What is a TikTok trend?

Get FREE Training Workshop from John Crestani

John Crestani has been recognized by Forbes, Business Insider, Entepreneur.com, and dozens of other publications for his success online. More importantly, he’s helped thousands of everyday people from around the world create success for themselves as well.

A TikTok trend refers to a recurring idea, challenge, theme, or behavior that becomes popular on the platform. These trends can be based on specific actions, music, hashtags, or creative formats that users replicate and modify. TikTok trends often spread rapidly due to their viral nature and can involve anything from dance routines and lip-syncs to comedic skits and visual effects.

Key Characteristics of TikTok Trends:

Viral Challenges:
- Trends on TikTok often start as challenges, where users are encouraged to create videos around a specific action or concept. These challenges can involve dancing to a particular song, completing a fun task, or participating in a humorous activity.
- Example: The #InMyFeelingsChallenge, where users performed a dance to Drake’s song “In My Feelings.”
Popular Sounds and Music:
- Music plays a huge role in TikTok trends. Certain songs or sound bites go viral, and users create content around these tunes. These sounds may be linked to a specific dance, a reaction video, or a comedic skit.
- Example: The “Savage Love” dance became a viral trend when users performed synchronized dances to Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo’s song.
Hashtag Challenges:
- Hashtags are often used to organize and track trends. These challenges encourage users to create content based on a shared theme or idea, often around a specific hashtag.
- Example: The #FlipTheSwitch challenge, where users switch clothes with someone else while dancing to a particular part of the song “Nonstop” by Drake.
Format-based Trends:
- Some TikTok trends involve specific video formats or editing styles that users adopt. These formats can include things like quick cuts, transitions, special effects, or certain narrative structures (e.g., before-and-after transformations or “story time” formats).
- Example: “Transformation” videos where users show a dramatic change (makeup transformations, room makeovers, etc.) set to a trending sound.
Memes and Comedic Trends:
- Memes, jokes, or humorous formats spread rapidly on TikTok, often based on funny situations, viral images, or relatable scenarios. These trends can evolve quickly, with users putting their unique spin on popular ideas.
- Example: “The Box” challenge, where users would mimic the actions in a viral clip set to the song “The Box” by Roddy Ricch.
Seasonal and Event-based Trends:
- TikTok trends can be influenced by seasonal events or global happenings. For example, during holidays like Halloween or Christmas, trends related to costumes, decorations, or themed songs become popular.
- Example: Halloween makeup trends or Christmas decoration transformations.
User Interactions and Duets:
- A Duet is a TikTok feature that allows users to create content alongside someone else’s video. Duet-based trends often involve reaction videos, responding to content, or adding an additional layer of creativity to someone else’s video.
- Example: Reaction duets to funny or surprising videos.
Social Movements and Awareness:
- Some TikTok trends are centered around raising awareness or promoting social causes. Users create videos that support a movement or idea, encouraging others to join in.
- Example: #BlackLivesMatter or other advocacy-related trends.

How TikTok Trends Emerge:

Virality: Trends typically begin when a single user’s video gains significant traction. This might be due to its humor, creativity, relatability, or because it features a catchy sound or challenge. Other users quickly join in, recreating or remixing the content.
Collaborations: TikTok influencers or creators often start or popularize trends by putting their own spin on them. Their large followings can cause a trend to quickly snowball.
Platform Features: TikTok’s algorithm is key in spreading trends. When users interact with videos that use specific sounds, hashtags, or formats, the algorithm promotes similar content to a wider audience, making the trend even more viral.

Why Are TikTok Trends Important?

Increased Engagement: Participating in a trend can greatly increase engagement and visibility for creators. Trends help videos get discovered by more users, especially on the For You Page (FYP).
Brand Opportunities: Brands can tap into TikTok trends by participating in challenges, creating branded content, or using popular sounds and hashtags. This can help increase brand awareness and build a connection with the younger, TikTok-savvy audience.
User Community: Trends create a sense of community on TikTok. They encourage users to engage in a shared activity, and trends often spark creativity and collaboration.
Viral Potential: TikTok’s algorithm rewards content that aligns with trends, making it more likely to go viral and reach a wider audience.

Examples of Popular TikTok Trends:

Dance Challenges:
- #RenegadeChallenge: A viral dance challenge set to the song “Lottery” by K CAMP.
- #BlindingLightsChallenge: A dance challenge set to The Weeknd’s song “Blinding Lights.”
Before-and-After Transitions:
- Users create dramatic visual transformations, like makeovers, renovations, or weight loss, using quick editing transitions.
Hashtag Challenges:
- #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt: A challenge where users show off products they bought after seeing them on TikTok.
Funny Memes and Skits:
- #ItWasAtThisMoment: A meme where users recreate a moment where something goes wrong or changes dramatically.

How to Leverage TikTok Trends:

Stay Updated: Follow TikTok’s Discover page to keep track of trending sounds, hashtags, and challenges. Being aware of the latest trends gives you a competitive edge in content creation.
Be Creative: Put your unique spin on trends to stand out. TikTok rewards creativity and originality.
Join in Early: The sooner you participate in a trending challenge or use a viral sound, the better the chance your video has of going viral.
Use Hashtags Effectively: Use relevant trending hashtags in your captions to increase your reach and help your video appear in the trend’s feed.

Conclusion:

A TikTok trend is a viral idea, challenge, song, or hashtag that quickly gains popularity on the platform. These trends can be based on dance routines, humor, challenges, or creative formats, and they spread rapidly through user participation. Leveraging TikTok trends effectively can boost engagement, visibility, and even contribute to your content going viral.