Social Media trends come and go at a rapid pace, it’s the nature of the wild west like landscape that we are all addicted to, the internet.
While it may be tempting for Small Businesses to jump on every trend in an attempt to stay relevant and engage with their audience, trend hopping can often do more harm than good. Remember what your parents always used to say… ‘just because everyone else is doing it, that doesn’t mean you have to.’
So instead of teaching you to try to fit in with the cool kids, in this blog post, we're here to explore what trend hopping is, why your Small Business should avoid it, and what you should do instead to build an authentic and consistent presence on Social Media.
Understanding Trend Hopping:
What is trend hopping though? We probably should tell you, there’s no point in us telling you not to do something if you don’t even know what it is.
If you’re not familiar with the term trend hopping you may have heard the phrase ‘jumping on the bandwagon’, and that is exactly what we are talking about.
Trend hopping refers to the practice of latching onto popular Social Media trends or hashtags without considering whether they align with your brand or values.
It involves quickly adopting trending topics, memes, challenges, or hashtags in an attempt to capitalise on their popularity and gain attention from a wider audience.
The Pitfalls of Trend Hopping for Small Businesses
Well, that doesn’t sound so bad we hear you say… Wrong! Sit down and listen to your teacher, we’re the Digital Marketing experts after all, you don’t come to this blog every week for nothing!
While trend hopping may seem like a shortcut to increased visibility and engagement, it can often backfire for Small Businesses in several ways including the following…
Lack of Authenticity: Jumping on every trend without considering its relevance to your brand can come across as inauthentic and opportunistic. Followers may perceive your brand as insincere or disconnected from its core values.
Loss of Brand Identity: Constantly shifting your content to fit the latest trends can dilute your brand identity and confuse your audience. Small Businesses risk losing their unique voice and differentiation in a sea of trend-driven content.
Short-Term Results: Trend hopping may lead to short-term spikes in engagement or followers, but these gains are often fleeting. Once the trend fades, so does the interest in your content, leaving you with a temporary boost but no lasting impact.
Reputation Risks: Associating your brand with trending topics or hashtags without fully understanding their context can lead to unintended consequences. Small Businesses risk being perceived negatively if they inadvertently align themselves with controversial or sensitive issues.
What Small Businesses Should Do Instead
Okay we’ve safely steered you away from Social Media trend hopping, phew! Now onto what you should be doing instead. That’s right your business can still have a fun and successful time on Social Media without ‘jumping on the bandwagon’.
Rather than blindly following every trend that comes along, Small Businesses should focus on building an authentic and consistent presence on Social Media through the following strategies.
Know Your Audience: Take the time to understand your audience's interests, preferences, and values. Create content that resonates with them on a deeper level, rather than chasing fleeting trends for short-term gains.
Stay True to Your Brand: Define your brand's unique voice, values, and personality, and stay true to them in everything you post on Social Media. Consistency builds trust and loyalty with your audience over time.
Be Selective with Trends: Instead of jumping on every trend, carefully evaluate whether it aligns with your brand identity and values. Choose trends that are relevant to your audience and offer an opportunity to authentically engage with them.
Add Value: Focus on creating content that adds value to your audience's lives, whether it's educational, entertaining, or inspiring. Provide solutions to their problems, answer their questions, or share behind-the-scenes glimpses of your business.
Create Evergreen Content: Invest in creating evergreen content that remains relevant and valuable to your audience over time. While trends may come and go, evergreen content continues to drive engagement and traffic to your Social Media profiles.
Monitor and Adapt: Keep a close eye on Social Media trends and conversations within your industry, but don't feel pressured to participate in every one. Monitor what's resonating with your audience and adapt your content strategy accordingly.
By focusing on authenticity, consistency, and value creation instead of jumping on whatever silly little trend the internet decides to popularise every week, Small Businesses can build a strong and lasting presence on Social Media that resonates with their audience and drives long-term growth and success.
Avoid the temptation to trend hop and instead prioritise building genuine connections with your followers based on shared values and interests. Although it doesn’t hurt to be a little silly on Social Media every now and again. Just look at us…