How to Leverage Trending Sounds to Go Viral With Short-Form Content Trends are a great way to go viral. Here are a few tips on how to use trending sounds to boost your short-form content.
By Dejon Brooks Edited by Chelsea Brown
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With the rise of short-form content across TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram reels, this is the perfect way to build an audience and any niche in 2023. Over the past six months, I've been testing out different ways to apply trends using short videos. I did this for two reasons:
I created software that spots trends for TikTok and other platforms. If I was going to show people how to go viral by using these trends, I must do it myself first.
To expand my own personal brand
So far, my results have been excellent. Specifically, on Instagram, I've been able to reach over 50 million people by leveraging trends with reels. I've also been able to see a great deal of success on other social media platforms as well.
Other organic methods work just as well as focusing on short-form content, but today we are going to be focusing on why you should add short-form content to your social media strategy and how to use trending sounds to amplify it.
Before we get started, let's first answer this question:
Related: 3 Ways Your Brand Can Go Viral on TikTok
Why are social media trends so powerful?
Social media trends are a powerful phenomenon that can shape public opinion and even create sweeping changes in how people think, act and interact. Whether it's the #MeToo movement, giving voice to those who have faced sexual harassment or #BlackLivesMatter, highlighting racial oppression, social media trends have been used as a platform for collective action.
The power of social media trends lies primarily in their ability to reach a massive audience in an incredibly short amount of time. Trends often spread like wildfire, with users from all over the world engaging with and sharing content within minutes of its release. This is especially true when popular figures like celebrities or influencers get involved. By leveraging their large following, they can amplify the trend exponentially and help shape public opinion on an issue.
Be consistent
It's important to understand that trends and using trending sounds won't guarantee a viral video. Each day during the week, I have the opportunity to consult with content creators across different niches. Some of these creators are just starting out, and others have multiple million followers across all platforms.
The common mistake I see when hopping on these calls is that people think that applying trends to your content creation strategy will guarantee a viral video. Because of this mindset, I'll see many people post three to four videos that leverage a rising trend and stop posting content, wondering why their videos haven't popped off yet.
Yes, using trending sounds is a way to get more viral content, but posting consistently is more important. Yes, you have some creators who are able to hit a home run on the first try, but the reality is that's not going to work for everyone.
Social media is a numbers game. We only use trends to better put the odds in our favor. I would rather you post content consistently without using any trending sounds than post a handful of trendy videos and stop posting altogether. That way, you would see significantly better results in the long run.
Consistency does not only apply to social media. Consistency is a powerful tool that can help you reach your goals in life. It allows you to focus on the small steps leading up to larger successes rather than tackling everything at once. Consistency also helps keep you motivated and encourages good habits. When it comes to achieving success, consistency is key!
Related: 3 Social Media Hacks to Help Your Content Go Viral
Be relevant
The last important step for using trending sounds to go viral with short-form content is to make sure that the audio you're using is relevant to what you're showing within your video.
The algorithms are not dumb. People are not dumb either. Both the algorithm and the people watching your content love authenticity. This includes:
Good, engaging content
Content that holds people's attention well (in a non-clickbait way)
Content that is consistent with your brand
Being authentic with your content while leveraging trending sounds makes it easier for multiple videos to go viral if one does happen to pop off.
Using trending sounds is a great way to go viral, but it is just one of three things needed to go viral on TikTok, Instagram reels and YouTube shorts. Be sure you add consistency and relevancy. Those two things are arguably more important than applying trends. If you combine all three in your content creation strategy, you will see some fantastic results.
