Wordle is taking social media, specifically Twitter, by storm. It’s like the banana bread of 2022.
If you’ve spent any time on social media this month, you’ve likely seen these green, black, amber, and gray squares:
But what exactly is Wordle, and why is it trending? We’re breaking it all down below – as well as how brands are adding Wordle to their social media strategy.
What is Wordle (and Why Is Everyone Talking About It?)
Wordle is a website where users have six attempts to guess a five letter world.
After guessing a random five-letter word, the game tells you (through colors) whether any of your letters are in the daily word and if they are in the correct place.
A new word populates every 24 hours, and it’s the same word for every single visitor (no matter where you live in the world).
It may sound simple, but it's surprisingly addictive.
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How Did Wordle Start?
The trending game was founded by Josh Wardle, a software engineer, who originally created the website for his word-game-loving girlfriend.
What started as a small fun daily activity for his family has now turned into a worldwide phenomenon.
And when we say worldwide, we mean it. From your favorite talk-show hosts and comedians to brands and influencers, everyone is talking about Wordle.
The rise in popularity has been massive. According to The Guardian, daily participants have grown from a mere 90 in November 2021, to 2M in January 2022.
Why Is Worldle Trending?
Worldle has taken over our social media feeds because of how easy and simple it is to share your results.
With hundreds of thousands of people tweeting their results every single day, it makes for a powerful moment on social media.
But without context, it’s hard to know what the color blocks mean – creating a level of curiosity and a desire to be in on the conversation.
People posting about wordle annoyed me so much that I looked it up and started playing wordle
— Erika Harlacher (@ErikaHarlacher) January 23, 2022
Masterful marketing ngl
And with so many people at home craving connection and looking for something to do, it's the perfect formula for mass participation.
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How 3 Businesses Are Using Wordle for Brand Marketing
As a social media manager or small business owner, you may be asking yourself, can I jump in on the Wordle trend?
The answer is, yes!
Here’s how three brands are incorporating the trend into their social media strategy:
#1: Share a Custom Message like Buffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings tapped into the Wordle trend by including words to suit their marketing agenda:
Wordle says… pic.twitter.com/kR9a85yDkA
— Buffalo Wild Wings (@BWWings) January 11, 2022
While it may take some creative thinking, this is a simple way to jump on the moment.
Grassroots-based civil rights organization NAACP also used the format to share an important message:
Senators, today’s #Wordle was easy! #ThisIsPower pic.twitter.com/xeeQoy7P97
— NAACP (@NAACP) January 26, 2022
#2: Reimagine the Playing Field like Square
Payment service Square found their social media moment by recreating their logo on the Wordle playing field:
Are we playing Wordle right?
— Square (@Square) January 10, 2022
⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️
⬛️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬛️
⬛️⬜️⬛️⬜️⬛️
⬛️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬛️
⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️
Snack brand Triscuit used Wordle's well-known color squares to emulate their crackers with the "Not Wordle, just XX" trend:
🟨🟨🟨🟨
— Triscuit (@TheRealTriscuit) January 26, 2022
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟨🟨🟨🟨
Not Wordle, just a bunch of Triscuit crackers
And another take on the "Not Wordle, just XX" trend from popular TV show Schitt's Creek:
⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️
— Schitt's Creek (@SchittsCreek) January 27, 2022
⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️
⬛️⬛️🔥⬛️⬛️
⬛️⬛️👐⬛️⬛️
⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️
⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️
not Wordle, just one of David's sweaters
It's simple, but perfectly on-the-pulse.
#3: Create a Meme like New York Islanders
The New York Islanders jumped on the Wordle trend by tweeting a meme with their community:
When you get Wordle right on the first try. pic.twitter.com/Az8tMPdUHf
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) January 26, 2022
This type of meme application works great for Twitter, Instagram, and even TikTok.
For many brands, Wordle has become a part of their creative strategy.
With the speed in which Wordle is growing mixed with how fast trends come and go, the time to jump in on Wordle is now.
Are you going to jump on the Wordle trend?
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