The Trend Filter: What Makes a Trend Work (or Flop) for Your Brand (with Jess Boozel)

Trying to keep up with all the social media trends can feel like a lot, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming. On this episode of Untamed Social, your host Laney Goff and social media manager Jess Boozel are here to show you how to stay trendy without losing sight of what makes your brand unique. 

Jess, with her unique Gen Z perspective, offers insights into how her generation interacts with trends and why being "chronically online" can be a major advantage in spotting what's about to take off. Learn the crucial difference between being trendy and being timely, and how to decide which trends are truly worth your brand's attention.

They also discuss common mistakes brands make when chasing what's hot and share examples of brands that have successfully leveraged trends, even in seemingly "boring" industries. Discover how to identify trends that resonate with your niche, how to put in the effort to truly understand them, and why authenticity and relevance are key to making a trend work for you.

Don't miss out on valuable advice that will help you consume content like your audience and approach trends with more strategy and less stress.

Learn more about our consulting bootcamps and how we help brands stay on trend without losing their voice! Visit https://strellasocialmedia.com/social-media-bootcamp/ to get started and sign up today.

Transcript

Laney Goff: Welcome back to Untamed Social, the podcast where we get real about what actually works in social media. Today we're talking about a pretty hot topic, uh, which is staying on top of trends without losing your mind or your brand's identity. And I've got the perfect guest for today. Today we've got Jess Boozel.

She's one of our incredible social media managers here at Strella Social Media. You've probably seen her on the podcast before. Um, it's important to note she is Gen Z, which I feel like gives her kind of a front row seat to the way that trends form, and they move online and she's definitely our go-to person when it comes to spotting what's about to take off. Uh, she's got really a talent for identifying trends that not only have traction, but make sense for our clients. And to me that's a really rare combo. So Jess, I'm really excited that you're the one that is getting to answer all the trending topics kind of questions today. So thanks for joining.

Jess Boozel: Yeah, of course. Thank you for having me. I'm very excited to talk about this.

Laney Goff: Yeah. So today, so in this episode, we're really gonna be talking about the difference between being trendy and being timely. How to decide which trends are actually worth drop, uh, jumping on and some of the biggest mistakes that brands make when trying to chase like what's hot. So being that you're Gen Z, and I feel like that gives you kind of a unique advantage, if I had to guess, a lot of marketing teams probably feel that way, that like, if you're gonna have a good marketing team, it's probably a good idea to have some Gen Z people on there. Um, what's something that you notice about how your generation interacts with trends compared to someone like me, a millennial, or even an older generation like Gen X?

Jess Boozel: I think it's really important to note that being Gen Z definitely does give you the upper hand and that it is important to have young people in your team and it's because of how like fully immersed we are, in the social media world. I think to understand a trend you need to have to actually interact with it and have seen it multiple times.

Like show up on your for you page and just be one of those chronically online people. I don't think that you can just come into social media, watch the trend once, and then think that you fully know what's going on, and I think that you have to actually put in some effort to know why people are doing the trend.

What makes it funny? What makes it interesting? What is making it blow up and go viral? And so actually interacting with the trend and fully understanding it helps. Um, I think a lot of, I don't wanna say boomers, but the older generation, they just, they have never sat on their phones the way that we have.

Laney Goff: Yeah.

Jess Boozel: And that definitely just goes to give the advantage of we know what we're doing, we know what we like, we know how the algorithm works, and that's just a huge disadvantage. But like I said, I think to understand a trend, you need to be immersed in it to an extent.

Laney Goff: Yeah, definitely. And I, I think you're right. Like even as a millennial, I feel like I, I don't know if I would say chronically online the way that Gen Z is, but I mean like, we're way more online probably than the older generations, and I think that that definitely matters. But for me, I know one thing that really kind of, prohibits me from being able to be as on trend as you is that it feels overwhelming sometimes. So how do you feel like you stay up to date with social media trends without getting completely overwhelmed?

Because I think that if there is a brand out there that has a marketing team that maybe doesn't have a Gen Zer on there, they probably feel that overwhelmed.

So what would you say is the best way to stay up to date on trends without getting overwhelmed?

