By aligning your brand with current trends, you can significantly boost brand visibility and reach.
The essence of trendjacking lies in its ability to amplify your message. It enables your brand to ride waves of trending topics, ensuring that your content is seen by a broader audience. This can lead to increased social media interactions, enhanced brand awareness, and a stronger connection with customers.
This marketing strategy offers a powerful way to stay at the forefront of public attention and maintain relevance in an ever-changing market. Keep reading if you want to learn more about this method and its benefits!
What Is Trendjacking?
In essence, it’s a marketing strategy where brands capitalize on current trends to gain visibility and engage with a wider audience.
Trendjacking involves using current trends to promote your brand. It’s about riding the wave of popular topics and using them to your advantage. Creating a social media post or a blog that ties your brand to a trending topic are forms of this social media strategy.
For instance, during a major event like the Super Bowl, many brands create content that references the game. A classic example is Oreo’s “Dunk in the Dark” tweet during the Super Bowl blackout in 2013. This timely and clever post gained massive attention and engagement, showcasing how effective this marketing strategy can be.
Benefits of Trendjacking
So now you no longer have to wonder about what is trendjacking, we can have a look at the benefits of this tool for your brand.
1. Maintains Relevancy
In the fast-paced digital world, staying relevant is crucial. By trendjacking, you can keep up with the latest topics that resonate with your target audience. This helps ensure your brand remains top of mind, improving brand recall.
2. Boosts Brand Reach and Visibility
Associating your brand with a popular trend can significantly increase your visibility; hence, you can gain more followers on Instagram or other social media platforms. Adding your unique spin can make your brand stand out and build long-term awareness and loyalty.
3. Increases Content Shareability
Content that taps into current trends is more likely to be shared. By incorporating trendjacking into your strategy, you can create shareable content that increases your chances of going viral. Ensure your message aligns with your brand identity to avoid coming across as inauthentic.
4. Boosts Sales
By jumping on a trend early, you can gain a competitive edge. Trendjacking can drive more traffic to your website and generate leads. When content is linked to trending topics, you’re likely to see a boost in sales as people click on your content.
How to Trendjack Successfully
Not all trendjacking equals immediate success. Here are a few things to be mindful of before jumping into trendjacking.
Be Aware of the Trends
To take advantage of trends, you need to act quickly. Use tools like Google Trends to keep up with what’s popular in your industry. The earlier you get involved, the more exposure you can gain.
Comprehend the Trend
Understand why a topic is trending before joining in. Ensure the trend aligns with your brand image and values. This connection should be natural, not forced, to avoid confusing your audience.
Add Your Own Flair
Trendjacking requires originality. You need to stand out by adding something unique related to your product or service. This helps you gain attention and differentiate your brand from competitors.
Don’t Sell Directly
Avoid directly selling your product when trendjacking. Focus on engaging your audience with the trend. Subtly hint at your product while keeping the main focus on the trend itself. This approach keeps your audience interested and engaged.
Social Media Trendjacking Examples
Trendjacking will look different depending on what social media platform you are looking to post on. Let’s take a look at some social media trendjacking examples.
How To Trendjack on TikTok
TikTok is all about trends. Just knowing that, is a strong starting point on how to trendjack on TikTok. Start by following popular hashtags and participate in trending challenges. Create content that fits the trend while incorporating your brand’s unique style.
How To Trendjack on Instagram
If you’re wondering how to trendjack on Instagram compared to Tiktok, your starting point will be with the hashtags. Instagram trendjacking involves using popular hashtags and participating in viral challenges or memes. Visual content is key, so ensure your posts are eye-catching and relevant to the trend.
Ethical Trendjacking: Do’s and Don’ts
Successful trendjacking comes with certain do’s and don’ts. Be aware that not all trendjacking will be beneficial to your brand and reputation.
Do Your Research
Having a thorough understanding of what the trend is and how it came about is essential. This gives you the opportunity to properly assess whether a trend aligns with your brand identity.
While doing your research, consider the following:
- Understand the trend fully. Before jumping on a trend, it’s crucial to grasp its origins and current conversations around it.
