The Top Trends Circulating on Social Media Right Now

🎵 Trending sound: Tuesday’s Gone, Lynyrd Skynyrd 

Firefighters prepare their gear in advance for emergency call-outs, and this social media trend for October applies the same principle to fashion. TikTok users have been creatively laying out their outfits “just in case” they get called to a last-minute social event.

The most glaring fit for this trend is fashion brands. Instead of using models to show off your next clothing line, why not try arranging them firefighter-style? This trend isn’t limited to one industry, though; it can be used to drive home how essential any product is for its target audience.

🎵 Trending sound: Goo Goo Muck, The Cramps

We all know about stranger danger, right? This social media trend for October makes me not so sure. Instagram users have been imagining a scenario where a serial killer approaches them, but with a twist: after an initial escape, something makes them turn back around.

This trend is super adaptable and great for the spooky season. For instance, you could use it to show shared interests between colleagues, or a common customer mistake that you can’t help but correct. Many brands get their voluntary serial killer to hold up their latest product so that they can run back and swipe it from their hand.

🎵 Trending sound: Find any trending Instagram audio that fits your Instagram Reel

If you use Instagram, you may have already seen the ultra-thin Reels that have been taking over the feed for the past week. This unique trend draws from Instagram’s latest social media update – its thinnest post format yet – to create stretched-out shots that instantly give posts a cinematic feel.

Brands of all sizes have jumped on this trend to capture their products in new ways, from realtors snapping wide-angle house videos to beverage brands lining their colorful cans in a row. Plus, the thin photo encourages users to stop scrolling and zoom in to get a better look at the post, making it much more engaging.

Trends are a handy way to fill content gaps and boost visibility, but planning a solid posting schedule is the real secret to achieving long-term social media success.

Here are the top marketing dates to consider adding to your social media calendar this month:

• Whole month: Breast Cancer Awareness Month
• Whole month: Domestic Violence Awareness Month
• Whole month: LGBT History Month
• Oct 1: International Coffee Day
• Oct 1: World Vegetarian Day
• Oct 2: Start of Yom Kippur
• Oct 2: International Day of Non-Violence
• Oct 3: National Boyfriend Day
• Oct 3: World Smile Day
• Oct 4: National Taco Day
• Oct 5: World Teachers Day
• Oct 10: World Mental Health Day
• Oct 11: National Coming Out Day
• Oct 13: Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day
• Oct 16: World Food Day
• Oct 20: Diwali
• Oct 24: United Nations Day
• Oct 31: Halloween

I like using HubSpot to schedule and track my social media posts, since it has a handy calendar view and a mobile app, meaning I can edit on the go. If you use a website builder, it’s also worth checking what social media management tools they offer – GoDaddy has lots of AI-powered social tools already built in.

October has already seen plenty of great social media trends for businesses to try, and we’re only one week in!

One pattern I’ve noticed this month is the resurgence of key social media trends from last October. With this in mind, I recommend looking back at last fall and winter and seeing if there are any older trends you can predict.

For example, it’s likely that the “ghost photoshoot” TikTok trend is likely to recirculate soon – it has been popular every October and November since 2022. Preempting the next big thing and acting on it before it’s oversaturated will always see the best results.