How to Find Trends on Pinterest

Pinterest is less a social network and more a forward-looking search engine for what people want to buy, try, and do next. It’s a goldmine of consumer desire, packed with clues about the next big thing in your industry. This article will show you exactly how to find those emerging trends on Pinterest before they hit the mainstream, using the platform's amazing built-in tools and a few smart strategies.

Why Pinterest Trends Matter for Your Brand

Unlike other social media platforms where users scroll to see what’s already happened, people on Pinterest are future-focused. They're actively planning their lives, curating inspiration for upcoming purchases, projects, or major life events. This means they have a high level of commercial intent. They aren't just scrolling, they're searching with a purpose.

For brands and marketers, this is a huge advantage. Catching a trend on Pinterest means you're not just reacting to what's popular *now*, you're getting in front of customers at the very beginning of their decision-making process. Pinterest search data shows that trends on the platform tend to take off months before they appear anywhere else. By understanding what Pinners are searching for, you can create content that meets their needs exactly when they’re ready to take action, whether that's clicking a link, saving a Pin for later, or making a purchase.

Method 1: Go Straight to the Source with Pinterest Trends

The best place to start your trend-hunting mission is with Pinterest's own dedicated tool: Pinterest Trends. It’s a free, powerful resource that visualizes search data from across the platform, giving you a clear window into what millions of users are looking for over time. Think of it as Google Trends, but specifically for the aesthetics, projects, and products people are dreaming about.

How to Use the Pinterest Trends Tool: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Navigate to the Tool: Open your web browser and go to trends.pinterest.com. You can select your region (US, UK, Canada, etc.) to see data that is most relevant to your audience.
2. Start with Broad Keywords: Type a broad term related to your industry into the search bar. If you’re a fashion brand, try "outfit ideas" or "denim." If you're in the food industry, search for "healthy recipes" or "dinner ideas." If you sell home goods, search for "living room decor." The goal is to start wide before narrowing down.
3. Read the Graph: The tool will generate a line graph showing search interest for that term over the past year. What you’re looking for are patterns. Does the interest spike seasonally? For example, searches for "summer dresses" predictably rise in the spring and peak in early summer. This helps you understand content timing. Look for terms that show consistent upward growth over time - that's a sign of a sustainable, long-term trend, not just a seasonal fad.
4. Compare Keywords to Find Rising Stars: This is one of the most useful features. You can compare up to four different keywords to see how they stack up against each other. For years, "skinny jeans" dominated fashion searches. But if you compare it to "wide leg jeans" or "straight leg jeans," you can physically see the moment consumer interest began to shift. This allows you to pivot your content strategy from a fading trend to a rising one, ensuring you're always aligned with what shoppers are looking for.
5. Dig into "Related Trends": As you scroll down the page, you'll find a section called "Related trends." This is where the magic happens. These tables show you the breakout search terms connected to your initial keyword. For a search like "wall decor," the related trends might be "textured wall art," "eclectic gallery wall," or "moody wall paint." These niche, long-tail keywords reveal the specific styles and aesthetics that are gaining momentum within a larger category.

Method 2: Use Pinterest Predicts for Big-Picture Insights

While Pinterest Trends is brilliant for weekly and monthly analysis, Pinterest Predicts is your playbook for the year ahead. Each December, Pinterest releases a comprehensive report detailing the trends they expect to explode in the coming year. And because it's based on early-stage search data from its "planning" audience, its accuracy rate is astonishingly high - year after year, over 80% of their predictions come true.

How to Use Pinterest Predicts for Your Strategy

• Download and Absorb the Report: As soon as the report goes live, read through it carefully. It isn’t just a simple list of keywords, Pinterest categorizes the trends (e.g., Fashion, Home, Beauty, Food & Beverage) and provides context on the cultural shifts driving them. Understanding the "why" behind a trend helps you create more authentic content.
• Filter for Your Niche: Go straight to the sections that apply to your brand. A beauty brand, for instance, could've picked up on the "Aquamarine Makeup" or "Head-to-Glow" trends from recent reports. A home decor brand could have capitalized on the rise of "Kitschens" (a vintage spin on kitchens) or "Dopamine Decor" (vibrant, mood-boosting interiors).
• Plan Long-Term Content: Pinterest Predicts gives you the roadmap to plan major campaigns and content themes for the entire year. If "Mush-rooms" are predicted to trend, a food blogger can schedule an entire quarter's worth of mushroom-based recipes, from appetizers to main courses. A fashion brand seeing "Grandpa Chic" on the list could build a whole collection and marketing campaign around vintage-inspired knitwear and loafers.

