Some people follow trends, some people make trends, and some people just carry on what they’re doing already.

In business, Apple makes trends, McDonald’s follows trends, and Harley-Davidson (mainly) just carries on being Harley-Davidson.

While it’s easy to disparage the trend followers, there’s nothing wrong with following trends. As an FBA seller, you’re going to perform better if you have an idea of where the market is headed.

One advantage of following trends is that you don’t need to take the big risks that the first player in the market takes. You know a product is beginning to gain traction. And popular items will make you money fast, while giving you great growth potential.

Some trends will continue over a number of years. For instance, the move to healthier eating habits, and the shift to e-commerce and away from the mall, have continued for a decade or more and look set to continue for a while. Build your business in alignment with these trends and you’re securing your future growth.

There are also smaller trends, for instance for particular toys or games, books, TV series, and so on. Think Game of Thrones – parents were actually calling their children Daenerys, Arya, and Bran at one point!

Jump on a trending product, for instance by providing accessories for a growing craft market, or add-ons for a trending toy, and you are riding someone else’s coat tails. You’re selling product that’s linked to an existing winner in the market. That can help a small business scale up fast.

Trending products also give you the chance to make money quickly, rather than with a slow burn.

However, there are also a number of disadvantages.

•      Some trends are real. Others just turn out to be fads. Jump on a fad and you could end up with a load of unsold stock when the market turns.

•      If everybody jumps on the bandwagon, a product can suddenly become very competitive, to the extent that no one manages to make money out of it.

•      You need to be careful about copyright and trademark issues if you’re selling accessories designed to work with another product.

•      Whichever strategy you choose, you’ll need to track trends. Your suppliers can actually be a good source of news; remember to ask them whenever you talk about new products and trends they’re seeing. For instance, if you have a stationery brand, news from your suppliers that neon is going to be ‘in’ could motivate you to launch a ‘glo’ notebook series.

Industry magazines and journals are another good source of ideas, though they tend to be reactive rather than proactive. Following LinkedIn or Instagram accounts in your sector is always a good idea – for instance if you’re in decor, Instagram is a great way to see what’s happening right now.

You might want to visit Oddity Mall, a site which features the latest crazy ideas. Right now its front page has a hippo ottoman, lobster sandals, elephant bookends and unicorn paddle boards. Seeing that, I’m thinking animals are going to be hot; perhaps French cookware like chicken-shaped crock pots and cabbage-shaped soup tureens will be a good seller? Check out the number of views on a product if you like it. It’s easy to see if it’s getting a receptive audience.

Once you’ve got your trend and you’re ready to ride, don’t forget to promote your product. But you’ll find if you’re with-the-trend you’ll be selling to people who want to buy – and they’ll be using all those on-trend keywords.