- Investigate where and how the trend started. This helps in understanding its original purpose and evolution over time.
- Look at how the trend is being used today. Analyze social media platforms, news articles, and influencer posts to see the trend’s current trajectory and reception.
- Consider whether the trend aligns with your brand’s audience. Use analytics and customer feedback to gauge if your audience is engaging with the trend and how they are reacting to it.
- Ensure the trend is compatible with your brand’s values and mission. Jumping on a trend that contradicts your core principles can lead to a loss of credibility and trust.
Be Sensitive
Never trendjack for the sake of it. Jumping on the bandwagon just to be part of a viral trend is a dangerous move. Hence, keep in mind the following:
- Avoid controversial or offensive trends. Not all trends are suitable for every brand. To navigate this:
- Be aware of cultural nuances and sensitivities. A trend popular in one culture might be offensive in another.
- Consider the broader social implications of the trend. Trends related to political or social movements require a deep understanding and a cautious approach to avoid missteps.
- Ensure your participation is meaningful. Others should not think you jumped on the bandwagon for the sake of it. Tokenism can damage your brand’s reputation.
- Your content should add value to the trend’s conversation. This could mean providing insightful commentary, supporting a cause, or offering solutions rather than just participating superficially.
Stay Authentic
Does the trend you are participating in represent who you or your brand aspire to be? Have a thorough understanding of who you are and ensure:
- Consistency in brand voice and message: Authenticity is key to building and maintaining trust with your audience.
- Unified brand voice: Maintain a consistent tone and voice that reflects your brand’s personality across all platforms and trend-related content.
- Genuine engagement: Engage with the trend in ways that are true to your brand’s identity. Authentic engagement often involves storytelling, customer involvement, and genuine support or action.
- Long-term commitment: Show that your involvement in the trend is not just a fleeting action. If the trend relates to a cause, demonstrate long-term commitment through actions, campaigns, and initiatives beyond the immediate trend.
- Transparency: Be transparent about your intentions and actions. If you make a mistake, acknowledge it and take steps to rectify it. Transparency fosters trust and loyalty.
Ethical trendjacking involves thoughtful and deliberate actions that respect the trend, your audience, and your brand values.
By doing thorough research and being sensitive to the context, brands can effectively utilize trends to connect with their audience.
FAQs
What’s the difference between newsjacking vs. trendjacking?
Both are strategic approaches to marketing, but they differ in key ways. Newsjacking involves leveraging breaking news or current events to promote a brand, capturing public attention as the news story unfolds.
In contrast, trendjacking capitalizes on broader trends or popular cultural phenomena, not tied to specific news events, to enhance brand visibility and relevance.
Why is trendjacking beneficial for brands?
Trendjacking offers several benefits for brands, including increased visibility and enhanced engagement. By tapping into popular trends, brands can create shareable content that attracts a broader audience, strengthens their connection with customers, and maintains their position at the forefront of public attention.
How can brands implement trendjacking effectively?
To trendjack successfully, brands should stay aware of current trends, understand the context behind them, and ensure alignment with their brand values. Adding a unique spin to social media trends, avoiding direct sales pitches, and focusing on genuine engagement can help brands stand out and make a positive impact on their target audience.
What is moment marketing vs. trendjacking?
Moment marketing capitalizes on a specific event or moment, while trendjacking involves ongoing trends. Moment marketing is often planned in advance, whereas trendjacking requires quick action to leverage current trends.
Boost Your Social Media Marketing Strategy With Trendjacking and GoRead.io
This social media marketing strategy is a powerful tool. Successfully tapping into popular trends allows your brand to become part of the larger conversation. This offers the opportunity to make content more relevant and relatable to your audience.
At GoRead.io, we specialize in helping you leverage the power of viral trends to grow your Instagram following quickly and effectively. We focus on boosting your account with new followers, likes, and views within minutes. Our services are designed to amplify your posts, making it easier for you to capitalize on trending topics. Elevate your social media presence by integrating trendjacking marketing with our tools to reach a wider audience of followers.