How Beauty Supply Retailers Can Use Online Trends to Create Content, Connect With Customers and Drive Store Traffic
What if your next great marketing idea is already sitting inside a search bar? Social media can be a great source of inspiration to help understand customer trends, but there is another free tool worth adding to your marketing toolbox: Google Trends. The platform allows businesses to explore what people are searching for, compare search interest over time, see regional interest and discover related searches that are gaining attention. And you don’t have to be a marketing expert to use it.
Take the current interest in men’s styles. Pinterest’s 2026 Men’s Trend Report found that searches for “beard fade men” increased 764%, while “Italian beard fade” increased 725%. Other men’s searches are also climbing, including men’s skin care, scalp care and fragrance-related searches. The opportunity isn’t simply knowing that beard fades are trending. The opportunity is figuring out what you can do with that information.
START WITH THE SEARCH
Go to Google Trends and type in a phrase related to your business. Try searches such as beard fade, beard care, men’s hair, men’s skin care, men’s fragrance, wave products, scalp care or curly hair men. Google Trends can show you how interest in a term has changed over time and provide related searches. Pay attention to both “Top” searches and “Rising” searches. Rising searches can help identify topics that are gaining attention. You can also look at search interest by location. That’s particularly useful because what customers are searching for nationally may not be exactly what shoppers in your community are looking for. The key is not to search once and forget about it. Make it part of your regular marketing routine.
NOW TURN THE SEARCH INTO CONTENT
Here’s where things get interesting. If “beard fade” is getting attention, don’t simply post a picture of beard oil with the words “Now in stock.” Instead, think about what the customer searching for a beard fade might need next.
Maybe it’s:
“Just Got a Beard Fade? 3 Products to Keep It Looking Fresh.”
Or:
“How to Maintain Your Beard Between Barber Visits.”
Or:
“Beard Fade Maintenance: What Should You Keep at Home?”
The trend has now given you a reason to create content, and that content can point customers toward products available in your store.
You can even turn one trend into several pieces of content. A retailer could spend a week talking about beard fades, for example:
- Monday: What is a beard fade?
- Tuesday: Three products for maintaining a fresh beard.
- Wednesday: Beard oil vs. beard balm. What’s the difference?
- Thursday: What should you use between barber appointments?
- Friday: A weekend-ready beard checklist.
- Saturday: Feature the products available in your store.
The goal isn’t to become a beauty influencer. It’s to become a helpful local resource for customers who are already interested in the topic.
CONNECT THE TREND TO YOUR SHELVES
This is where online content can become retail. If you’re talking about beard fades online, make sure customers can easily find the products you’re discussing when they walk into your store. Consider creating a small display around the trend with a simple message such as:
KEEP YOUR BEARD FADE FRESH
Beard Wash | Beard Oil | Beard Balm | Beard Brush | Comb | Edge-Up Products
You could even add a QR code that takes shoppers to your social media video about maintaining the look.
The idea is to connect the dots:
SEARCH → CONTENT → PRODUCT → STORE
A customer may have come across your video because he was searching for information about a beard fade. Now you’ve introduced him to products he may need to maintain that look.
MAKE GOOGLE TRENDS PART OF YOUR MONTHLY ROUTINE
You can make this surprisingly simple. Once a month, choose five categories that matter to your store. Hair, skin, beard care, fragrance and body care are a good place to start. Search each category in Google Trends. Look at the Rising searches and explore your local area. Then choose one or two topics that make sense for your customers and create content around them.
