TikTok Trends 2022: How to Find the Best Trends + Use Them For Your Brand
Newsletters, TikTok
To have a convincing presence on TikTok, you need to be fluent in TikTok trends, and know how to use them for your brand. Here’s how to do it.
In 30 seconds:
- TikTok got more traffic than Google last year. A strong TikTok presence should be on the top of brands’ wish lists – but how do they get there?
- TikTok trends are a great way to demonstrate to young audiences that you understand them – but they move fast.
- Here’s how to find the latest TikTok trends, asap – and learn the best way to use them.
TikTok is the fastest-growing social platform of all time, overtaking competition from behemoths like Instagram and Snapchat. It’s even getting more traffic than Google. It’s also quickly becoming Gen Z’s favourite social media platform.
Gen Z are set to become the largest consumer generation. They have a current spending power of $140 billion, and that’s only going to grow. This group is also beginning to form loyalty to brands, meaning now is the time brands should make a play for this lucrative group and foster valuable long-term relationships.
As digital natives, however, Gen Z are wary of being marketed to online. Many actively take steps to avoid digital ads. So brands need to speak Gen Z’s language – and create content they’ll truly love – in order to make the right impression.
TikTok is how to do this. In fact, this is where Gen Z are most likely to interact positively with brands. However, to have a convincing presence on TikTok, brands need to be fluent in TikTok trends. But how can they always know the latest TikTok trends, and how to use them?
That’s where we come in.
TikTok trends in your inbox
Ever wished you knew the latest and best TikTok trends that your brand can use?
And did that wish include a breakdown of why the trend exists, and clear advice on how to purpose it for your own brand’s content?
Well, you’re in luck, because that’s why Fanbytes created the weekly TikTok Trends Newsletter.
What is a TikTok Trend?
TikTok trends can describe a type of video – or videos – that gain popularity through TikTok users recreating them. There are various elements in any TikTok video, and any one of these could spur a TikTok trend. These include:
1. TikTok sound trends.
TikTok is a pioneer of sound trends, as it’s the first social media platform to allow users to create videos using another user’s original sound. These can include music, jokes, pop culture audio clips or voiceovers.
2. TikTok hashtag trends.
TikTok users will often tag their content with a trending hashtag when they’re joining an associated trend, to increase visibility.You will often see TikTok hashtag trends paired with trending TikTok challenges.
3. TikTok challenge trends.
TikTok challenges are a great way brands can interact with content creators on the social media platform. TikTok challenges ask TikTokers to perform an amusing task. Brands tend to offer an award.
4. TikTok dance trends.
Naturally for a video-first social media platform, dancing is a key form of trend on TikTok. TikTokers learn a routine (it can be simple or more ambitious) and perform it to a catchy song. Often these take the form of dance challenges.
5. TikTok effects trends.
TikTok supports augmented reality (AR) filters, named ‘effects’ that change the visuals on a video. TikTokers interact with popular TikTok effects or filters to create short videos with a distinctive look.
6. TikTok duet trends.
There are different forms of duet trends. TikTokers can respond to another TikTok creator’s video with their own content. Additionally, TikTokers can create a duet chain where multiple TikTokers’ content is visible simultaneously.
7. TikTok stitch trends.
Like TikTok duets, TikTok stitch trends are when TikTokers create their own content alongside another trending TikTok video – for this, they use TikTok stitch.
8. TikTok content trends.
Often these pair with another form of trend. However, there are many examples where content trends exist independently. These can be video memes, or where conversations bubble within content communities on the platform.
How to find TikTok trends
One useful way you can find trends on TikTok is to use the app’s own discovery tools. Set up a Tiktok profile and scroll through your home page (named the ForYouPage or FYP). Explore the Discover tab, too: this is useful for general trends on the platform. Use the search box to find topics and hashtags relevant to your brand and see what content comes up.
Pay attention to everything in the viral videos you see. Note the sounds, effects, hashtags and content in the video, including how the TikTok creator shot the video. This is what TikTokers are looking at, too: if they spot something they like, they’ll copy it
How to find TikTok trends early
For ordinary TikTok app users (brands included), the only way to see relevant trends early is to become a TikTok native. TikTok’s algorithm is remarkably personalised and reactive, enough so that it has fostered content “communities” on the platform around shared interests. Any user may interact in a number of content communities, and there are differing relevant trends in each.
So, start interacting with content that’s relevant to your brand. TikTok will quickly adapt to show you content in your niche. Treat this like a tutorial: assess what you see and hear, and consider how your brand could bring a unique spin on it, fast. Brands cannot be too slow to respond, or they risk looking irrelevant.
