The traffic and conversations on Twitter are a mirror to the big issues, concerns and trends of the wider world. The site recently published its third annual Twitter Trends report, drawing from an analysis of billions of tweets posted from 2019 to 2021, to spotlight some of the leading development and movements that progressed on the site, and what they mean for business.

For professionals in the promo industry, the Twitter Trend report lays out the zeitgeist’s high-energy conversations, giving them information they can leverage to generate new clients, meet customers where their needs are and better craft campaigns and promotions that reflect what people are looking for today.

Two years of pandemic life and its heightened focus on personal health has evolved into one that incorporates individual wellbeing with sustainability and a healthy environment. A trend Twitter terms “The Great Restoration” shows that while people are focusing on themselves, they expect corporations to take the lead on larger, global challenges, and have real expectations regarding impact and accountability. Twitter’s data shows a 64% year-over-year increase in terms like “restoring” or “rebalancing,” and a 158% year-over-year increase in mentions of “greenwashing.”

For businesses, The Great Restoration means real action over lofty promises. Consumers want to see brands out there making a difference, and they want businesses’ help and partnership in achieving the goals important to them. The report also highlighted that people want real connections with brands that aren’t always so transactional, and to see competing companies collaborate on the bigger issues important to everyone.

Twitter’s trend report also featured “Fan-Built Worlds,” as digital communities built by fans have a growing influence on the direction the brands they follow are going in. They want to collaborate and have a sense of ownership. The number of tweet replies have doubled, year-over-year, in the fandom space.

Twitter encourages businesses to celebrate that fans now “own” their brand, as connecting with these people and communities is a way to bring them closer. Brands should respect the culture fans have built and contribute to it where they can. Learning what fans love gives businesses more ways to surprise and delight their customers.

The third and final trend detailed in the report is “Finance Goes Social.” Money-matters used to be a closed-off world, but it has found enthusiast crowds that bring together experts and everyday people. #FinTwit is growing fast, driven by its mix of entertainment, gaming, social interaction and increased openness. Twitter says that tweets about finance among non-professionals/non-enthusiasts are up 78% year-over-year.

The finance trend illustrates that typically closed-off, relatively dull subjects like finance can be fun and welcoming with the help of open-minded brands. It shows that by becoming part of customers’ lives, a brand can be more entertaining, more exciting and more inclusive. Its model is also a lesson for companies launching new products and services, as they can give consumers ownership and value, and control of their experience.

The full Twitter Trends 2022 report can be downloaded here.