let us see how eCommerce businesses can leverage trending topics to their advantage.
How can businesses use trending topics?
Trending topics has the ability to help an online store appear on more feeds of people and search results, thus, increasing the number of people who see its posts and profiles. These are some of the ways how businesses can do it(Ecommerce businesses):
- Take advantage of the popular Internet culture
Denny’s is famous for capitalizing its business on trending topics. The method might seem weird to many people, which also includes users who engage with Denny’s on social media platforms. However, according to Entrepreneur, the brand’s recreational tone and use of Internet memes (quick bits of images or short statements that people use for imitating, usually for comedic effect) have driven them 150 per cent growth in followers since 2013.
- Join an ongoing conversation
Many brands used this method called moment marketing during a viral phenomenon known as “The Dress.” In this viral phenomenon, a wedding attendee posted a dress picture online and asked whether it was white and gold or blue and black. While this was a simple question, it stirred an unbelievable amount of commentary; so much that, in response, The New York Times published an article about colour and brain science. Various brands took advantage of the situation and cheekily compared their branding colours to the dress and imitated the visible consumer confusion.
This is how businesses can boost their business using trending topics. Now let us see what they should watch out for and not get carried away with trending topics.
What to watch for?
Sometimes, businesses can abuse trending topics; in fact, many of them have broken Twitter’s rules for trend abuse that could, in extreme cases, result in account suspension. If businesses want to capitalize on a trending subject, they should approach the situation so that it doesn’t have unintended consequences.
- Avoid posting unrelated content– Twitter often discourages adding unrelated keywords or hashtags for posts to increase visibility in search results. Businesses should ensure their posts and brands are relatable in some way to the topic at hand. Apart from drawing ire from social media sites, posting irrelevant content also confuses viewers and damages the brand’s credibility.
- Research the history of a topic– Typically, the research applies to hashtags and keywords. Once DiGiorno used the hashtag #WhyIStayed to promote its product, not realizing that the tag has spread awareness of domestic violence. After this, the company was quick to delete the tweet and apologized to users who voiced their displeasure.
- Approach tragedy with care– Posting about a tragedy in the immediate aftermath sure does show empathy and concern for human beings. However, make sure there is not too much branding as it can change the tone from compassionate to disrespectful. Oftentimes, insensitive social media posts can result in the brand becoming a trending topic for the wrong reasons.
These are some of the ways of handling trending topics.
Conclusion-
Brands participating in trending discussions surely increase awareness among consumers, making them relevant. However, they must make sure their posts positively affect consumers.
