Can Small Business Owners Trust Trending Topics?

SEATTLE - May 2, 2014 - PRLog -- Everyone tells small business owners to build their audience by using social media in their marketing strategy. The problem is, for many owners, social media is uncomfortable and unnatural. Marketing experts often suggest using trending topics as an easy way for newbies to generate ideas and ride free publicity, but using trends effectively requires skill.

The keywords trending on Twitter only hint at the larger story underneath. Scanning the Twitter feed on any one trend will usually fill in the details, but not always. Business owners must understand the story of the trend enough to integrate it into their marketing strategy. They must do that without confusing or boring their followers. They must also account for geography's role in trends, and not confuse local, national, and international stories.

Facebook trends operate more like a traditional news feed; headlines, leads, picture. As with Twitter, the trends change quickly and differ based on user profile. The trends on a personal feed will differ from a business feed; owners have to know how to differentiate the two.

“Any owner who wants to ride the coattails of a trending topic has to act fast,” said Mike Devaney, a Seattle-based, marketing consultant. “Stories fade and people forget. You can't take your time reacting to a story with a short shelf life. People will have no idea what you're talking about when you finally speak up.”

“Also, while nobody who follows you wants to see all-business, all-the-time, they also don't want to see your personality hang out too much,” he said. “It's always about your customers and their perspective.”

Twitter and Facebook both offer paid services to businesses that want more data and information on their customers. Smart companies latch onto social media trends only after determining whether they are relevant to their audience.

Mike Devaney is a copywriter and small business consultant in Seattle, WA. He primarily works in the senior care industry. Contact him with questions at mike@mikedevaney.com or visit him at http://www.mikedevaney.com/