Get the most from your 2025 trend report—now and in the years to come.

It’s January again—the 2025 trend reports are everywhere. You’ve spent months working on yours. The result is impressive—strong content, visually appealing—but… where are the downloads? The views? The visibility?

What’s going wrong?

The same question comes up every year: How do we make it work? Usually around March or April, when it’s already too late and the momentum has passed… That’s why I’m giving you the answers now. So you can take action, maximize your impact, and make sure all that hard work wasn’t (yet again) for nothing. Including practical SEO tips.

Why your trend report is gaining little traction

The number one mistake:
Because they are offered gated. Behind a form. In exchange for a mandatory email address. The old lead generation approach no longer works. In fact, it’s counterproductive. You’re putting up a roadblock for people who have already taken the right path—toward your content. And often, you even paid (through ads) to get them there, only to drive them away!

Other pitfalls that hurt your results:

• Too much text: The easiest way to make visitors bounce.
• Too commercial: Too much focus on solutions instead of customer problems.
• No authority: No original research, no people or opinions, nothing that sets you apart.
• No distribution plan: A LinkedIn post is not a strategy.

The result? A great report that no one sees.

How to do it right? This is how you create demand for your trend report:

Do you want your report to be read, shared, and used? Here’s how:

• Ungate your content – Make it accessible to everyone without hassle or forms. Go beyond just opening your PDF and create a landing page for your trend report. Prioritize reach over conversion—this is a demand generation strategy. A major advantage? Google can index it.
• Tell a story – Bring your data to life. Text alone is dull, especially when it lacks a personal touch. Give meaning to your findings.
• Make it visual – Text isn’t always the most effective way to communicate insights. Use videos, graphics, and infographics to make your data more engaging.
• Conduct original research – Gather your own data, interview experts, and provide unique insights. This is what sets you apart from AI-generated content and strengthens your authority. Be transparent about your methodology.
• Put people in the spotlight – Feature respondents or experts on video. This makes your report even more compelling. Plus, it’s a win-win: you give them a platform, and in return, they’re more likely to share the report.
• Create a value ladder – Make your report part of a bigger narrative—tie it to an event, webinar, or client conversation. Offer more to those who want more and include clear CTAs.

Great example of visual representation of CISO priorities – Source: Brooklyn Partners

SEO: Make your trend report rank – year after year!

Although the SEO landscape is changing rapidly, ‘trends’ remain a highly searched topic in search engines. If you optimize your SEO properly, you can dominate search results with your trend reports every year – especially if you release them annually, giving you a head start!

Most companies don’t handle this well: the latest report doesn’t rank at the top, older versions appear higher, old reports get deleted (losing all built-up SEO value), or reports don’t get found at all. A missed opportunity!

You can avoid this by building a solid structure:

• Create an evergreen landing page: Gather all your yearly reports on a single central page, such as yourcompany.com/trendreports. Build authority around one main theme, like HR.
• Optimized report page:
  • Use a clear URL, such as yourcompany.com/hr-trends-2025.
  • Optimize on-page factors (e.g., meta description) on this page.
  • Link old reports to new ones and vice versa.
• Create supporting content: Write separate blog posts about key topics from your report, optimize these pages, and link back to the main report page.
• Build backlinks: Share your report with blogs, influencers, and media. Ask them to link to your page. If you provide value, they’ll often be happy to do it.

Distribution is everything: a good report doesn’t spread itself…

Publishing is seen as the final step, but it’s just the beginning. There’s plenty of great content out there, but distribution is what determines whether your target audience actually sees it. That’s why distribution deserves just as much attention as content creation.

• Plan ahead: Make distribution an integral part of your process. Think about emails, social media, PR, and collaborations with influencers or partners.
• Stay visible: One post is not enough. Let the power of repetition do its work.
• Repurpose your content.
  • Create blogs, infographics, and videos from your report.
  • Use quotes and snackable content for social media.
  • Use your report as the basis for a webinar or Q&A.

No time to lose: make the most of your trend report this time.

You’ve put so much work into your trend report – why not do everything to make it a success? With the right strategy, your trend report won’t just be a short-term hit but will become evergreen content that remains valuable for years. That way, customers will come to you for the latest trends, instead of the other way around!