Do you like foraging for wild berries? Baking bread? Working with your hands to make stoneware pottery? Then perhaps you’ll also like Cottagecore, an aesthetic that romanticizes agricultural and domestic life from an era long ago.
Cottagecore (AKA Farmcore, Countrycore, Grandmacore, Witchcore, and other variations on a theme) has blown up online this year, but underneath the viral glitz and glam, this trend is a nod to simpler times. In some of the most chaotic and demanding months most of us have ever lived through, this content has proved something of a digital sanctuary.
Cottagecore celebrates traditional crafts, such as cross stitching, rustic baking, and handwritten poetry, plus outdoor pursuits such as gardening. Influencers across Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Tumblr, are encouraging the trend by posting nostalgic photosets and calming countryside clips.
Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cottagecore has gone way beyond the aesthetic. Lockdown created the perfect conditions for slowing down, and in response, many people have embraced older household crafts. In March, one of those nostalgic tasks was baking sourdough bread from scratch.
It became such a popular trend that quarantiners bought astonishing amounts of flour to bake away their isolation woes. And although influencers are driving the views, some big-name publishers like Netflix and Twisted have jumped on the bandwagon:
But what does all this mean for YouTube creators? Well, Cottagecore has been growing in popularity for a while now. It’s evolved from a Tumblr subculture to something many people know about, which means it might be a trend worth capitalizing on. Want to explore the possibilities? Here are the top keywords and content ideas we’ve seen:
According to the vidIQ keyword tool, more than 200,000 people searched for ‘Cottagecore’ on YouTube in the past month. That’s an extremely high search volume, which means now’s a good time to post that kind of content.
To help you reach more viewers, here are nine additional keywords to use in video titles, descriptions, and tags.
Another thing we’ve noticed about the trend is just how popular it is with “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” fans. If you’re not familiar with the game, it’s a simulation where players turn a deserted island into a lively community of animal friends. Along the way, gamers play as a character that decorates the island with furniture, flowers, bridges, plazas, and more.
Unsurprisingly, this created tons of design opportunities for fans. On YouTube, some creators are uploading videos where they tour Cottagecore-themed islands designed by various gamers.
Take Liss the Lass, for example. In one of her videos, she toured a Cottagecore island with large pink and red flowers, densely wooded areas, and cobblestone pathways. Her tour guide was @kaylee_acnh, who designed the entire oasis and used her “Animal Crossing” character to show Liss the Lass’ character around the island. Watch the tour below to see her beautiful haven:
The most exciting thing about this video - other than the gorgeous island - is that more than 200,000 people watched it. Liss the Lass has 12.9K subscribers, which proves even an up-and-coming channel can use trending topics to get more views on YouTube.
Cottagecore isn’t just about spending time in nature and doing traditional crafts. It’s also an aesthetic, and YouTube creators have taken the trend to the next level with fashion hauls and lookbooks.
Anna Shishmanov’s lookbook is the perfect example. Back in May, she uploaded a video of her modeling three outfits while wandering through flower fields and forest trails. It’s one of the best lookbooks out there, so take a few minutes to watch her calming, farm-style video:
Did you see the dainty overalls? The sandals from another era? It’s safe to say Anna nailed this look. Her video highlights the important parts of Cottagecore fashion, which are:
Like Liss the Lass, Anna has a small but growing YouTube channel of 3.46K subscribers. Yet somehow (because keywords!), her Cottagecore video has amassed more than 55K views.
So now you know: Cottagecore is a lovely YouTube trend that even the newest or smallest creators can capitalize on. All it takes is the great outdoors, a farm-style aesthetic, and bam - you’ve got a video in the making.
If you want to take your YouTube channel to the next level and get more views on YouTube then make sure to download vidIQ. Join over 1 million other users and use vidIQ to help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps to succeed.
And if you’re really serious about growing your YouTube views and subscribers, sign up for exclusive access to the vidIQ Academy and learn how to launch a successful YouTube Channel.
Lydia Sweatt is a writer who loves balancing her article/blog time indoors with a healthy dose of nature. She bikes, hikes, and identifies edible plants along the way.
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