Social media trends may seem like a “just for fun” way to spend time online. However, creating trendy social media content is a key and often overlooked social media marketing strategy for small businesses to build an online presence, gain more customers, and earn their customer’s loyalty.
Small businesses are shining on social media platforms by using their accounts to do more than promote their businesses. In a recent Small Business Now report, 63% of small businesses said social media is their go-to marketing channel. They’re connecting with their customers through entertaining and trendy social media content while maintaining the core of effective social media marketing — to educate, inform, or entertain.
Trends on social media can look like:
- Come with me to open my “YOUR BUSINESS TYPE.”
Vlog-style video content filmed using different camera angles and perspectives to show the activities and tasks as you complete them - Videos
- Memes
- POV: Your favorite fitness instructor is leading barre.
POV-style social media content is typically filmed from someone’s or “something’s” point of view — yes, “something” because Internet culture can be silly and fun in that way. - Monthly photo dumps
Carousel-style photo post or a compilation of short video clips and photos taken throughout the month at your business or social media content shared by your customers and employees (known as user-generated content or UGC)
Following these trends can result in more new customers and returning customers who become loyal supporters of your business.
“We do a lot of social to showcase the content they’ll receive if they were to sign up for our list. And that works very efficiently for us: Use social media to push them to your email list and then really utilize those email lists where you have a lot more engagement and interaction with your content.”
– Jordan Plappert, Marketing Manager, Flavorman
More than the sale — building a community of customers that support your business mission
You’re not alone if you’ve ever wondered what to post on social media and weren’t sure if social media trends fit your small business. In our monthly webinar series, many small business owners share in the comments and Q&A their uncertainty about knowing what to post on social media.
You can start simply by focusing on telling your small business story. Your story is the centerpiece of your trendy social media marketing strategy. Your goal is to connect with your target audience by telling your story while sprinkling in what your business offers.
You want your social media content to resonate with them and make them want to engage with your content because it made them ✨feel something✨. That could be feelings of laughter, compassion, empathy, advocacy, or community. This is how you build a connection with your target audience on social media and earn their support for your business. First, through their likes, comments, shares, and saves. Then, through their purchases or sign-ups for what your business offers.
💡Take this approach across your marketing channels with email newsletters that share parts of your business story. Learn More.
How to find social media trends
What is the most trendy social media? When you scroll on social media, you’ll naturally come across repeated content themes. Those are the trends you want to consider for your social media content.
As a small business owner, you may be too busy to scroll through your feed to find trends, so use marketing resources to your advantage to find the trends.
Some resources for social media content ideas are:
- Check out the trend suggestions on each social media platform.
- Use the Plot software to save trending social media content posts and leave notes for you or your team on how to spin them for your small business. Plot also shares the latest social media trends with users.
- Follow similar small businesses and social media influencers for inspiration.
When to know if you should jump on a trend
Get started with creating trendy social media content by knowing when to jump on a social media trend, when to skip a trend, and how to spin a trend into content that makes sense for your business. Everything won’t be a fit — and that’s okay.
Can I spin this trend to work for what my business offers customers?
To understand how a trend might work for your business, consider its meaning and how you can make it relevant to your customers.
You can learn more about what a trend means or where it originated by looking through the posts using the trend, searching the name of the trend online, or looking it up on the Know Your Meme website to understand the original meaning behind a trend.
Spinning a trend to make it work for your business can mean creating the content based on its original meaning or tweaking (when appropriate) the trend to make sense for your brand.
For example, the “This and…” trend shows video clips of things the person enjoys and a witty phrase as the text displayed within the video. To spin the trend for your business, you can write text showing the benefits your offerings give the customer.
Get more ideas on how to make trendy social media content from the chart below.
