Trend or Trust? Social Media Trends and Reputation Management

Trends come and go fast. A meme burns bright for a day or two, a viral video dominates feeds for a week, and then—just as quickly—it’s gone. Meanwhile, your organization’s reputation? That’s built slowly, over years of consistent, strategic communication.

That’s the tension communicators wrestle with: do you jump on the latest trend to show you’re in the mix, or do you stay quiet to avoid looking forced? The truth is, the best time to hop on a trend is when it clearly supports your brand’s mission, values, and voice. Otherwise, you risk confusing your audience—or worse, undermining trust.

Why Joining Social Media Trends Can Work

There’s no denying that a clever tie-in can be powerful. A well-timed post can amplify your reach, introduce you to new audiences, and show that your organization has a sense of personality.

“When a trend naturally fits, it’s a chance to show personality and connect with people in real time,” says Ashley Winter, Content Marketing Coordinator. “You don’t always get those moments, so when you do, it can be powerful.”

When Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement (on August 26 — and the fact that 26 is 13 + 13, with 13 being Swift’s famous lucky number, and 13 + 13 a wink at two people coming together, isn’t lost on us), organizations everywhere tried to join in. The clever ones found ways to make the announcement fit their mission and audience, such as the American Bar Association and Fairfax County Public Schools.

It’s the kind of post no one expected from the ABA — which is exactly why it landed.

Fairfax County Public Schools also leaned into the Swift/Kelce moment — at first glance, a fun, wholesome post about staff love stories. But swipe through and you see the strategy: they tied it back to career marketing, showing prospective teachers the kind of community they’d be joining. That’s the sweet spot of trend-hopping: playful on the surface, purposeful underneath.

The upside is clear: hopping on a trend can show your audience that you’re paying attention to the world beyond your own bubble. It humanizes you. It makes people smile. Done well, it works.

Why Social Media Trends Don’t Always Work for Brands

But trend-hopping isn’t always a good idea. For every witty response, there are plenty that fall flat—or worse.

“The risk is chasing relevance instead of building trust,” cautions Andrew A. Hagen, Integrated Communications Coordinator. “If a trend pulls you off your mission, it can do more harm than good.”

First, there’s off-mission distraction. A post that grabs attention but has nothing to do with what you actually do just muddies your message. Suddenly, you’re known for a meme, not your work. Everyone loves to see viral numbers…but do those one-off posts actually help you?

Second, there’s public perception. This is especially true for public entities such as school districts, city governments, and nonprofits. Community members may see “cute” social posts as a misuse of staff time or taxpayer dollars. What feels fun to you can look frivolous to them.

Third, trends have a short shelf life. What lands on Monday is stale by Friday. But your posts live on through screenshots, searches, or archived pages. That quick laugh might not age well.

Fourth, there’s backlash potential. A forced connection is easy to spot, and audiences are quick to ridicule organizations that try too hard.

And finally, some trends aren’t harmless at all. Take the viral Coldplay concert moment where the crowd camera caught a couple, later revealed to be having an affair. Some organizations tried to spin it into “funny” content—but what played as a joke for some was devastating to the people involved. Jobs were lost. Families were shaken. What looks like a harmless trend might be painful or destructive to real people.

Brand Voice and Social Media Trends

One of the simplest tests for whether you should hop on a trend is this: Does it fit your brand voice and mission?

If your organization has a clearly defined tone—witty, warm, straightforward, educational—you’ll know instantly whether you can play. Wendy’s, for example, built a reputation for snarky, quick-witted replies on Twitter. When they jump on a trend, it feels natural because it’s consistent with years of voice-building.

Everyday California leans into meme-driven trends with a wink. Take “passenger princess” culture—only here, it’s in a two-person kayak. The joke works, but so does the mission: connecting everything back to ocean adventures and conservation.

The same principle applies at every scale. A city government with a reputation for dry wit can drop in a quick one-liner. A public library with a history of punny posts can riff on a book-related meme.

But if you haven’t defined your voice, trend posts can feel clunky. You’re left trying to mimic what other brands are doing instead of sounding like yourself. That’s when things go off the rails.

The Long Game: Social Media Trends vs. Evergreen Strategy

Here’s the thing: trends are sparks. Evergreen content is the firewood.

Yes, a trend can give you a moment of visibility. But evergreen content—those stories, updates, and resources that connect directly to your mission—are what builds real, lasting engagement.

Think of it this way: trends might bring someone to your door, but evergreen content is what convinces them to stay. You can’t build your communications strategy on sparks alone.

Longevity Test: Will This Social Media Trend Age Well?

