5 Things to Consider Before Jumping on Marketing Trends

Before we dive into this topic, the first step is to understand what a marketing trend actually is. However, it’s important to realise that there are varying levels to what is determined as a ‘trend’.

1 – Market Trends VS Viral Trends

Market trends are defined by ‘anything that alters the market where your company operates’. This broad definition essentially means, anything that changes industry operations, is a trend. A simple example of this is consumer buying habits – the wider population is aware of the rise in plant-based food, with ‘the number of vegans in the UK increasing by 40% [in 2021]’. Due to this change in consumer buying habits, food and beverage corporations have had to change their operations to meet this change; therefore making plant-based products a market trend.

However, due to social media being apparent in everyday life, there is a separate phenomenon of ‘viral trends’ on this platform. These fall under market trends in the sense of viral trends being utilised for marketing purposes, such as memes being adapted to suit certain industries and businesses, which can subsequently lead to an increase in brand awareness and sales. Ultimately, the difference is that viral trends are solely digital, whilst market trends are apparent everywhere.

For the sake of consistency in this article, I will be referring to marketing trends, but meaning both viral and market trends within this.

2- Why should you jump on the bandwagon?

Whether the trend be a viral craze, a pop culture event that shocked viewers, or something as simple as a successful content format, modern businesses are very quick to hop onto any trend to engage their audiences. Common examples include viral TikTok dances and memes of celebrities, both being adapted to suit the relevant business’ services and industry. Whilst it’s important to remain relevant in an ever growing competitive business landscape, it is crucial to know when to hop on a trend, and when not to – as the results of getting it wrong could be disastrous for your business. Within this, it’s also vital to remember your differentiating audiences on each social media platform. Twitter is a more light-hearted and humorous channel, whilst LinkedIn is traditionally more professional, so bear these facts in mind when considering where to post.

3 – Are you forcing a connection?

If you’re forcing a link between a viral trend to make your business seem current, it will backfire. Jumping on a trend for the sake of joining in with the crowd, is never going to end well as your audience will see right through it – the saying ‘no publicity is bad publicity’ is certainly not true in the modern world. When audiences share your forced (and failed) attempt to be relevant, your business becomes at risk of being labelled as cringey, desperate or attention seeking – potentially damaging your brand awareness and sales. Additionally, jumping on a trend too late can flop (even if there is relevance), as it shows that you are not keeping up to date with the trends.

4 – What are the positive aspects?

However, contradicting the above – there are many positive aspects of hopping on a trend that is relevant to your business and industry! Showcasing your brand’s personality is fundamental on social media, and when you jump on relevant trends, it portrays your business as one that is modern, relevant and entertaining – resulting in positive brand awareness which, in turn, leads to increased engagement and followers on your brand’s social media platforms.

5 – What are your competitors up to?

Within all of this, it’s important to pay close attention to what your competitors are doing. Are they jumping on these trends? Consider why they may or may not be, to make an informed decision. Will utilising the trend reach your target audience? Ensure you examine whether or not it’s worth it, as the amount of effort gone into the trend may not outweigh the costs. The world of marketing is renowned for its competitive nature, and the above only feeds into this philosophy!

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