Jess Boozel: I think definitely doing your research and knowing there are trends everywhere. There are going to be trends where they aren't even in your algorithm. Like there are so many trends going on that I don't even know of.

Um, I can't remember exactly like what it's called because it wasn't on my for you page, but it was the Indonesian boat boy, where it was like a boy dancing on a boat.

I kind of heard of the trend, but I never actually saw the video, so that was like a trend that was going on that I really wasn't aware of, and I feel like people just need to understand that you have your niche, you have your algorithm go with what you are seeing and what you are liking because that is geared more towards your brand then you don't wanna just use these trends just to get viral.

You want the trends to have a meaning on your account. So you wanna be able to use a trend that you like because it means something to you and it means something to your brand.

Laney Goff: Yeah, I think that relevance is really where a lot of brands go wrong. Um. So, so I could definitely see that. But also I wonder, do you think that every brand should part, should participate in trends? Like is there a criteria for knowing if a brand should participate in that trend or not?

Jess Boozel: I think brands should absolutely participate in trends to an extent. But like I said, I think the trend should probably in some sort represent you. I don't think that you should be posting a trend and have it really not relate back to your brand at all. And, we see brands in the comment section. That is a trend as well.

Laney Goff: Yeah.

Jess Boozel: I think that brands that are commenting on videos and somehow bringing it back to them are very smart, and I think that is a great move for them. I think that honestly, your brand can fit in anywhere. You just have to do the research and find out where you fit in first.

Laney Goff: Yeah, I think that's actually really great advice because it makes me think of like a lot of people will like think of trends as like a trending audio. And yes, that that is the case. But at the same time, you have to think about like pop culture and, and what's performing well, like recently, Love Island has been really hot, right?

Like everybody's talking about Love Island. And you would think, okay, like what does any brand have to contribute to the trend of Love Island? And I can't remember, maybe you know, I don't think it was Spirit Airlines, but maybe it was, that um posted a video of like a plane backing up and it was to Amaya and their caption was like, you know, Amaya Papaya on our way to pull you for a chat.

And to me that was like huge. Like I thought to myself, wow, what a great way for that brand to really incorporate themself into something that is trending. Not necessarily a trend, but something that's really relevant in pop culture. Was it Spirit Airlines? I can't, I don't think it was.

Jess Boozel: I am not 100% sure. I actually haven't seen that.

Laney Goff: Well, don't take my word on that. I don't know if it was Spirit, but it was definitely some airline. But I mean, that video got millions and millions of views. Um, so I think you're right. Just even like you said, participating in, in the comments section nowadays, if there's a video or series that pops off like the, um, the text group or the group chat series, you know, you've got tons of brands that are, are in the comments there and not all of them are even like necessarily promoting their product or their service, but they're active in that because they know that it's trending. So I do think that there is that distinction there between knowing what's going on in pop culture and on social media and then also like, trending sounds and dances or whatever it is that, that you come across. So, um, when do you think that there's like, and maybe it is the relevance that we just talked about, like making sure that it's relevant to your audience. Do you think that there's like one big mistake that brands make when it comes to chasing trends?

Jess Boozel: See, this is hard to answer because I feel like whenever a trend flops for a brand, I feel like you don't really notice it because it didn't go viral, so you didn't have the chance to notice the flop if that makes sense. But one brand that I can think of that sort of tried to make a trend for themselves and it did not work.

And every time it's come up on my for you page, because I will say it got reach, but it did not do what I think the company wanted it to was BelliWelli, if you've ever heard of them. They are like a supplement, um, company business. And their like whole trend that they were trying to do was to go up to celebrities or famous people, influencers, whatever, and drop a scoop of BelloWelli into their drink, whatever they were drinking.

And I truly think that like everyone, every celebrity that was involved in this, probably knew that it was gonna happen. Like I don't think they would actually go up and tamper someone's drink.

Laney Goff: Like that's a liability.

Jess Boozel: Yeah. Yeah. I think they definitely were aware, but all of the comments were like, I'm never buying this product actually, like this has made me not want to buy the product because it's so like weird of a marketing strategy that they're trying to like make a trend of, because it's not like one or like even like 15 people, like they've done this to probably over like 20 people. Like it's insane how many people they've done it to and like the reactions are never happy as well. So I just feel like they're trying to make a trend of something and it's not working at all for them.

