Affiliate Marketing Review

Creating a trend on TikTok can be a highly effective way for brands to engage with their audience and increase visibility. However, creating a successful trend requires a combination of creativity, timing, and understanding of the platform’s culture. Here are some strategies for brands to create their own TikTok trend:

1. Create a Unique and Engaging Hashtag Challenge

• Develop a Simple, Fun Challenge: The key to a successful TikTok challenge is simplicity and fun. Design a challenge that is easy for users to replicate but also allows for creativity. For example, challenges like the “Ice Bucket Challenge” or “Savage Love Dance” were successful because they were straightforward but engaging.
• Branded Hashtag: Make sure to create a memorable, short, and relevant hashtag that represents your brand or campaign. The hashtag should be easy to remember and spell, encouraging users to participate and spread the trend.
• Encourage User Participation: Make sure the challenge is something that TikTok users will want to share with their friends and participate in. The more people who engage, the more likely it is to take off.

2. Collaborate with Influencers

• Influencer Partnerships: Partner with TikTok influencers who align with your brand to kick-start the trend. Influencers have a massive following and can help amplify your hashtag challenge. Choose influencers who have high engagement and a genuine connection with their audience, ensuring the trend feels authentic.
• Micro-Influencers: Don’t just rely on macro-influencers; micro-influencers (those with smaller but highly engaged followings) can be powerful in driving a trend, especially within niche communities.

3. Leverage TikTok’s Features (Sounds, Effects, and Filters)

• Custom Sounds: Create a unique sound or music track that can be used in your branded challenge. TikTok trends often revolve around catchy sounds or music. If users enjoy the sound, they will create their own videos with it, spreading the trend.
• Branded Effects and Filters: Use TikTok’s effect creation tool to design a custom filter or effect that users can incorporate into their videos. This encourages participation by offering users a fun and unique way to engage with the trend and brand.
• Exclusive Audio Clips: Offering an exclusive sound for your brand can entice users to adopt and use it in their videos, thus increasing the chances of it going viral.

4. Tap into Current or Emerging Trends

• Put a Unique Spin on Existing Trends: Rather than starting from scratch, build on current TikTok trends. Incorporating popular sounds, challenges, or formats with a branded twist can help your content stand out and gain traction while tapping into the momentum of existing trends.
• Leverage Timely Events: Create trends that tie into current events, holidays, or seasons. Timely content that connects with what’s happening in the world (e.g., holiday-themed challenges, back-to-school trends) can catch the attention of users eager to participate in timely content.

5. Make It Interactive and Shareable

• Interactive Content: Encourage users to interact with your content by responding to comments, duets, or stitches. Making your trend interactive allows users to feel involved in the creation of the trend and can spark more engagement.
• Incentives and Rewards: Offering incentives, such as a chance to win prizes or be featured on your brand’s page, can motivate users to participate. People are more likely to take part in trends if there’s a tangible reward or recognition involved.

6. Launch with a Compelling Brand Story

• Tell a Story: People connect with stories, so incorporate a narrative or meaningful context into your trend. If users see a purpose behind the trend (e.g., charity-driven, fun, empowering), they will be more likely to engage.
• Brand Values: Ensure that your trend reflects the values and personality of your brand. If the trend feels authentic to what your brand stands for, it will resonate more deeply with your audience.

7. Encourage Community Involvement

• Highlight User-Generated Content: Repost or feature content created by users who are participating in the trend. When users see that their content is being recognized by the brand, they’re more likely to participate and share it with their followers.
• Create a Sense of Community: Encourage users to tag their friends or collaborate with others to help the trend gain momentum. Community-driven trends tend to grow faster because they feel inclusive and participatory.

8. Maximize Cross-Platform Promotion

• Promote on Other Social Media: Don’t limit your trend to just TikTok. Promote your TikTok trend on other social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to drive traffic and participation. This will help you reach a broader audience and increase the trend’s visibility.
• Leverage Paid Ads: Use TikTok’s native ad format to promote the hashtag challenge or trend, targeting users most likely to engage. Paid ads can help you reach a wider audience and create initial buzz around your trend.

9. Analyze and Adapt

• Track the Trend’s Performance: Use TikTok’s analytics or third-party tools to track how the trend is performing. Look at engagement metrics like views, shares, and comments, as well as how your branded hashtag is performing.
• Adjust Based on Feedback: If you notice certain elements of your trend resonating more with users (e.g., a specific challenge or sound), adapt your strategy to amplify those elements and keep the momentum going.

10. Stay Authentic and Align with TikTok Culture

• TikTok’s Culture: TikTok is known for its authenticity, creativity, and humor. Make sure your trend feels natural and aligned with the platform’s culture. Trends that feel too commercial or forced often fail because TikTok users value genuine, fun, and relatable content.
• Don’t Over-Sell: Keep your branding subtle. TikTok users are quick to spot overly promotional content. Focus on fun and engagement first, and let the brand be an organic part of the trend rather than the sole focus.

Examples of Successful Brand-Driven Trends:

• Chipotle’s #GuacDance Challenge: Chipotle created a dance challenge around National Avocado Day, which became one of the most successful brand-driven TikTok trends.
• Ocean Spray’s #DreamsChallenge: After a viral video of a man skateboarding to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” Ocean Spray jumped on the trend by encouraging users to create content featuring the song, resulting in massive engagement.

By being creative, engaging, and aligning with TikTok’s community, brands can create their own trends that capture attention, foster participation, and drive brand awareness.