| Trend | Business Type | Making the trend work for your business | Content | In Video Text or Post Caption |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| This and… | Coffee Shop | Show video clips or photos of things you or your customers enjoy that relate to your business. | First video clip: Video of your coffee being brewed and poured into a to-go cup
Second video clip: Show a person walking around town enjoying coffee from your business. Or film from a first-person point of view. |
This and a hot girl walk/self-care stroll 🧘♀️ |
| Hozier’s Yell | Real Estate Agency | Show a part of your business that brings you or your customer joy | Video clip: Show a client receiving the key to a house they closed on. | The feeling of closing on your dream home ☁️ |
| Hozier’s Yell | Bakery | Use the trending audio to create a fun, engaging video of your team baking a special treat. | A 15-second video showing your team working together to bake a delicious dessert, set to the “Hozier’s Yell” audio. | Creating this amazing dessert for you 🍰 |
| No Doubt – “Just a Girl” | Women’s Empowerment Organization | Use the song to create a video highlighting the achievements and stories of women in your community. | A 60-second video featuring interviews with women who have achieved significant milestones, set to the empowering “Just a Girl.” | 💪 Celebrate the strength and resilience of women! |
| No Doubt – “Just a Girl” | Jewelry | Use the song to create a video highlighting your jewelry’s craftsmanship and unique designs, emphasizing women’s empowerment. | A 60-second video showcasing your jewelry pieces, focusing on the hands of a female jeweler crafting the pieces, set to the empowering “Just a Girl.” | I’m just a girl in the world rocking the best jewelry pieces ✨ |
| Harry Styles – “As It Was” | Library | Use the song to create a video showcasing your library’s quiet, serene atmosphere. | A 60-second video showing the peaceful environment of your library, with patrons reading and studying, set to the calming “As It Was.” | 📚 Find your peace at [Your Library]! |
| 24kGoldn – “Mood” | Coffee Shop | Use the song to create a relaxing atmosphere video of your coffee shop. | A 30-second video showing the cozy ambiance of your coffee shop, with customers enjoying their drinks, set to “Mood.” | ☕️ Relax and unwind at [Your Coffee Shop]! |
| The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights” | Auto Repair Shop | Use the song to create a video showcasing the transformation of a car after a repair. | A 45-second video showing the before and after of a car repair, with the energetic beat of “Blinding Lights” in the background. | ✨ See the transformation! Before and after at [Your Auto Repair Shop] |
Does the trend use anything that would result in a negative response from your target audience?
The key to knowing when to skip a trend is to think ahead of the potential outcome of posting content using the social media trend. Create an outline, whether that’s a mental note for yourself or a strategy outline document, of your comfort level as a business owner for social media content and where your small business stands on the types of social media content you share online.
Remember to think through the content before you create and publish it, but keep an open mind on trying new things in your social media marketing and experimenting with the type of content you create.
Most importantly, it’s good to remind yourself that trendy social media content will not resonate with every customer or social media user who comes across your posts. We have helpful tips on responding to feedback that can help you navigate negative comments.
You don’t have to create content for every social media trend. There will always be another trend popping up, so choose the trends that fit your small business brand. You’ll have other social media post ideas to keep your target audience engaged, like sales announcements, business updates, behind-the-scenes content, etc.
Get inspired by other businesses on social media
When you use social media, keep an eye out for posts that catch your attention and stop the endless adventures of doom scrolling through your feed. Did you:
- watch the entire video or swipe through all of the photos
- read the entire caption
- click on their profile
- look at their other posts
- follow them
- engage with the post by liking it, commenting on it, saving it, or sharing it?
Think about what caught your attention and what made you finish or stop consuming the post to get inspiration for creating social media content that people will want to engage with.
Constant Contact balances fun and business
Take the Constant Contact social media accounts, for example. The profiles have a nice balance of educational, promotional, and entertaining social media posts.
Megan Bieber, Senior Social Media Manager at Constant Contact, balances using trends in her social media marketing strategy with other fun social media content to help small businesses learn how to market their businesses while also sharing the benefits of Constant Contact’s online marketing tools for small businesses.
“Leveraging a trending format on social media is a great way to give additional context to your audience in a crowded social media landscape. Chances are, they’ve seen that trend before, and that will help them relate to your trending content even more. Remember: it’s not enough just to hop on a trend — it needs to be relevant to your brand and meaningful for your audience.”
– Megan Bieber
Small businesses getting creative on social
Our customers at Constant Contact are using social media to connect with their communities, promote their business, and connect their social media marketing strategy with their email marketing strategy. Take a look at a few examples of how small businesses are creating trendy social media content.
The Energy Barre balances trendy social media content with promotional social media marketing content.
Pet Wants Newton shares educational and behind-the-scenes video content using fun video edits.
Gindo’s Spice of Life owners, Chris and Mary Ginder, partner with other businesses in the community and their social network.
How to find the balance between having a fun brand and not oversharing
| Dos | Don’ts |
|---|---|
| Do know your customers and what they enjoy.
Tailor your content to resonate with their interests and values. |
Don’t share information that’s sensitive or personal.
Use your discretion to decide on your and your brand’s boundaries. |
| Do experiment with your content to find what your audience engages with. Try different formats, topics, and styles to see what resonates best. This can help you refine your social media marketing strategy and increase audience engagement. |
Don’t participate in trends that are offensive and don’t fit your brand and values. Stay true to who you are and what you stand for. Engaging in inappropriate or irrelevant trends can damage your reputation and alienate your audience. |
| Do share behind-the-scenes content to give your followers a peek into the day-to-day operations of your business and your team.