Method 3: The Everyday Search Bar Method

You don't always need a special tool to spot trends. The Pinterest search bar itself is an underrated source of real-time insight into what's on people's minds right now. By paying attention to its subtle clues, you can catch micro-trends as they bubble up.

How to Turn Your Search Bar into a Trend Finder

1. Use Keyword Autocomplete: Start typing a common search term from your niche into the search bar, but don't hit enter. Pay close attention to the autocomplete suggestions that pop up. If you type "pantry organization," Pinterest might suggest "pantry organization with baskets," "pantry organization for small spaces," or "pantry organization aesthetic." These phrases are a direct reflection of what other Pinners are searching for most often.
2. Analyze the Guided Search Bubbles: After you complete a search, you'll see a series of colorful bubbles with related keywords just below the search bar. These are Pinterest’s version of guided search. For "patio ideas," the bubbles might include "on a budget," "small balcony," "DIY," or "covered." This reveals the primary angles, pain points, and preferences of people interested in that topic. They don't just want patio ideas - they want affordable patio ideas for their small balcony.

Method 4: Pay Attention to Your Analytics

External data is valuable, but some of the most powerful insights come from analyzing how your own audience interacts with your content. Your Pinterest Business account grants you access to analytics that can spotlight trends specifically resonating with your followers.

Finding Trends in Your Own Data

• Review Your Top Pins: Filter your analytics to see your best-performing Pins of all time or over the last 90 days, based on metrics like Impressions, Saves, and Outbound Clicks. Is there a common thread? Maybe a specific color palette, a certain type of project, or a particular problem you're solving keeps reappearing. If a Pin you created eight months ago about "work from home setup" suddenly starts gaining a lot of traction, that’s a signal that interest in home offices is on the rise again with your audience.
• Dive Into Your Audience Insights: Pinterest gives you an amazing breakdown of your followers' top interests. If you are a lifestyle brand and you notice a major overlap between your audience and those interested in "sustainable living," "thrifting," and "gardening," that is a clear indicator that content themes about eco-friendly living will likely perform well.

Putting It All Together: Creating Trend-Informed Content

Discovering trends is just half the battle. The next step is to seamlessly integrate them into your content strategy in a way that feels genuine to your brand.

Don't Just Chase - Integrate

Authenticity is vital. Don't just blindly copy a trend, find a way to make it your own. If "Gothic Farmhouse" is a rising home decor trend, a brand selling kitchenware can create content showcasing dark, moody dinnerware, a candle company can feature Pins with gothic-inspired candelabras, and a DIY blog can create tutorials for distressing wooden furniture. The core trend is the same, but the execution is unique and tailored to each brand's offerings.

Timing Matters

Remember, Pinners are planners. Start creating and sharing content for holidays and seasons 45-60 days in advance - sometimes even earlier. Use the Pinterest Trends tool to see exactly when searches for terms like "fall decorating ideas" or "Christmas gift guides" begin to rise. Get your content out early to catch the first wave of planners, and you'll ride the trend all the way to its peak.

Final Thoughts

Finding trends on Pinterest doesn't have to be a mystery, it’s about consistently using the platform’s powerful discovery tools like Pinterest Trends and Predicts, combined with a sharp eye for search bar cues and listening to your own data. By being both strategic and observant, you can stay ahead of the curve and create content that resonates deeply with an audience ready to be inspired.

Uncovering these trends is the first step, and putting them into action across all your platforms is what drives results. At Postbase, we built our platform to make scheduling your trend-inspired content - especially visual-first formats like Idea Pins, Reels, and Shorts - incredibly simple and reliable. We understand the frustrations of clunky workflows, which is why we created a clean visual calendar where you can plan your content based on your findings and trust that everything will go live just as you scheduled it.