How to avoid trending for the wrong reasons

It’s every brand’s dream when starting a new marketing strategy whether fully digital or just with digital integration – trending. When what you are putting out there is being talked about by many, many people. It is hard to pinpoint a specific strategy to get you there, but you can learn what works and keep doing it until you hit the mark dead on. It could be a hashtag, a contest, an event, a thought leadership piece, etc.

But what happens when your brand is caught trending for the wrong reasons? You know, when your hashtag was hijacked, your social media post is misinterpreted, you have an unfavourable opinion, or any other negative reason. It’s like a flood. There is no stopping it once it has started – and there are no “take backsies” on the internet. Once it’s out there, it’s out there for good. Even if you delete that tweet or that blog, chances are someone has already taken a screen shot if it made a negative impression on them.

Trending for the wrong reasons should send your team into crisis mode. You need to try to keep the negative outcomes to a minimum and see if you can turn the situation around. But what if you could avoid trending for the wrong reasons altogether?

Here are a few things to consider.

Get to know what makes your target audience tick

If you are doing your job correctly, you should be listening and engaging with your target audience. When you are planning your next marketing move, take into account their likes and dislikes. You also have to take into account how they have interacted with your brand in the past. Looking at past behaviour is a good indication of how present brand interaction will play out. This is especially important if you are asking your audience to participate by providing content.

Follow current events

As a brand, it’s important for you to have an opinion on issues that matter to you. That doesn’t always mean that it’s the right focus for your marketing campaign. For example, each year on September 11 there are many examples of brands trying to express how they feel about the gravity of what happened on that day. The problem is that each time it’s either done in a way that is extremely insensitive and promotional, or it is perceived as forced. It’s OK to avoid an issue that will be polarizing if it is a sensitive one. However, no one is stopping you from posting how you feel on your personal channels.

In 2014, the NYPD was trying to improve police relations with people in the city. They started the hashtag #myNYPD, asking people to tweet photos with members of the NYPD. It was meant to highlight positive interactions, however, it turned into quite the opposite. With so much negative discussion around the topic of police relations, especially on social media, this outcome should have been expected. Unfortunately for them, the hashtag is still widely in use on Twitter.

Don’t surround yourself with “yes men”

Before you launch any campaign, have a second (or more) person look at it. It’s important that you get an opinion that is honest, not from someone who will just say what you want to hear. If your team is too scared to give you their opinion, then you have other issues that go beyond trending for the wrong reasons.

Do your research

It is always great to jump in on a conversation that is already trending because it increases your visibility. However, before you join in, make sure you do your research, otherwise your actions may cause more damage than good.

In 2014, DiGiorno decided it would capitalize on a trending hashtag, however, they forgot to check the context before posting. The hashtag #WhyIStayed was shedding light on victim-blaming in abusive relationships. DiGiorno was swift to apologize and dealt with the situation in the right way by remaining honest and authentic.

Understand how social media works

Social media is instant and, to some extent, permanent. Every one of your customers and potential customers is connected 24/7 through multiple devices. We’re pretty sure brands have been making mistakes since the beginning, but now, those mistakes are well-documented and shared many times over.

Earlier this year, Whole Foods was at the centre of #Orangegate when a customer shared a picture on Twitter of their pre-peeled oranges in plastic containers. Whole foods acted fast and used a bit of humour when announcing they were pulling the product from the shelves, opting to keep oranges in their “natural packaging.” Of course, this prompted an equal backlash from people with disabilities who might need pre-peeled oranges. While it was great that Whole Foods acted quickly, they didn’t consider all of their customers’ needs.

Marketing should never be about tossing all of the balls in the air and seeing where things land. There will be a certain level of trial and error as you are getting to know your audience, but always have a strategy in place. A great strategy will help you avoid situations where you are trending for the wrong reasons.