As the vaccine roll-out continues, people are increasingly looking to get out of the confines of their homes, and meet up with friends and family once again, which is reflected in the latest data from Facebook on key, rising topics of discussion across both Facebook and Instagram.

Facebook’s ‘Topics to Watch’ report highlights subjects that are seeing significant boosts in mention volume across its apps, pointing to key shifts in interests among its audience. And in its Q2 2021 topics report, the overall trend is very clear – here’s a look at some of the elements of focus through the first half of the year.

First off, weddings are back on the cards once again.

Many people were forced to re-schedule or alter their wedding plans due to the pandemic, but with restrictions easing in most regions, ‘wedding reception’ has once again become a key topic of discussion, seeing 1.57x growth in mention volume YoY.

That could be a relevant marker for event-related businesses. And while not all regions are fully open as yet, the indicators are that people are planning for the next stage, and are looking forward to hosting bigger celebrations when possible.

Pop-up retail is also seeing a resurgence, as people head out to physical stores once again.

Retail businesses have been significantly impacted by the COVID mitigation efforts, but the increasing attention on pop-up stores underlines a returning optimism in the sector, while the trend may also reflect a growing number of online businesses looking to alternative physical store options to expand their outreach.

And as people look to get out once again, pet sitting is also back on the cards.

Interesting to note, too, that pet adoption saw a significant increase during the pandemic, as people sought companionship in the lonely lockdown months. That could open up a range of new opportunities for pet care businesses, which looks set to ramp up significantly in times ahead.

Over on Instagram, it’s the traditional family reunion that more users are looking forward to.

People have missed out on seeing family, some for more than a year, and the gradual easing of restrictions is opening up new opportunities to reconnect, which will likely see big holiday gatherings, where permitted, this holiday season.

Also, drag shows are getting more attention among Instagram users.

Likely sparked by the popularity of ‘Ru Paul’s Drag Race’, more people are now discussing drag shows and looking to attend events, while Facebook also notes that many drag shows saw increased audiences during the pandemic as they went virtual instead.

As noted, the key themes of the report, overall, are very clear – people want to get out of their homes, and back into the community, and that could open up a range of new opportunities to help maximize brand reach and connection around these elements.

There’s more in Facebook’s full Topics to Watch Q2 report, which you can access here, and as we move closer to the holiday period, it may well be worth taking a read, and planning out your campaigns accordingly.