There was a time when companies like Nielsen were looked upon as the gurus of market analysis but in recent years, marketing companies that can quickly pull data from social media are even more efficient in knowing exactly what is trending with consumers. According to the latest statistics as pulled from an assortment of research teams, the following topics are hot and trending on Facebook, with similar results coming in on other social networks such as Twitter. Here is what they have found to be hot in the first half of 2016.
1. Religion
No matter what else is happening in the world, religion is always at the top of the list of trendy topics on social media. Although no one religion is the chief source of shared messages and posts, the biggest religions are Christianity and Islam. Why is that you may wonder? With all the unrest in the Middle East and a great number of religious zealots on both sides of the fence, religion is a hot topic. It could be that much of the tension is blamed on radical Islam, but it is also because religion lies at the very core of a person’s being and it is so important to people everywhere of every religion and in every country around the world.
2. Politics
Being an election year in the United States, it is not surprising that politics comes in a close second to religion. People get heated in their support of a party or candidate and so what better outlet than a social media page where they can air their feelings for or against particular candidates and issues?
3. Medical Marijuana
Speaking of politics, medical marijuana has become an extremely hot topic. As more and more states move to legalize or allow for medical marijuana cultivation, those in favor and those against have much to say on the issue. Proponents of legal growing state emphatically that weed is like wine but better because it has not been proven to be addictive and is certainly not a gateway drug.
4. Affirmative Action & LGBT Discrimination
Discrimination against races was once high on the list of affirmative action advocates. However, today there is an issue almost as big and that is discrimination against gay men and women. Activists are working day and night to make it safe for gays to ‘come out of the closet’ and hold the same rights as ‘straight’ individuals. Activists feel that gays are discriminated against in many areas of their lives from employment to legal rights to marriage.
5. Transgender Rest Rooms
Next on the list is the movement to provide transgender rest rooms in businesses around the country. At the moment most stores and public places have a men’s room, a ladies’ room and some (like Walmart) have what is being called a ‘family restroom.’ The way it stands, a transgender rest room could theoretically serve both men and women and it would be their choice whether or not to use it. It could be that a transgender restroom will take the place of family rest rooms in many facilities around the nation.
If you want to know what is hot, what is selling and what is not, you need only peruse social sites like Facebook. Not only will this keep you informed and in touch with the times but it will also help marketing firms know how to best reach a potential audience. Want to know what’s trending? Get a Facebook account!
photo credit: Facebook login: public domain image