A social media trend is an ephemeral content type that captures the attention of a wide audience. These can take many forms, from discussions to memes and challenges to short-form videos. Trends can spread quickly, and marketers often have to make a snap decision about whether to participate. Trends can be good for brand visibility, but they aren’t always effective for driving business outcomes.
Social media is a major source of news for Americans. In fact, the share of adults who say they regularly get news on social media sites is up slightly over the past few years. Facebook and YouTube remain the top places people get their news, with about a third saying they do so on each site. Smaller shares of Americans report getting news on Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Nextdoor and Reddit. There are also differences among platforms in the demographics of those who get their news there. For example, women are more likely to be news consumers on TikTok and Rumble than on Facebook or Instagram. Meanwhile, men are more likely to be news consumers on Reddit, X and Truth Social.
Almost three-quarters of American adults say they expect brands to respond to them within 24 hours on social media when they have questions or problems. And a quarter of them say they want to be able to do so via chat. That’s why it’s important for brands to understand what their customers want from them on social.