Trending topics to elevate your 2019 content marketing strategy

When it comes to creating a winning content strategy and content plan one thing is certain – you need to invest your content marketing efforts on topics that people are actually interested in learning more about. To do that, you need to be dialled in to consumer search trends, habits and interests and plan your blog post writing, social media content, infographics, emails and web content around that insight – tailored of course to your business niche.

If you have a bricks and mortar location or print physical marketing materials such as product catalogues and leaflets, having your finger on the pulse of what’s trending means that your non-digital marketing efforts can be more informed and successful too.

So, how do you go about knowing what topics, interests and products will be in demand for the year ahead? Enter the Pinterest 100. At the very end of each year, Pinterest publishes an annual report, known as the Pinterest 100. This report is a barometer of what’s trending and what is set to be hot for the year ahead, giving you invaluable insight when it comes to planning your content marketing approach for 2019.

How can you use the Pinterest 100 to inform your content planning in 2019?

 

To be included in the Pinterest 100, a topic must be incredibly in demand, as Pinterest explains, “Pinterest is its own positive corner of the internet, where more than 250 million people around the world come to discover new ideas to try. The way we know an idea is trending is by looking at what all those people are searching for. If an idea keeps getting more and more searches each month? And that upward trajectory holds steady for 6+ months? That’s how we know it’s a trend.”

In short, these are the 100 topics and trends that people are looking to do more of, find more of or try more of over the course of the next 12 months. The 100 topics included in the report are things that consumers are wishing for and dreaming of, things that inspire them and ignite a passion. As a content marketer or business owner, this means you have a unique chance to spotlight ideas, publish content and showcase products and services both in store and online that bring those trends to life – and engage your audience in the process. This is a ticket to creating more interesting content and therefore, more content that generates conversions, links, likes and shares.

What’s trending in travel?

In the travel space, a very clear trend is emerging with those planning a trip placing much more emphasis on their environmental impact, as well as a clear desire to get off the beaten path. Searches for smaller towns have increased by 276%, less travelled islands are up by 179%, while things like travelling by bus, bike tours and zero waste travel have grown between 30-74% in popularity.

What’s trending in health and wellness content?

The health and wellness space looks set to be dominated by superfoods, with Pinterest reporting a 685% increase in searches for elderberries, while ginger is up 659% in popularity. Healthy eating habits are also likely to be high on the agenda for content consumers in 2019, with nutrition plan searches up by 475%. Non-alcoholic drinks are also in high demand, as are sleep tips and DIY goats milk soap.

2019 hot topics in hobbies and interests

The hobbies and interests category has a hugely diverse range of trending topics, spanning everything from boat building (which has seen a 169% increase in search volume), and sketching (up 513%) to DIY drip and pour acrylic painting (up 660%), body painting (up 444%), chalk art (up 664%) and starting a side business (up 690%).

What’s trending in the celebrations space?

If you have a bricks and mortar space and are planning your displays, run an event venue or work in a similar field, colour looks to be key for 2019. In the weddings industry, brides are loving gold (up 1552% in search popularity), donuts are surging in edible display popularity (searches have increased 748%) and flower garlands are likely to be everywhere, if their 1154% search increase is any indication. Neon displays, backyard weddings and number cakes are also expected to feature at many a special occasion.

The most in demand food trends for 2019

If your business relates to food and drink in any way, homemade jams could well be one of those content topics you’d never thought of before but look to trend in a big way – searches have increased by 829%. Infusions are also trending, as is mushroom everything (from coffee to chocolate), family-style dining, slow cooker recipes and foil pack dinner recipes (up 759%). Bread baking is also set to enjoy a resurgence thanks to a 413% growth in searches, along with almond milk and fusion diets such as the Pegan (a Paleo and Vegan mash up) which has registered a 337% increase in search volume.

Which search trends will dominate the décor space?

For retailers with a bricks and mortar shop, the home and décor trends list is not just a treasure trove of content marketing inspiration for writing blog posts, it’s also a cheat sheet for how to create super on-trend point of sale and in-store displays. Painted floors in big bright colours or statement-making mosaics are incredibly hot right now (up 1276% in search popularity), as is wool (a whopping 1718% increase in searches), indoor and outdoor fireplaces (a 763% increase in searches) along with bold wallpaper, which is trending with 401% more Pinterest searches.

Which topics are trending in men’s style?

If you operate in the men’s fashion space, whether that’s as an ecommerce store or have a physical presence, you’d be well advised to plan some of your content marketing around the following; corduroy (up 507%), sling-style bags (up 1184%), cropped trousers (up 671%) and tartan (up 267%).

What should women’s fashion retailers work into their content marketing plan?

For women’s fashion retailers, there’s a wealth of style trends to plan your 2019 look books, how to wear post and social media galleries around. The fashionable ladies are particularly keen on; structured bamboo handbags (a definite trend for 2019 with a 2215% increase in Pinterest search volume), cycling shorts for gym wear and street style (up 1323%) and trainers (up 2211%). Ethical fashion, animal prints and wrap dresses are also trending.

Which topics will trend in the beauty industry in 2019?

If you read that and guessed ‘lilac hair’, you’d be spot on. Searches for lilac locks is one of the fastest growing of the beauty trends, with a 1177% increase in search volume. Powder dipped nails also look to be hot, as does witch hazel, grey hair, gloss everything, liquid exfoliators and bright red, statement pouts.

2019 hot topics in the kids and parenting space

Enchanted forest parties (up 238%), smart sleeping tips (up 851%) and printed nursery decorations featuring baby’s weight and size (up 315%) are all set to trend in 2019. Geometric patterns for a child’s bedroom is also trending, with 1178% more searches carried out by Pinterest users seeking inspiration.

How can you use these trending topics to help you plan your content?

The above hot 100 trends are a veritable smorgasbord of content inspiration and the great thing is, you don’t even need to stock to your own sector. Use these trending topics as a yardstick of consumer interests and then fill out your strategy from there. This list tells you what people are interested in and what new topics, hobbies and products are in demand.

Building relevant topics from this list into your content calendar is the logical starting point – crafting blog posts, articles and social media posts (or even podcasts, videos and infographics) around these hot topics almost guarantees that you’ll hit bull’s eye for reader interest levels.

Aside from your content creation plans, you can also use this list to help you create on-trend and timely product images, website sliders and items like leaflets or catalogues.

You can also use the list to help your in-store displays seem very current – just adding cacti (succulents are up 235% in search popularity) or using a tropical print wallpaper (up 401%) in your pop up store or at your next exhibition will instantly showcase you have your finger on the pulse.

If you’d like help creating topical content, get in touch with us to find out more about working with Dakota Digital.