Tapping Into Trending Topics on Social Media

Are you in the know? Do you know the latest and greatest hot button social media topics in your industry and beyond? Since it may be essential to jump right into a public conversation, you need to have your pulse on trending topics. With a few key pointers and proven spots to check out, you can always stay current and leverage these topics to your advantage!

How to find the universal water cooler

In today’s world, it’s almost impossible to miss what’s going on! With every social media login, you’re inundated with messages from your friends, co-workers, and news sources. In fact, you can spend hours on your (never-ending) news feed alone.

However, how can you find the stories that actually matter – the trending topics that have already gained traction in the mainstream world? Here are just a few arenas to find the hottest headlines:

Facebook

This social media platform makes it easy to see what people are talking about at any given moment. On the right notification toolbar, there is a specific “Trending” section. This compiles and highlights the hottest topics with a quick information blurb. When you click on the topic, you’ll immediately see all the sites that are covering it, starting with the top posts. If you have something to add to this conversation, pay attention to the buzzwords and hashtags that the Facebook community is using. That way, you may also come up in this search if you have relevant content to add.

Twitter

What better home to find trending topics than on a site that is completely built around real-time headlines and conversation? Twitter makes it effortless to see what people are talking about down to the second that it’s happening. With one glance, you can see the stories that are rocking individual categories (i.e. entertainment, business, sports, music) in a big way.

Hashtags are the best way to follow and participate in the conversation, and you can also use this platform to narrow your search. Are you only looking for local feedback? Are you searching for something more specific? Unique hashtags can light the way to a niche research path. Remember, many hot stories on Twitter are updated every single second so you’ll need to refresh the topic as fast as you can click since your customers are counting on you to be current!

And, onto the infinite list…

While Facebook and Twitter are often the easiest places to discover trending topics, there are so many other places to discover what is hot in the world right now.

Google Trends, BuzzFeed, and Mashable are just a few more on the tip of the iceberg. If you really want the most useful sites, think about where you get your industry news and inspiration. These resources are already centered on content that you want to read about and are often the best places to check first for industry-specific news and trending topics. Bookmark all these sites for easy access and visit them often, especially when news is breaking.

Start the trend!

Sometimes you may be the very source that starts the trending topic! If you stumble across something that is important to your industry or your customers, lead the charge on making the news go viral. If you are the first source to present this topic, include plenty of information and establish unique hashtags that allow people to stay with you the whole way through this conversation.

As soon as you kick off a dialogue, remember to stay present! Don’t start up a great topic and then leave the audience-packed room. Stay in the conversation, respond to people, and post new content as the topic starts to take off. As the established moderator and leader, this trending topic will continue to benefit you for weeks to come! Think about what information you want to spotlight on your website with this new audience.
And imagine the possibilities with all the potential new customer exposure…

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