The fast-moving eco-system of the mega-popular social media app can provide a number of opportunities for marketers by staying on top of current TikTok trends.
Information for this blog was compiled from the HubSpot Marketing Blog, Sprout Social, Semrush, as well as other sources that will be listed at the end of the article.
The rapid rise of TikTok across the world is something that is unprecedented in the social media space aside from Facebook's monstrous rise in the early 2000s before becoming the most popular social media platform on the planet.
According to Statista, since 2017, TikTok has surpassed the active user bases of Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn, WeChat, and Instagram despite starting much, much later than any of those platforms. For a platform of this size with this level of growth, a good marketer can and should see this as an opportunity.
TikTok has become THE platform for people under 25 years old and barring the legal side of things for TikTok's parent company, that doesn't seem like it will change any time soon. Having short-form video content that can apply to almost anyone's interests and passions, it is no surprise that this is the case.
Quick-turn trends of all kinds are prevalent on the app and companies and marketing firms are beginning to take advantage. Here are a few ways you and your marketing team can do so, as well:
Make it Authentic and Conversational
TikTok is different from other social media platforms in the way that people see it as a tool where they can broadcast their authentic feelings to their audience more so than other platforms like Instagram or Facebook. In a study by Semrush, they found that 37% of viral TikTok videos in mid and late 2021 were of a person speaking to the camera or another person. The tone of those videos was also overwhelmingly positive so it is also important to keep the video upbeat.
A common theme among TikTok users in Gen Z is the feeling that a certain video feels like a conversation over FaceTime. Keeping a video conversational and speaking to the camera like you were speaking to a friend is something that resonates with many demographics but especially Gen Z. For example, Keith Lee, an MMA fighter who has carved out a niche for himself on the platform, reviews foods in a very authentic matter than resonates with his audience which keeps them coming back. Lee, as a result of his videos has provided a sort of integrated marketing despite the restaurants he tries, not paying a cent.
Transparency is also something that many Gen Z consumers, as well as other cohorts, appreciate and gravitate toward. A fantastic and recent example of this comes from the political sphere where the State Representative for North Carolina's 14th district (which covers most of downtown Charlotte), Jeff Jackson has taken to TikTok to give full transparency to his duties as the representative of said district. Jackson's following has exploded and has found an audience among all demographics. Younger people from North Carolina and beyond, as well as older folks who seem disillusioned with the government and its role. This style of video has also drawn comparisons to the "Fireside chats" made popular by FDR during his presidential tenure. Jackson's transparency and authenticity have drawn a crowd that previously didn't seem possible for a State Representative and it is all because of his transparency and authenticity to his audience.
Gen Z, more than the generations before them, also has an impressive radar for if a brand is being authentic or is just attempting to get their money and think negatively of companies just trying to shill products through inauthentic ads. Keep how your product or service can help the people you are advertising to, in mind. Authenticity, transparency, and honesty are good social media marketing strategies in today's climate.
Take Advantage of What Has Been and is Becoming Popular
Some trends have staying power that others don't. For example, the day-in-the-life trend which caught mass popularity in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, is something that has been around far before 2020 and has remained popular on the platform. Giving people behind-the-scenes looks on how your company operates is something many people can enjoy and can bring them to your platform and even your business.
Tons of past and current TikTok trends have their basis in quotable audio from all sorts of popular culture. Video games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and movies like Django Unchained have become trends themselves due to quotable sections of dialogue in their respective stories. Keeping an eye on popular media is always important as a marketer but if you want to put special emphasis on your brand on TikTok, it is important to stay in touch.
TikTok trends often follow popular media trends. Many people used audio and video templates from the popular docu-drama series Dahmer because, at the time of release, was immensely popular among most age groups. It would stand to reason that upcoming popular media like Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 or Chad Stahelsi's John Wick Chapter 4 will be subject to the same treatment as Dahmer, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Django Unchained if those movies contain quotable snippets that are considered trend worthy by the masses on TikTok.
