I don’t know about some of these.
Facebook has released its latest ‘Topics to Watch’ report, which highlights the key subjects gaining momentum, based on mention volume, across The Social Network. The monthly Topics to Watch reports can be a great way to stay ahead of the latest trends and shifts – according to Facebook’s research team, up to 80% of the topics they identify in their monthly reports go on to become more significant movements.
But then again, some of them are very niche, and some of them… I don’t know.
Here’s what Facebook says is gaining momentum across their network?
First up on their list is ‘BB’ cream – or ‘blemish balm’ cream, which is essentially a light foundation.
Given the shift into warmer months, it makes sense to see BB cream getting more mentions – and certainly, that would present related opportunities to brands in the make-up and beauty sector.
Next up is ‘bilberry’, which, based on my brief research, is a type of blueberry used in some herbal supplements.
As you can see, interest in the bilberry has seen a sharp increase of late, which may be worth considering for those looking for a new promotion for their health products.
Next up on the list is ‘contrast ratio’.
Facebook tends to have at least one more tech-related trend in their monthly listings, and contrast ratio, you’d expect, would be more related to gamers and the tech-conscious.
Facebook’s also seeing an increase in discussion around drink mixes.
Fairly significant growth – hard to say what’s driving the extra interest, but it’s another consideration, if that’s within your business area.
But here’s where it gets a little questionable for me.
The keytar? Really? And in relation to the ‘Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers’ soundtrack?
I don’t know, seems odd – I checked in Google Trends and it doesn’t show any significant jump in searches for keytars there. Maybe it’s a Facebook-only thing.
And the last major trend Facebook notes is ‘parasailing’, which looks like being a popular Summer option this year.
As you can see, the relevance of this data, from a marketing standpoint, will be closely aligned with what your business does – though I guess anyone could look to tap into the trends by promoting their latest products in front of a person playing the Chip and Dale theme song on a keytar.
Take from it what you will, but as noted, Facebook says these are likely to become more significant trends.