This article is part of a series about integrating PR & SEO.
I’ve covered some important topics about identifying your area of expertise and audience journey mapping, let’s pivot to a crucial aspect of integrated PR and SEO strategies: identifying content topics by using relevant trends that are relevant to your audience and the media.
This email outlines a structured approach to trend identification, ensuring your content resonates and captures the attention of both your target audience and media outlets.
What is Trend Identification?
Trend identification involves recognizing and analyzing current and emerging patterns, topics, and interests within your industry that capture the attention of your audience and the media. It’s about finding current trends that are interesting to the audience and media but also predicting trends by identifying unaddressed topics.
For example,
if you’re in the health and wellness industry, current trends might include “mindfulness and mental health” or “home workout routines.” By using tools like Google Trends, you might notice a rising interest in “virtual wellness coaching.” Although content and media coverage on this topic might be limited, its growing search interest suggests it’s an emerging trend.
Another instance could be within the tech industry, where the rapid development of “artificial intelligence” consistently garners attention. A deeper dive might reveal an emerging focus on “ethical AI,” a topic that’s beginning to spark discussions in tech forums and social media but hasn’t yet saturated mainstream media or content strategies.
In the environmental sector, “sustainable living” remains a broad, enduring trend. However, the increasing focus on “zero-waste lifestyles” or “sustainable fashion” can represent niche trends that are evolving and present opportunities for brands to position themselves as early authorities on these subjects.
By identifying these trends, brands can tailor their PR and SEO efforts to align with the interests and concerns of their audience and the media landscape. This strategic alignment allows for creating content that not only ranks well in SEO due to less competition but also piques the interest of journalists and media outlets looking to cover fresh, engaging topics.
Why Use Trends to Identify Topics?
Understanding trends allows you to tailor your PR and SEO efforts to align with the interests and concerns of your audience and the media landscape.
For SEO, identifying topics with limited content coverage means they are less competitive and easier to rank.
For PR, journalists and media want to cover new topics to engage the audience. Your expertise or content around specific trends gives you an advantage in securing media links and mentions.
How to Identify Topics from Trends:
I created a topic map template in the REACT Framework workbook to organize and identify topics related to market and media trends.
Step 1: Select topics and keywords previous analysis
Use the audience journey and area of expertise to identify topics and keywords to search for trends.
Areas of expertise considerations: Based on the areas you identified in the first step of the REACT framework, create a keyword and topic list.
Audience journey considerations: Turn the audience insights at each stage of the journey and create a list of topic ideas and keywords to research trends.
- Awareness: Focus on the initial pain points or questions that lead customers to recognize they have a need. Keywords at this stage are often more general or question-based, reflecting the customer’s search for information.
- Consideration: Identify the criteria customers use to evaluate solutions or alternatives. Keywords here get more specific, relating to product categories, solutions, or comparisons.
- Decision: Look at the factors that influence the final purchase decision. Keywords can include brand names, product-specific terms, and transactional phrases like “buy” or “deal.”
Step 2: Trend research and analysis
Utilize tools like Google Trends, BuzzSumo, and SEMrush to uncover what topics are gaining traction within your industry and among your audience. Monitor social media platforms and industry forums for real-time discussions and emerging themes.
Media Monitoring:
Keep an eye on leading publications and influencers in your field to understand the narratives capturing media attention.
Tools like MuckRack and Cision can help track media mentions and trends, providing insights into the landscape your content will enter.
Audience Feedback:
Engage directly with your audience through surveys, social media, or customer feedback channels to gather firsthand insights into their interests and needs.
Analyze customer data and search queries on your website to identify what your audience is actively seeking.
Competitor Observation:
Observe your competitors’ content and media coverage to identify which topics resonate with your shared audience.
Tools like Ahrefs and SimilarWeb offer competitive analysis features that can highlight trending topics in your niche.
Step 3: Identify Topics
Combine insights from your research, media monitoring, audience feedback, and competitor observation to identify key trends.
Develop a content strategy that integrates these trends into your PR and SEO initiatives, ensuring your efforts are both topical and targeted.
Topic Ideations Examples
Using trends to identify topic ideas is a dynamic way to ensure your content is timely, relevant, and engaging. Here are several examples across different industries:
Health and Wellness Industry
Trend: Growing interest in mental health and self-care during the pandemic.
Topic Ideas:
- “10 Self-Care Strategies to Manage Pandemic Stress”
- “How Meditation and Mindfulness Apps Can Ease COVID-19 Anxiety”
- “The Role of Virtual Therapy in Maintaining Mental Health During Lockdowns”
By tapping into the increased awareness and concern for mental health due to COVID-19, these topics address the immediate needs and interests of the audience, offering practical advice and solutions.
Tech Industry
Trend: The rise of remote work technology due to global shifts in working environments.
Topic Ideas:
- “Choosing the Right Remote Work Tools for Your Team”
- “The Future of Work: How Technology Is Shaping Remote Workplaces”
- “Remote Work Security: Protecting Your Data Outside the Office”
These topics leverage the trend of remote work, providing insights into technology selection, future predictions, and security considerations, all crucial for businesses adapting to new work models.
Environmental Sector
Trend: Increased consumer interest in sustainable living and reducing plastic use.
Topic Ideas:
- “5 Easy Swaps to Make Your Home Plastic-Free”
- “Sustainable Living: How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint”
- “The Impact of Plastic Pollution on Marine Life and What You Can Do About It”
With sustainability at the forefront of consumer minds, these topics offer actionable advice for individuals looking to make a difference, as well as broader educational content on the impact of their choices.
Fashion Industry
Trend: The emergence of sustainable fashion and ethical consumption.
Topic Ideas:
- “The Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Fashion Brands”
- “Ethical Fashion: How Your Clothes Make a Difference”
- “Upcycling Your Wardrobe: Fashionable Tips for Sustainable Style”
These topics cater to a growing audience interested in how their fashion choices affect the environment and society, providing guidance on making more ethical decisions.
Food Industry
Trend: The popularity of plant-based diets and alternative proteins.
Topic Ideas:
- “Plant-Based Proteins: Delicious Recipes to Try Today”
- “The Environmental Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet”
- “Beyond Meat and Tofu: Exploring Alternative Protein Sources”
As plant-based diets gain traction, these topics explore practical recipes, environmental impacts, and alternatives to traditional protein sources, appealing to both current vegetarians and curious omnivores.
Additional Resources
Template: Topic Ideation Map
