Using Filters

Filters help you take action on trends once you understand their lifecycle stage.

They make it easier to:

  • Identify opportunities
  • Prioritize trends
  • Answer specific business questions

Filters don’t replace the Trend Lifecycle — they help you apply it.


Lifecycle = Strategy

The Trend Lifecycle tells you:

  • Where a trend sits in its evolution
  • Whether it is emerging, scaling, dominant, or declining
  • How much risk or opportunity exists

This is your strategic foundation.

Before using filters, always ask:

What stage is this trend in?


Filters = Execution

Once you understand the lifecycle stage, filters help you:

  • Narrow down trends
  • Focus on specific signals
  • Execute based on your goals

Each filter is designed to answer a clear question, such as:

  • What is trending right now?
  • What is growing long-term?
  • Where is there low competition?
  • Which trends are organic vs paid?

How Filters Answer Business Questions

Instead of asking:

“Which filters should I use?”

Start with:

“What am I trying to find?”

Then choose the filter that matches your goal:

  • Find emerging signals → Trending This Week (TikTok / Instagram)
  • Identify long-term growth → Trending This Year (Google)
  • Find whitespace → Whitespace Opportunity (Google/TikTok)
  • Validate cultural momentum → Organic Trends (TikTok)

Lifecycle tells you what a trend means.

Filters tell you what to do next.


How to Use Sorting

Sorting helps you prioritize trends based on your objective.

Different sorting methods surface different types of opportunities:

  • Sort by Volume
    → Identifies the largest, most established trends
    → Best for understanding market size and mainstream demand
  • Sort by Absolute Growth (Increase)
    → Highlights trends driving the biggest change in demand
    → Best for identifying impactful shifts at scale
  • Sort by % Growth
    → Surfaces trends growing the fastest relative to their size
    → Best for identifying emerging or early-stage opportunities

How to Choose the Right Sort

  • Looking for category leaders → Sort by Volume
  • Looking for what’s driving change → Sort by Increase
  • Looking for what’s emerging → Sort by % Growth