New year and new trends! I’ve just brainstormed FIVE trending topics using Google Trends that you may wish to create for your stock business. Let’s get started!

Most recently, in August 2022, I published a guest-post at Gallerist on some trending topics, which are are still very much trending some six months on.

So, what’s trending in 2023?

After some brainstorming and researching I’ve identified the following five keyword searches that you would potentially do well to well creating concepts with a view to uploading to multiple stock sites.

Note: It almost goes without saying that the the technical execution and keywording of such topics needs to be done at an excellent level if it will stand any chance to be picked up by buyers.

5. “15 Minute City“

So, what’s a “15 minute city”? Here’s a short clip.

How well is it trending over at Google Trends?

Is it worth investing in this concept?

Well, on Shutterstock, there are pretty much no directly related content, which is good news as it’s a quite difficult concept to illustrate. However, Alamy does somewhat better with some editorials.

4. “Chatbot AI“

Artificial intelligence is progressing at lightning speed with Chat GPT, a chatbot launched by OpenAI in November 2022. Super fun and super useful for pretty much everything.

In the photography world there’s DALLE-2 and Midjourney. So, we’re in exciting / scary times where due to these developments many professions are eventually heading for redundancy. AI-generated content is here to stay so we must adapt or die!

How well is it trending over at Google Trends?

Is it worth investing in this concept?

Definitely, you can see some well-executed examples over at Shutterstock, but still lots of scope for improvement.

Suggest also creating variations on this topic using the keywords: “Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning”.

3. “Cryptocurrency Insurance”

In an age of major crypto brokers going bust, such as FTX (among many others) it’s only natural that investors are cautious with their crypto-investment.

How well is it trending over at Google Trends?

Is it worth investing in this concept?

Sure, there’s bound to be longevity with this concept as more brokers are accused or fraud or something related to theft by deception (scammers). Really very very few examples over at Shutterstock so it can be a huge opportunity.

2. “Climate Change Ski”

If you’re living in Europe you may have noticed that temperatures in early-January 2023 are considerably higher than average (not the case in North America recently). Therefore, it’s been a complete disaster for many ski resorts in the continent and due to warmer temperatures year-on-year, this topic has ski legs to run for years to come.

How well is it trending on Google Trends?

Is it worth investing in this concept?

Sure, but will probably only begin selling before next year’s snow season around October/November/December. I’ve looked over at some of the executed concepts at Shutterstock and some are pretty good but there are not so many. So if you’re going skiing this summer (lol), then you’d do well to create all sorts of concepts related to climate change even using humour / irony even if the reality is anything but.

1. “TikTok”

Our last trending keyword is related to the hugely popular “TikTok” social media platform that has gained a huge amount of popularity in recent years, particularly among younger users. One reason for TikTok’s success is its user-friendly interface and features. The app is easy to use and navigate, and it offers a range of tools and features that allow users to create and share short-form videos. These videos can be set to music, and users can add special effects, filters, and other enhancements to make their content more visually appealing.

How well is it trending over at Google Trends?

Is it worth investing in this concept?

Absolutely! The more you can show yourself or a model(s) interacting on social media, including expressly TikTok, the better. Adam Melnyk is getting regular sales showcasing his girlfriend acting while holding her smartphone.

You can also recall how Kaspars Grinvalds is earning big bucks with his lifestyle photos – link to an interview from last year here.

User Generated Content (UGC)

You may also experiment with using the term “UGC”, which is quite a hot topic. The idea is to shoot people as if they were shot themselves. It’s like when photographer puts the camera this way so it looks like selfie being shot by the user itself. Not sure why is it trending, probably it should have a different acronym – FAC. Fake Authenticity Content.

Vecteezy put together a cool post on this topic.

---

About Alex

I’m an eccentric guy, currently based in Lisbon, Portugal, on a quest to visit all corners of the world and capture stock images & footage. I’ve devoted eight years to making it as a travel photographer / videographer and freelance writer. I hope to inspire others by showing an unique insight into a fascinating business model.

Most recently I’ve gone all in on submitting book cover images to Arcangel Images. Oh and also recently purchased a DJI Mavic 2s drone and taking full advantage.

I’m proud to have written a book about my adventures which includes tips on making it as a stock travel photographer – Brutally Honest Guide to Microstock Photography