BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – JANUARY 28: Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs (L) celebrates with Taylor Swift after defeating the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game at M&T Bank Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
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It can be tempting for small businesses to jump on viral moments like Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement or the Coldplay kiss-cam scandal and post about it on social media. Everyone seems to be doing it, so why not you?
However, it’s essential to evaluate whether posting viral trends, memes, and timely pop culture moments really make the most sense for your small business.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer here—what makes sense for your business may not make sense for others. Here are some questions to ask to help evaluate whether your small business should jump on the latest social media craze.
1: Does It Make Sense To Your Business And Audience?
The most important question is whether it truly makes sense for your business. The last thing you want to do is publish a piece of content that is completely out of place on your social media feed. Your audience will notice if you’re jumping on a bandwagon and the content feels forced, random or inauthentic.
You’ll also want to make sure that the trend or pop culture moment is congruent with your brand personality, tone of voice, and target audience. You, as the business owner, might love it, but is it relevant to your audience? If the topic resonates with them, go for it!
2: Does It Add Value?
Businesses, big and small, are competing for attention on social media. The next question to ask yourself is whether a social media post would add value to your audience and their social media feeds, rather than adding to the noise. Here’s how to increase the social media posts’ value:
- Make the post unique to your brand.
- Make sure it is engaging, entertaining, or educational.
- You could take things to the next level by connecting the trend to a business lesson, an insight into your business or industry, or even a customer story. Make it personalized to your business!
3: Do You Have The Time And Resources?
Big brands like Starbucks and The Cheesecake Factory quickly reacted to Taylor Swift’s engagement, resulting in some highly engaged social media posts.
However, you’ll have a much smaller marketing team and budget if you’re a busy small business owner. And time is of the essence when it comes to breaking news. So, it’s important to consider whether you actually have the time and resources to execute an on-trend, fast-turnaround social media post – and also do it well. Is it where your time and resources are best spent?
4: Could There Be Negative Implications?
Last but not least, check for any possible negative implications if you jump on a particular trend or share someone else’s imagery on social media. There may be issues around copyright restrictions, or it could involve sensitive subject matter. Just because other businesses are doing it doesn’t mean you should, too.
Despite these tough questions, there are many perks to acting quickly and jumping on a relevant viral trend. It helps you become culturally relevant, and when done well, can result in incredible social media engagement and positive sentiment towards your small business. Remember to keep these points in mind when considering whether to jump on the next big social media frenzy.