Wednesday Words: Trending Topic

Late last year we had a Tuesday Tip regarding paying attention to Trending Topics, but failed to actually define Trending Topics (though the article, found here, kind of makes it clear). So we're rectifying that today and will define trending topics.

Trending topics are topics on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc.,  being discussed more than any others. A great example of this would be when there were all the stories about Caitlyn Jenner or, more recently, the death of James Horner.

Trending topics are located to the left of the main Twitterfeed and to the right top of Facebook's news feed. Trending topics are updated in real time. If you click on any of the Trending topics in any of the social networks, you will be taken to a page containing all the posts on that subject. This feature makes it useful to those with Facebook and Twitter accounts as it can draw attention to your page without paying for advertising. Simply talk about the subject - if it applies to your brand and social media - and use the correct hashtags to be seen by others in the Trending Topics pages.

Wednesday Words are a series of definitions released on Wednesday each week regarding a word found specific to Facebook's social media platform, or may be a generic word dealing with social media. These definitions are to help provide you with a better understanding of common and uncommon terms associated with Facebook and social media. You can find all the Wednesday Words by clicking on the Wednesday Words tag below.

Friday Facts: The History and Power of #Hashtags

Did you know there was a history behind hashtags before Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, etc. (all of whom use #hashtags to denote topics)?  It started back in the early days of the Internet on mIRC then in 2007 spread to Twitter and grew from there.

Check out this awesome infographic on the Power/History of Hashtags and how trending topics are important too.

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/418412621604584947/
Original article: http://www.business2community.com/infographics/history-power-hashtags-social-media-marketing-infographic-0997768

Tuesday Tips: Pay Attention to Trending Topics

Trending topics can be your best friend when trying to draw attention to your Facebook/Google page or Twitter account without having to pay for advertising.  With all three of the previously mentioned social networks, trending topics is a way for people to click on a topic and see all the posts about that topic in a quick, easy to navigate way.

I have seen the power of trending topics.  One of the pages I admin struggles to get more than 100 views per post even though it has more than 35k followers.  As the site is related to gaming, I happened to see a video from SDCC come out that was video game related and shared it immediately on our Facebook page.

Not even 24 hours later we had more than 100 shares, more than 85,000 views and 50+ likes and a handful of comments on the post.  At the time I had posted it, it wasn't trending, but not even an hour later, it was.  We also gained a handful of new likes from this share.

So if there's something trending and you can post something related to it that relates to your business as well, I strongly encourage you to go for it.  You never know what it might do for views to your page and subsequently website.

It is important to note, while often times trending topics are the same on all networks, occasionally, they are different.  It is something to keep in mind depending on what network you are targeting for more views from.

Tuesday Tips are a series of tips released on Tuesday each week regarding a hint or tip to help you manage and market your Facebook presence better.  You can find all the Tuesday Tips by clicking on the Tuesday Tips tag below.