With more than a billion monthly active users, TikTok has taken over Google as the world’s most trafficked internet domain. And businesses are cashing in on the app’s earning potential. Unsurprisingly, TikTok marketing has become the marketing tool du jour. In fact, consumer spending on the platform increased by 77% in 2021 taking overall user spending to $2.3 billion on TikTok.
Be careful though, blink and you may miss it. Trends come and go on TikTok. From bones day to understanding the assignment, brands have to act fast to stay on top of the latest trends. However, the results are worth it. TikTok trends are an accessible way to tap into new audiences and create content that resonates with users. With the right strategy, TikTok marketing can put your brand on the map.
In this article, we’re breaking down 6 of the latest TikTok trends that your business needs to jump on in 2024.
What’s a TikTok trend?
Let’s start by setting the scene. Here’s a brief overview of what a TikTok trend is.
In a nutshell, a TikTok trend is a challenge, sound, hashtag, or dance. It could even be an outfit transition.
Once a trend is born, it is pushed out to users until it gains traction. Users will start to jump on the trend, recreating their own version of it and sharing it with their followers under the trending hashtag. TikTokers then put their own spin on the trend, breathing new life into the original. By searching the hashtag, users can see other popular videos using the same trend.
Let’s take a few examples from 2021. TikTok touted whipped coffee and skincare routines as two of the app’s most popular trends in 2021. It also pointed out the rising popularity of some of its more niche communities such as Witchtok, which now has twenty billion views.
A word of advice: Before your business hits the post button, make sure you have a solid TikTok marketing strategy in place. Start by doing your research into everything from trending TikTok hashtags to the best time to post on TikTok.
New to TikTok marketing? Our TikTok marketing guide covers everything you need to know to blow up on TikTok.
👉 Bonus: Keep up with social media trends in one dashboard with Sociality.io Trends.
How trending on TikTok can boost the bottom line for your business
Going viral on TikTok can do wonders for your business. Not only can you tap into a new audience, boost brand awareness, and drive sales, but you can showcase your brand personality too.
We touch on just a few ways blowing up on TikTok can benefit your business.
TikTok trends can build brand awareness and drive sales
Going viral on TikTok can turn a business into an overnight sensation.
Take The Silk Labs.
The Silk Labs is a small business that makes 100% silk scrunchies and accessories. Back in 2019, founder Jenna Labiak posted a TikTok jumping on the ‘small business check’ trend. The video earned Jenna’s business more than six hundred thousand likes and over three and a half million views. The Silk Lab also gained more than twenty thousand new followers.
Two years on, The Silk Lab has garnered over one hundred thousand followers. In fact, a single video of influencer Emma Chamberlain wearing the brand’s scrunchies racked up more than two hundred new orders for the business.
Putting your own spin on trends showcases your brand’s personality
TikTok trends enable brands to create content that audiences immediately connect with. As such, the content is instantly recognizable and relatable to users.
A word of caution, though. To really blow up on TikTok, you need to put a spin on the latest trends. Not only does the TikTok algorithm favor creators who take a trend and make it their own, but users do too. For example, 2021’s ring light trend.
What started out as a trend showing off dance moves using a ring light soon took a hilarious turn. In true TikToker style, creators put their own spin on the trend. The trend took on a life of its own, with many of the best videos being made by users who didn’t even have a ring light.
TikTok trends are an effective, under-the-radar ad strategy
As distrust for conventional ads continues to grow, TikTok trends offer an authentic solution. Brands can jump on trends to seamlessly introduce ads that seem like native content. As a result, users don’t immediately notice it’s an ad on their feed and are less likely to skip it.
Makeup brand e.l.f cosmetics recently broke some serious records with their new TikTok challenge. Elf’s #eyeslipsface challenge is the first TikTok brand challenge to create its own original music. The brand commissioned a fifteen-second song, aptly called “Eyes Lips Face” to be recorded by up-and-coming artist Florida.
The challenge encouraged users to create their own videos lipsyncing to the song. And boy did it work. With almost five million user-generated videos, Elf has bagged itself the most viral campaign in TikTok history. It is also the first ad ever on the platform to hold the number one trend spot on TikTok. Indeed, Elf’s challenge has become such a trend that hordes of huge influencers such as Reese Witherspoon and Lizzo have hopped on the trend (unsponsored).
TikTok trends empower brands to get real
If your business wants to be behind some of the most liked TikTok videos, you need to post authentic content. TikTok users, more than on any other platform, value raw authenticity. Getting involved in TikTok trends that are aligned with your brand values and personality can showcase who your brand really is. Not only will that garner you new followers, but it will attract your target demographic.
Let’s look at an example from the skincare company Dove.
Dove has long been known for promoting real beauty standards and body inclusivity. The skincare leader has cemented its reputation as a brand that cares through various TikTok campaigns and trends. From shining a light on the damage of filters to the #DetoxYourFeed Movement, its message remains the same. Dove is a great example of a brand that uses TikTok trends to solidify its already strong brand values.
6 current TikTok trends you need to jump on in 2024
Being a viral Tiktok sensation isn’t as easy as some may think. It takes work to stay ahead of the latest trends. Not to mention concocting original ways to adapt them into a killer TikTok marketing strategy. With that being said, it usually doesn’t take long to see the fruits of your labor. TikTok trends are one of the best ways to access a new audience, create content you know users will like, and get your brand out there.
Is your business looking to up its TikTok marketing game? We’ve put together 6 of the hottest TikTok trends that brands should hop on in 2024.
1. Duets and TikTok Stitch
TikTok is fast becoming the home of the remix. Using the duet feature, creators can now reply to videos using a split-screen. Duets are an incredibly effective way for brands to communicate with users directly, getting involved in community conversations. And maybe bagging themselves some new followers in the process.
