In the 24-hour news cycle world we live in today, timeliness is more important than ever. On social media, trends and breaking news emerge by the hour, and if you don’t keep up, you’ll be left behind. Makes it kind of hard to have a plan, doesn’t it?

Our solution? Focus on being timely. If you embrace the ever-changing nature of social media, you can become a thought leader and increase your brand relevance. That doesn’t mean you have to fly completely by the seat of your pants, though. Read on to find out the strategy behind timeliness.

Pay Attention to Trends & News

Why should you make it a priority to pay attention to changing news and trends on social media? As of 2016, 38 percent of Americans get their news online, and that number jumps to 50 percent for individuals age 49 or younger. A massive (and growing) audience is relying on social media and online news sites to find out what’s happening each day, so if you can inject your brand into the conversation, there’s an improved chance your target audience is going to see it.

Think About Your Value

When you find a trending topic, ask yourself what your brand could potentially add to the conversation. To find a tie-in, consider what your brand does best and what your audience might be interested in. Not every trend or story is going to be relevant to you, so don’t force a connection if it’s not there.

Give your energy to topics with a clear and relevant link to your brand and your values. If you can add quality content to the online discussion, the people you reach will remember you and begin to seek you out for other thoughts and ideas on related topics.

Act Fast

You know when you hear a friend raving about the movie you saw three months ago, or hear a radio station still overplaying last year’s biggest hit single? It just doesn’t land right once the flurry of attention has passed and ends up looking out-of-touch. When you notice a trending topic you can relate to, jump on it. Hit it when the hype is at its highest. If you wait too long, you risk looking like your outdated movie critic friend or radio DJ.

If you’re the first to comment, you’ll also likely receive the most coverage and attention. Your post will be up longer than any other, which means you get more eyes on it. Any posts that follow will look like variations of your original idea. And remember, as the iconic Ricky Bobby said: if you ain’t first, you’re last.

Set Google Alerts

With the extreme volume of messages posted on social media, monitoring for relevant trends and topics can quickly turn into a full-time job. Luckily, Google Alerts can give you a shortcut and send you emails with only posts or stories containing the most important keywords for your brand. Cut through the clutter and focus on only the applicable content.

Know What Produces Real-Time Topics

In some cases, you may have the chance to actually plan to be timely. Big national events, like sports championships, award shows or elections, present an opportunity to connect your brand to popular news and trends and have the added benefit of being planned months or years in advance. You’ll have plenty of time to think of creative ways to tie your brand into these bigger cultural conversations. You might not know exactly who or what will create the headlines, but you know the headlines will be made somehow.

Exercise (A Little) Caution

The danger of a quick response is the small amount of time available to review your message before you hit send.

You’ll first want to double-check the accuracy of any messages you post on the fly. Everyone knows we’re living in the “fake news” era now, and false reports spread quickly online. To avoid adding to the misinformation, check if any credible news outlets have reported on the trend or story. You want to be one of the first to comment, but not at the expense of being accurate.

It’s also important to avoid using any events where people are in danger or could be hurt by this topic. Before posting, ask yourself if you’re capitalizing on someone else’s misfortune or if your message has any negative connotations. If you’re not sure, it’s better to be safe than sorry. You want every interaction a user has with your brand is positive, helpful and respectful.