How many online tools do you use each day as a marketing expert? One? Five? Perhaps you use Hootsuite to post your social media and receive analytics. You may use Google Keyword Planner to understand consumer behavior when searching online. There is also Similar Web, Hubspot, Adobe Test & Target, Clickable, Sprout Social, SEO Book, Site Core…the list goes on and on.

One product that has recently popped on our radar is Google Trends. This simple, easy-to-use tool shows you at a quick glance how interest in a particular topic has changed over time.  What’s even better? It allows you to compare multiple topics at the same time.

For example, the following key words were typed into Google Trends: 1) video advertising, 2) TV ads and 3) short video. The results were pretty cool:

While using video advertising has maintained status quo, interest in TV ads as a category has plummeted.  Meanwhile, short videos increased in popularity between 2011-2013 and continue to be on the rise. We can then make the assumption that creating traditional TV ads may be a thing of the past, but using video in marketing – especially short videos – is the trend to follow. While this tool may not be useful every day, it’s handy to have in your back pocket.

Need help staying on top of marketing trends like these? Call us. We’d love to help.