Laney Goff: Yeah, that's tough. That, that maybe wasn't the best look, I, I can only imagine, they probably should have thought about that a little bit more. Um, okay, so on the flip side of that, can you think of a time that a brand used a trend really well and like what made it work?

Jess Boozel: Yeah, absolutely. Um, Dr. Miami comes to mind a lot whenever I think of a business that uses a lot of trending audios, a lot of trends on their platforms. Um, he had a social media manager that was super good. She did amazing. Um, there was a falling out with her. And then he got another social media manager, but honestly, she picked up exactly where the other one left off.

And his social media, just millions of views, almost every single video, he hits the mark every single time. And I think it's because he really puts in the effort for his skits and everything, like they're not skits. They are usually him like mouthing the words to a trending audio, but like he puts in the effort, he makes it look good.

He does double takes. He has other people in his office come in. I'm pretty sure he even films after hours obviously, 'cause he is an actual doctor, he is a plastic surgeon and so he just puts in a lot of time and effort and it truly shows. Uh, Austin from Love Island actually even mentioned Dr. Miami on the show, so that was really cool that he kind of got a shout out without even like really doing anything other than putting himself out there and doing these trends on social media.

Laney Goff: Yeah, I actually love it when doctors do that. Um, and I, I really think they're appealing to a very specific audience, um, which makes sense for him, 'cause if he's a plastic surgeon, my guess is that majority of people who are going to have plastic surgery are chronically online.

Jess Boozel: Yeah.

Laney Goff: So like for them, they probably witness him doing these trends and showing up as his true, authentic self and think like he's a normal human.

And I feel more comfortable with him than to go into a doctor's office where it's, you know, zipped up and you have to be on your Ps and Qs and it feels way too professional. And maybe they feel more comfortable going into an office where they can actually be themselves and, and give the full truth of how they feel about their body image or whatever it is.

So, I personally think that doctors that do that actually benefit really well if they're able to show their true personality through trends. So I agree with you that he's a, he's a really good one, um, to do that. Uh, okay. So can you, can you walk us through, so like talking about like, okay, these are the things that you need to know if a trend is relevant or whatever.

How do you decide whether a trend is worth jumping on or worth skipping?

Jess Boozel: Again, I'm probably gonna go back to it just depends on what your brand is. For example, those doctors, you can kind of make a trending audio fit your brand in a few different ways. Like there, I shouldn't say a few. There are many different ways that you can make a trending audio fit your brand. For example, there is a trending audio that's going around that says you look happier, and then it says, thanks.

And it is kind of like a phrase after that of why someone might be happy, but it's kind of like a joke, like, I just got off work, or I went outside and touched grass today. Something like that. Like something funny. And there's a lot of different ways that a brand could make that work for them. An ice cream place could be, thanks, I have sold out all of my ice cream for the day. I don't have to make more blah, blah, blah. I don't know, something like that. Like there's so many different ways, but also at the same time, if you feel like you're struggling to make your brand fit this trend, then maybe you shouldn't be. If you can't think of a way to spin it best for yourself, it's better to not deviate from the trend, too much like, yes, you wanna make it your own and you want it to fit your brand, but if you feel like you're deviating way too much from the trend, it's most likely not going to take off.

Laney Goff: Yeah, that's so true. I, I think that's really great advice because sometimes like, I get caught in that even myself, where like, I'll see a trend like, you know, like that recent one where it's like, my name is Pink and I'd really like to meet you. Like, I love that trend for some reason. And I'm like thinking to myself, okay, for my own personal business, like how can I spin this for myself?

And why is it so hard to come up with something like that? I don't know, but it is. And so then I've stopped myself and I'm like, all Laney, don't reach too much. You know what I mean? Like, if it's not gonna happen, it's not gonna happen. But so that trend where, you know, like you, my name is Pink and it's really nice to meet you.

I think it's a great example. You know, I think timeliness matters when it comes to trends. Um, and I think that this is where brands kind of miss the mark a lot too. And it, it is also hard being social media managers because we plan in advance, right? Uh, like we're two weeks in advance most of the time where we're planning content and trends happen like this.

