Every year, according to Pinterest, September is a time when people reassess their key goals, and re-focus on what’s important heading into the last months of the year.

But in 2020, things are looking a little different.

As explained by Pinterest:

“This year, instead of looking outside the home for inspiration, it is clear that a fresh start in 2020 begins within the home and within yourself. We’re calling this year’s transition ‘Back to (home) life’. Because this year, people on Pinterest are making the transition back to life with an extra emphasis on turning inwards, both physically and mentally, in order to focus on the areas where they have the most control.”

In line with this, Pinterest has published a new listing of key trends that it’s seeing among its audience, which may help you map out your Pinterest marketing approach leading into the holiday season.

The main, overarching focus trend, according to Pinterest’s data, is positivity:

The relentless news cycle of 2020 has taken a toll on almost everyone, with all of the major, significant news events taking place against the backdrop of COVID-19, which has changed the very way that we live. As such, it’s no surprise to see that Pinners are looking for positive inspiration, and hope in these difficult and uncertain times.

That’s a key element to keep in mind. Yes, the news, overall, is bad, with the economy heavily impacted, and the damage caused by COVID-19 set to linger for some time yet. But within this, people are coming to social platforms, in many cases, as a means of escape, or relief. And it’s worth considering how your promotions and posts tie into this, and align with the need for positive messaging – especially coming into the end of the year.

That can be hard, as there are serious, significant issues which also need to be addressed. But the above chart is worth keeping in mind in your approach.

In terms of audience-specific trends, Pinterest says that Gen Z users are focused on these key topics and areas:

• Searches for ‘mental health check-in‘ are up 5x among younger users.
• Creative expression is also high on the agenda for Gen Z, with searches for ‘ASMR food‘ (+84%), ‘mindful eating‘ (+44%) and ‘photoshoot ideas’ (+56x) all on the rise
• Gen Z users are also looking to build their own calming places, with searches for ‘Zen bedroom ideas’ (up 5x), ‘calming bedroom’ (+3x) and ‘feng shui bedroom layout’ (+2.5x) also seeing attention.

​Millennial Pinners, meanwhile, are understandably putting increased focus on their kids:

• Searches for ‘mental health activities for children‘ (+3.5x), ‘occupational therapy for children‘ (+2x) and ‘conscious parenting‘ (+2x) are on the rise with Millennial Pinners
• Home schooling and entertainment are also key focus points, with searches for ‘schedule for children at home’ (+20x) and ‘daily routine schedule for children’ (+10x) on the rise, along with ‘children’s workout routine’ (+88%) and even ‘indoor swings for children’ (up 3x). 

And interestingly, Pinterest is also seeing a rise in male Pinner activity, with the number of male Pinners up almost 50% year-over-year.

Male Pinners are most interested in:

• Unsurprisingly, ‘home improvement projects‘ (+78%) are a key focus for men. More specifically, male Pinners are looking for things like ‘DIY projector screen’ (+41%) and ‘woodworking projects for children‘ (+2x) on the platform.
• Men are also looking for mental and physical health support, with searches for ‘art therapy activities’ (+65%), ‘workout routine for men’ (+3.5x) and ‘mental strength quotes‘ (+2.5x) all up significantly.

​These are some interesting trends to note, and while a lot of these interest areas are as you would expect, the specific detail here could point to new opportunities and potential for your Pinterest campaigns.

And it is a platform worth considering – Pinterest is now up to 416 million monthly active users, more than Twitter and Snapchat, while the app’s year-over-year growth rate is better than even Facebook in 2020, underlining its steadily rising popularity. It doesn’t get as much attention as the other social platforms, but Pinterest contintues to refine its use case, and attract more usage as a result, which could make it a more important consideration in your approach.

And as noted, it’s usage pool is also expanding. Now, you can reach an even broader audience via Pins, which could help maximize your outreach efforts as we head towards the holiday season.

If you haven’t looked at Pinterest in a while, it may be worth spending some time going through the app, and seeing how businesses in your niche are using it.

You can check out Pinterest’s full ‘Back to (home) life’ trends overview here.