⚡2 Viral Branding Hacks: Jump On Trending Topics To Boost Branding

Keep content fresh & your brand buzz-worthy (best examples included)

Hey there,

Welcome back to another edition of Bootstrapped Growth. 👋

If you want free branding, make sure you monitor trending topics and latest news as part of your content strategy.

I’m going to dive into some famous examples on how to go viral.

Thanks for reading. Let’s jump in!

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🚀 Free Branding Hacks With Trend-spotting

1) Be Known For Being Relevant

Wendy's in the US, is well-known for it’s witty Twitter roasts. Referencing current events and pop culture works well for a consumer brand like Wendy’s. Wendy’s has a dedicated team that tracks pop culture news and creatively ties these references back to its brand.

X.com profile:

Sample ‘on brand’ Tweet:

Takeaway ➡️ Weave news and pop culture into content to stay relevant and entertaining as part of your branding

2) Act Quickly & Jump On News

During the 2013 Super Bowl blackout, Oreo cleverly jumped on a major unexpected event. Oreo tweeted "You can still dunk in the dark" with an image of an Oreo in dim lighting.

This ‘newsjacking’ or using breaking news for promotion, was a brilliant free way to get brand awareness. Other brands paid millions for a Super Bowl video spot. This timely and clever response went viral, showing the power of real-time marketing.

Takeaway ➡️ Be fast by jumping on news or ‘newsjack’ to get media attention.

⭐️ How To Jump On Trends For Content Ideation

Anyone can jump on the latest news to promote their business. It boils down to doing three things:

Step 1: Set Up A ‘System’ For Monitoring News

Use news aggregators and social media listening tools to spot emerging topics before they ‘peak’.

Monitor and participate in trending hashtags on platforms like Twitter and Instagram.

Step 2: Create Content Around Recurring Events or Seasons

Track the popularity of search terms over time using Google Trends and Exploding Topics. They’re useful to identify both long-term trends and sudden spikes in interest.

Identify when interest in seasonal topics starts and plan your content calendar around any recurring trends.

Step 3: Be Prepared; Stay Opportunistic With Events

Prepare templates or guidelines in advance to help you respond quickly when opportunities arise. You can test potential topics against search interest (SEO keyword research).

More tips:

  • Remember to only engage with trends that align with your brand values and audience’s interests.

  • Avoid exploiting sensitive topics or tragedies for marketing purposes.

🛠 Useful Resources

News Aggregators

  • Feedly: Follow and organize content from various sources.

  • Flipboard: Get curated news and stories.

Social listening tools

  • BuzzSumo: Find the most shared content for any topic or domain.

  • Hootsuite Insights: Monitor social media platforms for mentions, hashtags, and keywords.

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