Let’s talk trends.
They’re the lifeblood of the internet. One day it’s a niche TikTok sound; the next, it’s a meme format that has taken over your entire feed.
At Viral Mouse, we live and breathe what’s going viral. But we also know the hard truth: going viral and making sales are two very different things.
We’ve all seen it: a brand jumps on a trending meme, gets a flood of likes and shares, and… nothing. The needle doesn’t move on their revenue. That’s because engagement doesn’t automatically equal conversion. The secret isn’t just catching the trend; it’s connecting it strategically to a call to action.
When you master this, the results are powerful. Trending ads can:
- Lower Your Ad Costs: Platforms reward relevant, engaging content. When your ad feels native to the feed, CPMs often drop.
- Skyrocket Your CTR: Timely ads that tap into current conversations feel fresh and instantly grab attention.
- Eliminate Ad Fatigue: Trends are a built-in refresh button for your creative, keeping your campaigns from going stale.
So, how do you move from simply getting attention to actively driving conversions? Here are our go-to strategies for turning viral moments into high-performing Meta ads.
How to Build Trending Ads That Convert
The Creative Angle
- Give Memes a Makeover: Don’t just slap your logo on a popular meme. Adapt the format to highlight a customer pain point and position your product as the solution.
- Use the “Sound On” Strategy: Incorporate trending sounds from Reels and TikTok into your video ads to make them feel organic and stop the scroll.
- Adopt the Aesthetic: Is the current vibe Y2K, minimalist, or cinematic? Match your ad’s visual style to what’s trending to create instant familiarity.
- Reframe a Social Media Challenge: Instead of just participating, show how your product can help someone win the challenge or make it easier.
The Strategic Angle
- The “Everyone’s Talking About It” Ad: Turn a trending Twitter/X discussion or a hot take into ad copy. Frame your product as the answer to the debate.
- The Pop Culture Connection: Reference a major movie release, a hit TV show, or a big sporting event, but connect it directly to an offer. “Binged the whole season? Now binge on our 30% off sale.”
- The FOMO Offer: Align a limited-time offer with a fast-moving trend. The urgency of the trend reinforces the urgency of your sale.
- Newsjack with Caution: Reference a current event to make your ad hyper-relevant, but only if it genuinely aligns with your brand and won’t feel insensitive or opportunistic.
The Data-Driven Angle
- Stay Ahead of the Curve: Use tools like Google Trends or Exploding Topics to spot a trend before it peaks, making your brand look like an innovator.
- Speak Your Industry’s Language: For B2B, a trend doesn’t have to be a global meme. It can be a new industry report, a policy change, or a new piece of tech. Use that in your ads to show you’re in the know.
The Viral Mouse Litmus Test
The key is to never force it. Your audience can spot an unnatural brand bandwagoning from a mile away.
Before you jump on a trend, ask these three questions:
- Does this genuinely align with our brand voice? If you’re a serious, high-end brand, a goofy meme might feel out of place.
- Is this a trend our specific audience actually knows and cares about?
- Can we create a clear, logical path from this trend to a conversion? If you can’t connect it to a product benefit or an offer, sit this one out.
There will always be another trend around the corner. The trick is choosing the right one and using it to do more than just get a like—using it to get a customer.
Go make waves.
