Social media news trends are a powerful tool for brands to gain visibility and engage with their audience. By leveraging trends, brands can create buzz, connect with their followers, and build a sense of community around common interests. However, it is important for brands to understand the origin of a trend and whether or not it aligns with their brand identity before participating in it.
Across the world, people’s dependence on social and video networks for news continues to grow. In the US and many European countries, it has overtaken traditional news sources as people’s primary source of information. Moreover, podcasters and influencers play a major role in defining public debates, particularly with younger audiences. Podcaster Joe Rogan reaches about a fifth of the US population, while in France, news and commentary from influencer Hugo Travers is seen by about 22% of under-35s.
People’s use of social and video platforms for news varies by demographic and political party. For example, women are more likely than men to say they get their news from TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. But men are more likely to report getting news on YouTube, X and Reddit. Similarly, Black and Hispanic Americans are more likely than white Americans to be regular news consumers on Nextdoor, X and Truth Social.