It is very important to think about the sustainability of possible trends. For example, focusing on audio trends more than likely isn't a sustainable way to see follower or long-term engagement growth. It is important to balance short-term brand awareness gains and long-term business gains when attempting to use quick turn trends to your advantage. Smaller companies that found big success on TikTok such as Lumberlend fell victim to not maintaining this balance.
Other examples of quick-turn trends like the use of different audios on TikTok can be a good way to resonate with a specific niche with whom you want to advertise to. TikTok audios are typically the shortest shelf life on the platform but taking advantage of the right ones can pay dividends in terms of traffic for your TikTok profile and even your business.
Take Notes from Other Brands
Finally, the last thing you can do to take advantage of current TikTok trends to help your business is something good marketers do constantly: Take notes on your other brands, your external environment. Keeping tabs on your competitor's social media activity can be a great way to find out what you can do to take advantage of specific trends and content styles. Of course, not every content style or trend will fit your company and the product or service you are attempting to advertise, but insights can be taken from your external environment.
The NBA focuses on "Mic'd Up" behind-the-scenes videos to endear fans to the players, Fenty, and other makeup brands post tutorials, and Duolingo leans into the quirky content style with its mascot Duo. There is always a current TikTok trend that your company can take advantage of, it just takes some analysis and critical thinking on how taking part in a specific trend will impact your company.
Wendy's was one of the first to take advantage of viral social media fame after it's brash yet endearing replies to users on Twitter. As mentioned previously, Duolingo has done much of the same leaning farther into the comedic side in an attempt to endear themselves to younger customers than the professional side like many other companies prefer. And perhaps Duolingo is on to something as soon after they initiated this campaign, they quickly shot to the top of the Education category on the App Store.
Duolingo is the perfect example of current TikTok trends being taken advantage of by established brands. While it shouldn't be counted on that their success can be replicated, they have been able to endear themselves to their TikTok audience and they are seeing material and user gains because of it. Just in the wake of initiating this campaign of being comedic, yet menacing, yet endearing their followers on TikTok shot from 100,000 to 1.7 million and an incredible engagement rate of 19%, according to Sprout Social.
There are numerous other examples of brands doing something that has seldom been done before working out incredibly and promoting their own brand in the process. These types of tactics should not be relied on but it has been proven that they do work, if not infrequently. Younger generations especially appreciate the comical side of a brand and can make them much more endearing, making a tactic like this, at the very least, something to consider.
Keeping tabs on your external environment is plain, good marketing strategy, but it is especially applicable to social media and brand awareness. The industry and world around you throw breadcrumbs toward what the right decision is constantly so it is very important to investigate where that trail might lead.
Conclusion
All in all, current TikTok trends are a tool that any company can use. It is important to not put all eggs in a single basket as attempting to go viral isn't a sustainable or popular business model. However, taking advantage of the right trend at the right time can provide a boost to your brand that can be found in a few other places in the marketing and advertising world. Putting a special emphasis on authenticity and transparency is also a tool to keep in the bag for social media marketers, as authenticity is becoming increasingly important to both younger and older demographics. Finally, if you keep in mind the balance of short-term brand awareness gains and long-term, sustainable business gains, you will be set up to use current and ever-changing TikTok trends to your advantage.
For more information related to TikTok and how to promote your brand effectively, from one of our other authors, Peyton, read their article here.
Resources
Buchholz, K. (2022, October 7). Infographic: The Rapid Rise of TikTok. Statista Infographics. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from https://www.statista.com/chart/28412/social-media-users-by-network-amo/
Bump, P. (2022, July 15). TikTok brands that are winning at marketing in 2022.
HubSpot Blog. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/brands-on-tiktok
Gahan, B. (2022, October 28). Deconstructing Duolingo's secrets to success on TikTok. Sprout Social. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from https://sproutsocial.com/insights/duolingo-tiktok-success/
Pavlovskaya, E. (2021, November 9). The hooks of viral tiktoks. Semrush Blog. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from https://www.semrush.com/blog/hooks-of-viral-tiktoks/
West, C. (2023, February 22). 8 tiktok trends to fuel your social video content in 2023. Sprout Social. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from https://sproutsocial.com/insights/tiktok-trends/
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