The finished product is a video playing side-by-side with another creator’s video. As the pressure to constantly create content grows, duets are a sustainable way to repurpose content and remain active on the app. TikTok duets are perfect for commenting on video content or recording blind reactions.
Pro tip: By enabling duets on your own videos, other users can reply to your content with their own videos. This can turn into a “Duet chain”, another popular TikTok trend in 2024. More importantly, it can help your brand organically reach new audiences.
Then we have TikTok stitch.
TikTok stitch enables you to incorporate up to five seconds of another user’s video into your own TikTok content. You can add a sound or voiceover over the top of the clip or use the original audio. Think of it as an opportunity to add the best bits of someone else’s content to your TikTok videos. To keep things fair, Stitch videos credit the original creator in the caption, linking back to the original.
2. Behind-the-scenes (BTS) content
Brands like Chipotle have been smashing it with BTS content. As it turns out, everyone loves a sneak peek behind the scenes. BTS TikTok trends are popping up all over the platform, giving the inside scoop that viewers’ don’t usually get to see.
Brands can jump on these trends, sharing “Get ready with me”, “What I eat in a day”, and “A day in the life of” content. The best part? Real footage feels authentic and allows brands to build trust with their audience. Businesses get the chance to treat viewers to an exclusive look behind the curtain, showcasing a more playful, real side.
The Disney parks TikTok account posts some fantastic BTS content on TikTok. The brand shares relatable video content from employees giving us a backstage glimpse at the magic of Disney.
Small business owners who create physical products like food, jewelry, or art, can offer insight into the creative process. Not only does that build trust in your brand, but it highlights just how much love and care you put into your work.
Creative photographer Jordi Koalitic uses TikTok to show users how he takes his incredible photos. He shares tips and hacks so users can snap some epic shots of their own.
3. Glow-up videos
TikTok users love a glow-up. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, a glow-up is a before and after. For instance, hairdressers may post a video of their clients’ hair before and after they work their magic. It could also be used to show a house before and after a renovation. There’s really no limit to the ever-popular glow-up video.
One of the best-loved types of glow-up videos on TikTok is physical transformations. Fans can’t get enough of videos featuring lanky teens growing into confident adults or documenting a weight-loss journey. The beauty of the glow-up video is that users are encouraged to watch right to the end. This makes glow-up videos popular with the TikTok algorithm.
4. Niche content for TikTok subcultures
TikTok is home to just about every niche audience under the sun. From #MoneyTok to #PlantTok to #SwiftTok, catering your videos to a niche demographic will enable you to connect on a deeper level.
Subcultures have been around long before TikTok. But, TikTok has created an accessible space for like-minded people to connect and enjoy content tailored to their interests. Brands that immerse themselves in relevant sub-cultures can build strong bonds with audiences because the content feels authentic and genuine.
Small business McMullan Appliance and Mattress landed its first viral TikTok when it compared an old and new washing machine. The video soon became a sensation on #CleanTok, putting the business on the map. And, more importantly, connecting the brand to its target demographic; lovers of cleaning appliances.
There are plenty of TikTok trends out there that encourage users to embrace their quirks. For example, one of TikTok’s latest trends is the trending sound “Never been my thing”. Using the sound, creators make their own version of the video listing their pet peeves.
Similarly, the “One thing about me is” trend has users share quirky facts about themselves by writing them on the screen. Trends like these are perfect for reaching like-minded audiences and subcultures on the app.
5. Vulnerability
Being vulnerable is all the rage on TikTok, with the hashtag #vulnerable garnering almost one hundred and eighty million views. Stylistically, TikTok users have always favored raw content that feels real. From mental health to self-care to confidence issues, TikTok users want the real deal. As such, brands that create authentic content tend to resonate better with TikTok users.
Gone are the days of presenting a picture-perfect version of your life, business, or product. Nowadays, perfect is being replaced by genuine. For instance, influencers are opening up more about their struggles with mental health and the pressures of being a creator. As open, honest dialogues become more mainstream on the platform, some brands have taken note.
The humanitarian organization UNICEF is one such brand that is embracing this shift. UNICEF regularly shares content on TikTok showing young followers speak vulnerably about topics close to their hearts. They open up about struggles with their mental health and worries about the future, creating a safe space for audiences to connect and learn. Most importantly, UNICEF isn’t just jumping on a trend for the sake of it. But rather, it has chosen to join a trend that is totally aligned with its values and message.
6. Life hacks
TikTok has become the number one place to learn almost everything under the sun. In fact, the most common types of branded content on the platform are explainer videos and product demos. It makes sense. Users are much more likely to become brand loyalists when they feel like the business adds value to their lives. That’s where #LearnOnTikTok comes in.
With over two hundred and fifty-three billion views, the #LearnOnTikTok hashtag proves that people love to learn. Since educational content rules supreme on TikTok, brands should focus on content that adds value to the viewer’s life. But with that TikTok flair. In an age of edutainment, your brand will need to work hard to teach and entertain users at the same time.
One business that is killing the educational content game is the makeup brand Milk Makeup. Milk makeup’s very clever TikTok marketing strategy focuses on user-generated content to build trust with its audience. It avoids ever seeming “salesy” by cleverly incorporating product promos with clever makeup hacks. The results? Authentic content that resonates well with followers.
Final Thoughts
TikTok trends create an accessible way for brands to connect with audiences on the app. By hopping on popular trends, businesses can expand organic reach, build more meaningful connections, and drive sales. The key is to choose trends that are aligned with your brand values and messaging. All you need is a killer TikTok marketing strategy and a touch of creativity.