Another lens: how will this look a year from now?

Your posts don’t vanish when the trend does. They live on in your feed, in search engines, and in screenshots. If someone sees that post six months later, will it still look aligned with who you are? Or will it feel like a relic from a brand that was trying too hard?

A random collection of off-brand trend posts creates a fractured archive of your communications. That weakens your credibility and makes it harder for audiences to understand what you really stand for.

Values Check: Do Social Media Trends Align with Your Mission?

Some trends are lighthearted, others touch on sensitive issues. Before you post, ask: Does this connect to who we are and what we stand for?

Ben & Jerry’s shows how to do it right. They join cultural conversations, but only when they align with their long-standing commitments—like climate, equity, or social justice. Whether you agree with their stances or not, their participation feels consistent, not opportunistic.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation shows the lighter side of the same rule. Their social media voice became a hit not by chasing memes, but by sounding more human and approachable. When they join trending conversations — whether it’s a viral animal story or a seasonal outdoors moment — it works because it feels natural, not forced.

Sarah Southerland, the voice behind ODWC’s viral posts, was quoted in The Oklahoman as saying, “(The goal) was just to talk more like the people around us and less like this unfriendly, unapproachable government account.”

Both show that trend-hopping only works when it feels consistent with your mission — whether it’s ice cream and social justice, or wildlife and conservation.

The rule is simple: trend-hopping works when it reinforces your values. If it doesn’t, sit it out.

How to Build a Brand Ready for Social Media Trends

Maybe you’re reading this and thinking: trend posts just aren’t us. That’s fine. Not every organization needs to jump into cultural moments right away.

But if you want to build toward it, start with the basics:

• Define your brand voice. Are you warm? Witty? Straightforward? Educational? Until that’s clear, trend posts will feel forced.

• Practice on low-stakes content. Try a playful caption on a photo, or a light reference in a newsletter. Test where your comfort zone is.

• Document your boundaries. What’s fair game, and what’s off-limits? Write it down so your team knows the guardrails.

• Evolve gradually. Over time, a consistent voice makes it easier to spot the few trends that do fit naturally.

The goal isn’t to become “a trendy brand.” It’s to be so clear about your identity that when a trend does align, it feels natural.

How Different Generations See Social Media Trends

Not every trend hits the same way for every audience. Generational differences can shape whether your message lands or misses.

• Gen Alpha & Gen Z: These are digital natives. They live where trends start—on TikTok, YouTube, and whatever’s next. For them, trend-based content feels natural and fun.

Think about Tiny Mic Interviews, a format that Gen Z instantly recognizes and shares. To them, it feels natural and authentic. But older audiences may not get the reference, leaving them wondering why a city government or nonprofit is suddenly holding a comically small microphone.

• Millennials: They’re fluent in memes but also skeptical of brands that overdo it. They’ll reward cleverness but roll their eyes at try-hard efforts.

• Gen X: Often pragmatic and less trend-driven. They want substance over flash. Trend content that feels too gimmicky may turn them off.

• Boomers: Many are online, but they value clarity and trust. Trendy posts can confuse or feel frivolous unless tied directly to the mission or values.

The takeaway: know who you’re speaking to. A trend that resonates with students or young parents may not land the same way with your board, donors, or community elders. The best communicators don’t just chase what’s trending—they filter it through the audience they most need to reach.

Checklist: How to Decide on Social Media Trends

Here’s a checklist to run through before you jump in:

✅ or 🚫 Mission Match: Does this align with our mission, values, or services? Or are we forcing it?

✅ or 🚫 Audience Relevance: Will our community find it engaging—or just confusing?

✅ or 🚫 Value Add: Do we have something original or helpful to contribute?

✅ or 🚫 Resource Check: Can we act quickly without pulling staff from priorities? Is it worth the time and dollars?

✅ or 🚫 Shelf Life: Will this hold up tomorrow, next month, or next year?

✅ or 🚫 Potential Harm: Who could this unintentionally hurt—individuals, groups, or our own reputation?

If you can confidently check yes to most of these, trend away. If not, sit it out.

And sometimes, it’s the tiniest details that make a trend really land, the kind of Easter eggs only big fans catch. Those are the moments that spark people to go back, re-read, and realize you were in on the joke the whole time.

Hopping on a trend can be smart, fun, and effective—but only if it’s authentic. The danger is in chasing relevance for relevance’s sake.

Consistency builds credibility. Trends should be the exception, not the strategy. When in doubt, lean on your mission, your values, and your voice. That’s what will keep your communications steady long after the latest meme has passed.