Social Media Challenges: Participating in Trends and Viral Campaigns
If you’re not incorporating challenges in your social media marketing strategy you’re missing out on something big!
Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash
Social media challenges stopped being an ‘only for users’ thing and became part of many businesses and companies social media marketing strategies due to their huge impact, and recognition.
In this post, we’re conducting an in-depth analysis of what makes certain trends and challenges go viral, and why you should start incorporating a few of them in your content strategy.
Why Are Trends & Social Media Challenges So Popular?
Social media offers a wide range of options when it comes to connecting with others, and challenges are no exception. You probably remember the Ice Bucket Challenge (2014-2015) and the Mannequin Challenge (2016), which were prior to the TikTok frenzy going on right now
That was the beginning of a new era of using social media. Fast-forward to the pandemic, trends and social media challenges really took off
Certain trends and campaigns become so popular due to a few reasons, including:
The need to connect with others. Just like when we were on lockdown, people are constantly looking to connect with others and feel like they belong.
Spark of creativity and showing something new. When something new appears in our feed that is creative and sparks our interest, we’re likely to remember and share it, therefore it becomes trendy.
Emotional connection. Many viral social media challenges have a key factor: the emotional connection they establish with other users.
There are other elements involved when it comes to making a trend or challenge viral, such as if a celebrity participates, a well-known singer releases a new song, a funny meme accompanies the trend, and more.
Incorporating Challenges In Your Social Media Marketing Strategy
Social media challenges can be a powerful tool for increasing your brand awareness, and recognition and establishing a strong connection with your audience. Although viral trends can seem like the perfect opportunity to promote your brand, it is not recommended that you fill your profiles with them.
As a brand (business or personal brand), there’s nothing wrong with hopping on a trend or two, but you shouldn’t let that be your entire personality. With a well-defined brand essence, you can incorporate social media challenges that will keep you relevant and true to yourself.
For example, if you have a clothing brand you can incorporate viral dances in your social media marketing strategy where you use the clothes you sell, mixed with other types of content such as behind-the-scenes of designing a collection, packing an order, deciding on an outfit based on the occasion, and similar.
Final Words
Social media challenges provide great tools and opportunities for brands to improve their online presence, connect with their audience, and promote their products more smoothly. When incorporated correctly into your social media marketing strategy, viral trends can provide a wide set of benefits.
Make sure your brand has a well-defined essence, therefore it will be the key to select the best and most-suited challenges without losing credibility on social platforms.
Keywords: social media challenges social media marketing strategy