So can you tell us like what is the difference? Like how do you know that line of like, okay, I need to be trendy and do this trend, and then also the timeliness of it. When is that, that last slot where you can get in on that trend and does it matter?

Jess Boozel: I think it definitely does matter because if you post the trend, say a month and a half after it was trending, then you kind of have to be prepared to run into it, not going viral as quick as it would have if it would've been a month and a half ago. It is hard to distinguish with timeline because things do go so quick in this world.

Like trends literally change week to week, month to month. It, they don't last long. So I would just say get it out quick, but also don't get it out so quick that you're like not thinking about what you're posting. 'Cause you definitely wanna think before you post.

Laney Goff: Yes.

Jess Boozel: And you wanna care about a timeline, so somehow just do that at the same time.

Laney Goff: Yes. It is, it's a balance. I think it's definitely a balance and also like having people on your team who are really dedicated like you to staying on top of trends is important because, you know, like usually the moment that we hear about something, we're gonna do our best to, to incorporate that into our own social media marketing.

So I do think that there is that balance between the two. Um. You know, the other thing that brands kind of run into sometimes, or that I think we see is depending on like the industry or the niche that the brand is in, they may, they may consider themselves to be too boring of like a product or a service to be a part of that.

Like, I mean, example, that Spirit Airlines or whatever airline it was, you know, like they could easily be like, we're an airline. How can we incorporate ourselves into this, you know, how, what would you say to a brand that feels like they are too boring, or at least their product or their service is to be, to be able to participate?

Jess Boozel: I would say if you're selling a product or service, you obviously care about that. So I would just sit down and think about what you care about about your product, and if you care, other people will care. Remember that not everyone needs to fit in your niche. Not everyone needs to like your content, but whenever you create a community full of people that do, then you are able to build and go further with what you can kind of do. Um, I think Scrub Daddy is a very good example of a boring brand. This is just a sponge, but they have made their brand something big and I think their Tiktoks, they do trends. They are hilarious and, it's a sponge. If a sponge can do it.

Laney Goff: It's literally a sponge.

Jess Boozel: You can do it too.

Laney Goff: Yes. Oh my gosh. That's so true though and a really great example. I also like, like retirement communities who have their, the people living in their communities participating in trends. I love that so much, and I always find myself watching them. I mean, like, that might be just my for you page, but like I do find myself stopping whenever I see like these older people who are part of this retirement community and they're showing up and doing these trends. And you might think like a retirement community, but like in my mind I'm like, okay, if I'm ever gonna put my mom or my grandma in a retirement community, I want them to be somewhere like that where they're having fun. And I just think that that's a really cool spin on a trend, on something that typically you would look at and be like, well.

That's kind of dull, that's kind of boring. Um, it's not a makeup brand or a beauty product or anything like that. So I think that's really great advice is that if a sponge can do it, you can do it. So, all right. So to close out, last question I'll ask you. What's one small win brands can walk away with today when it comes to trends?

Jess Boozel: Um, just do your research, put a little effort in, and if you really care about what you're doing, then that's all that really matters, at the end of the day. You need to be happy with your own work, in what you put out and that positivity will radiate to others.

Laney Goff: I love it. I think that's so, so true Jess. Thank you for breaking it down for us today. Not just what's trending, but how to think about trends, with more strategy and less stress, right? It doesn't have to be so stressful. It can really just be you consuming. And a lot of times brands miss out on that and they don't consume content the way that their audience would. And I think that that's like a, a big kicker for them. That they get stuck in this content rut. It's 'cause they, they are only producing content and they're not looking at themselves as a consumer. So if you're listening and feeling like you're always a step behind on what it is in, uh, take Jess's advice to heart.

You don't have to do everything. You just have to do, uh, the right things really well. So if you wanna learn more about our team here Strella Media, uh, we help brands stay on trend without losing their voice. Head on over to strellasocialmedia.com or reach out. We'd love to chat with you.

And don't forget to just subscribe to Untamed Social and don't miss an episode. Thanks so much and we'll see you next time. Bye.