This can humanize your brand and make it more relatable. |
Don’t share sensitive or confidential information about your business, employees, or customers.
Always respect the privacy and boundaries of your team and clients. |
| Do create mini vlogs showing what you do as a small business owner or team. This can humanize your brand and build trust with your audience. Share behind-the-scenes moments, daily activities, and personal stories to connect on a deeper level. |
Don’t overdo it Avoid overexposing personal or private moments. Keep the focus on your business activities and professional life, and be mindful of the privacy of yourself and your team members. |
| Do feature your customers in your content. This can create a sense of community and provide valuable content for your social media. |
Don’t share without consent Always get explicit permission from your customers before featuring them in your content. Respect their privacy and ensure they are comfortable with how their image or story will be used. |
| Do collaborate with other businesses and partners in your community and social network This can expand your reach, build credibility, and foster a sense of community. Co-create content, host joint events, or cross-promote each other to tap into new audiences and create mutual benefits. |
Don’t partner with just anyone Be selective about the businesses and partners you collaborate with. Ensure they align with your brand values and have a good reputation. Avoid partnerships that could potentially harm your brand’s image or credibility. |
| Do feature social media influencers and thought leaders in your content This can enhance your brand’s credibility and reach. Choose influencers who align with your values and have a genuine connection with their audience to maximize engagement and impact. |
Don’t choose influencers solely based on follower count Focus on influencers who have a genuine connection with their audience and whose values align with your brand. Quantity of followers is less important than the quality of engagement and the relevance of the influencer to your target audience. |
People look at social media with the intent and desire to see something fun and authentic in small bite-sized bites. So resist the urge to use Social Media to repeatedly promote your business, but rather think of it as a special environment where you can be *less* business-focused and more relatable.
-Aaron Wesley Means, ACTIVATE Business Solutions
Finding time to create trendy social media content
You’re busy running your business and marketing it on social media can feel like another task you know you should do, but would rather avoid. Finding ways to incorporate social media content creation into your usual routines will help you get used to creating trendy social media content. Then, you can rely on social media, automation, and AI tools to optimize your time and content.
Here are some tips on how to make social media content creation a habit.
Capture videos and photos constantly
Start by recording video clips and taking photos throughout your day to get as much content as possible that you can use in your social media posts. These will be videos and photos you can use when you’re short on time to film a video or take photos for trending content. Try to organize these videos and photos on your phone, computer, or file management software in folders with helpful names that indicate the types of social media content in the folder. Voiceovers in posts with compilations or carousels of these videos or photos will be your bestie for always having content to spin into an engaging post using social media trends.
Block off time just for social media content
Have a dedicated time slot in your business week where you create content for social media trends you saved with the intention to create it later, but still be open to filming videos or taking photos when a trend you want to use is trending.
Get out of your overthinking era with AI tools
Use AI tools to turn your thoughts into captions. Gone are the days of only relying on the lyrics of songs (cough, cough Drake lyrics) and puns for your social media post captions. Instead, write a summary of what you want to say in your caption and let Constant Contact’s Content Generator create a caption for you.
You can sprinkle your own creative touch by editing the AI-generated caption until it feels the most like you and your small business brand voice.
Use reporting tools to measure engagement
Use social media reporting tools to find which posts people wanted to engage with and which didn’t perform well. You want to mainly check for the engagement rate. Our short video on key metrics to pay attention to for social media goes deeper into what to look for in your social media analytics.
Lean on resources for small businesses
Turn to our online resources to keep up-to-date on using social media to market your small business:
- Constant Contact Community – connect with other small business owners about online marketing and small business topics
- On-Demand Webinars – learn from marketing experts
- Constant Contact on Instagram – see how Constant Contact mixes trends into its social media marketing strategy
- Constant Contact Blog – get tips on all online marketing topics on our blog.
Have fun and experiment
Don’t be discouraged if you feel like your trendy social media content isn’t getting a lot of attention and engagement (likes, comments, shares, and saves) on social media. Keep posting and experimenting with your posts to learn what resonates with your target audience.
We’ll be here cheering you on as you continue to grow your business with online marketing.
Ready to get creative with your social media? 🤳
Try out Constant Contact’s social media management tools to write captions for your posts, schedule your posts, respond to comments and messages, and gain insights into your social media posts’ performance.
