The Traitors had audiences gripped. The twists, betrayals and high-stakes gameplay made it the show everyone was talking about. Social media was flooded with reactions, theories and memes, and people tuned in because they didn’t want to risk missing out on the conversation.
That’s the power of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). That sense of urgency is what kept viewers coming back night after night. When used effectively in marketing, it could be the difference between a good campaign and a great one.
So, what can you learn from The Traitors? Let’s break down the data behind its success, and how you can apply those insights to your own marketing.
Why FOMO works (and why you should use it)
When people feel like they need to act now, they do. It’s why they refresh their feeds, binge-watch before spoilers drop, or buy something before it’s gone.
FOMO doesn’t involve tricking people into engaging with your brand, it’s about making something so valuable that they don’t want to miss it.
The Traitors nailed this in three ways:
- Unpredictability: Every episode delivered unexpected twists, making it impossible to skip.
- Social buzz: If you weren’t watching it live, you’d hear about it online—or in my case, in group chats and in the office—whether you wanted to or not.
- Emotional stakes: Viewers grew attached to contestants, watched friendships form, and then saw them turn on each other. That emotional investment is what kept people tuning in.
The same principles apply to marketing. When your audience feels like they’re missing out on something valuable, they’ll act faster, engage more, and stay loyal to your brand.
The data behind audience engagement
This year’s Traitors Finale was the most-watched episode in the show’s history, with a staggering 7.4 million viewers—that’s 1.6 million more than last year.
That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident. It proves how powerful audience engagement can be when it’s done right.
To explore this concept more, I analysed Google Trends and social listening data for The Traitors over a period of 30 days. Here is what stood out.
Google Trends: What viewers were searching for
When viewers care about a show and something grabs their attention, they want all the extra details, behind the scenes insights, and other ways to stay connected.
FOMO can build over time
Figure 1. Google Trend data tracking search interest in the United Kingdom for the keyword “The Traitors” over January 2025.
Searches grew throughout the season, peaking on the 1st January (the first episode) and the 24th January (finale day). The other spikes in search activity aligned with the episode air dates, showing how live engagement built anticipation and kept audiences returning.
How you can use this in your marketing
A single announcement isn’t enough. If you want sustained engagement, build anticipation over time. Use previews, countdowns, and sneak peeks to keep your audience interested.
Audiences reacted to key moments
Figure 2. Google Trend data tracking search interest in the United Kingdom over January 2025 for the keywords “Leanne Traitors”, “Armani Traitors”, “Freddie Traitors” and “Minah Traitors”.
Search interest peaked for contestants whenever something big happened. Here are some standout moments:
- Armani’s banishment in episode 3: She was betrayed by her own sister, driving a major search spike.
- Minah’s banishment in episode 10: Searches jumped after fellow Traitor, Charlotte, turned on her.
- Freddie’s banishment in episode 11: Interest surged when Charlotte betrayed him, and his popularity continued beyond the finale.
- Leanne’s big reveal in the finale: Searches exploded for Leanne after her and Jake won, and she finally revealed her hidden profession.
How you can use this in your marketing
People take action when they feel something. If you’re launching a product or a campaign, time your content around moments that spark emotional reactions, whether it’s excitement, curiosity or urgency.
Viewers wanted more ways to engage
Figure 3. Google Trend data tracking search interest in the United Kingdom over January 2025 for the keywords “Traitors quiz BBC”, “Traitors card game”, “where is Traitors filmed”, and “where is the Traitors castle”.
Fans of the show were so hooked on the concept, they were looking for other ways to get involved:
- There was steady growth for The Traitors Card Game throughout the season, showing that people were keen to bring the experience into their own homes.
- Interest for the BBC’s “Would You Make A Good Traitor?” quiz spiked after the finale, as fans looked for ways to prove they would be an asset in the game.
- Searches about the show’s filming location increased towards the end of the season, showing continued curiosity about the series.
How you can use this in your marketing
Don’t let interest fade once your campaign peaks. Plan for other forms of content that will keep the conversation going and keep engagement up.
Social listening: Understanding audience behaviour
Social listening data helps us understand how users react and interact to content, so we used this to see how people reacted to The Traitors on Reddit, YouTube, and X.
Volume of posts
Figure 4. Social listening data tracking the volume of posts about The Traitors per channel over January 2025.
Impressions
Figure 5. Social listening data tracking the potential impressions of posts about The Traitors per channel over January 2025.
Engagement levels
Figure 6. Social listening data tracking the total engagement of posts about The Traitors per channel over January 2025.
Popular hashtags and keywords
Figure 7. Social listening data showing popular keywords and hashtags for The Traitors over January 2025.
X: Best for live reactions
X was the go-to platform for real-time engagement, with viewers reacting instantly to key moments and plot twists. Engagement levels were lower than YouTube and Reddit, but the shares and hashtag usage played a big role driving visibility, ensuring The Traitors stayed trending.
How you can use X effectively:
- Engage in trending topics quickly, as real time interaction will boost visibility.
- Use X for live events, polls and interactive discussions to keep your audience engaged.
- Create short, impactful content. Attention spans are short, so get straight to the point.
Reddit: Where the superfans took over
Reddit saw the highest volume of posts with over 4,982, and the highest potential impressions with over 6.29 billion. While Reddit doesn’t rely on likes and shares, the 13,677 comments show that fans were taking part in detailed discussions rather than just reacting to posts.
How your business can use Reddit
If your target audience is highly engaged in a niche, Reddit is a great platform to build trust and authority. Join relevant subreddits and add value to conversations by participating in discussions rather than pushing your products.
YouTube: The most engaged platform
YouTube had the highest engagement levels, with 356,347 interactions with their posts, and the 1.76 billion meant the videos reached a broad audience. Content like reaction videos, interviews, and analyses kept audiences invested long after episodes aired.
How you can get the most out of YouTube:
- Use engaging formats like tutorials, product breakdowns, behind-the-scenes content and interviews to pique your audience interest.
- Encourage your viewers to interact with your posts to keep engagement levels high and boost visibility.
Make your business impossible to ignore
FOMO works because people don’t want to feel left out. The Traitors proved how anticipation, emotional investment, and social buzz can keep an audience hooked. But the real power comes from combining these tactics into a strategy that keeps people engaged from start to finish.
A successful campaign doesn’t rely on one viral moment, the key is to create a journey that keeps your audience coming back, and that’s something we can help with. If you want to create campaigns that capture attention and spark action, get in touch today.