Of course, finding TikTok trends this way requires a beady eye before they become too big or old. Trends grow fast on TikTok, and early adoptees can go viral. Joining too late, however, means your video could get lost in the noise – and TikTokers will have moved on.
This is why Fanbytes built Bytesights, our tool for catching TikTok trends you need to know before anyone else.
Tailored trends for your brand, early.
Want to know why our campaigns are so hot? It’s because we’re able to see TikTok trends before anyone else.
For brands who work with us, we use our industry-leading Bytesights tool (and our own Gen Z experts) to see new TikTok trends that are building on the platform, just as they are beginning to grow. Spotting trends well before their apex means we can work with brands to create content that shows your audience you don’t just have your finger on the pulse – but that you’re also a leader.
By working with us, you’ll get a detailed, tailored view into which trends to use. We’ll work with you to find the perfect influencers, sounds, hashtags, content and aesthetic to make your brand the one everyone’s talking about.
TikTok trends for businesses
Are there TikTok trends for businesses? Absolutely yes. TikTok is an excellent social media marketing tool for businesses to grow their reach, and one of the principal ways brands can do this is by tapping into organic TikTok trends as they grow.
The reason for this is whenever a TikTok user taps an element of a video that they want to copy (i.e., the key part of a trend), they can see which other TikTok accounts have used it. The originator of the trend and the most popular user of the trend always appear at the top of the screen.
This means that trend originators and early trend adopters can explode their visibility on TikTok.
Users often ‘like’ trends they want to use, as this means the video is saved in the private part of their TikTok profile, to watch again or use later. This is great news for brands, because TikTok’s algorithm adapts quickly: your next videos will very likely appear in the user’s personalised ForYouPage too, even if they’re not following you yet.
Tapping into existing trends (early) means your video is guaranteed to have an element that other TikTokers will want to copy. That’s why many brands do this – with enormous success.
You can also create your own trends. This takes real insider knowledge of the platform, your TikTok community and Gen Z in general. Fanbytes often works with brands to create their own trends, either organically or via branded trend options. If you’d like to talk to us about starting your own TikTok trend, get in touch.
Trends in fashion & style
TikTok has spurred its own fashion trends (WithJean dresses, North Face coats, Acne Studios scarves, and corsets, to name a few…) but what about TikTok trends themselves within the fashion and style community? Here are some examples.
- “I think you dropped something. My JAW.” – Fashion & style TikTokers are lip-synching to this trending sound while showing off outfits.
- “Jumping into shoes” – This video trend is a subset of the #shoechallenge and features multiple full outfit transitions. The TikToker jumps into a new pair of shoes and the frame cuts to a different outfit.
- “And why aren’t you in uniform?” – Fashion & style TikTokers are using this sound trend to transition into a new outfit, usually embodying the aesthetic of a pop-culture reference.
You can learn more about TikTok fashion & style trends here.
Trends in gaming & entertainment
One of the top reasons TikTokers return to the app over and again is for “entertainment” – so for brands in this sector, it pays to know how TikTokers are talking about it. TikTok has sent musicians, comedians, games and apps viral. Here are some recent trends.
- ‘It’s all Coming Back to Me Now” – comedy TikTokers are lip-syncing to this sound trend while performing a comedic outfit reveal, usually with the help of a fan to mimic ‘80s music video cliches.
- #GamingSetup – Gaming TikTokers are using this trending hashtag to showcase how they’re gaming at home, including their consoles, screens and rooms.
- #DuetRoulette – Musical TikTokers are using this Duet trend to remix, create mashups and harmonise with one another’s songs.
You can learn more about TikTok music trends here.
Trends in nutrition & lifestyle
TikTok’s video-first UX makes it a great platform for recipes and “how-to” videos, but there are many ways food and drink brands can get involved with trends. TikTokers also use trends to share aspects of their lifestyle, such as home or school, so it’s a great way to be part of the conversation.
- Things that “just make sense” with Che La Luna sound – this content and sound trend is how lifestyle influencers are showcasing everyday items or occurrences that may seem unusual to others outside of their community.
- #easydessert – This hashtag trend has been growing amongst food TikTok as users share simple recipes for those with a sweet tooth.
- What’s something that you eat every single day and don’t get tired of? – this sound trend is how food TikTokers are sharing their favourite snacks and light meals.
You can learn more about Gen Z trends here.
It’s not just the above categories that Fanbytes have worked on, though. We’ve created trending TikTok content for brands across charities, accounting, apps, fintech and events as well as fashion, beauty, music, gaming, food, drink and FMCG.
TikTok trends right now
At any one time there are many TikTok trends you can use – but it takes insider knowledge of your TikTok niche to understand how your audience will respond to new trends and which ones have the potential to go viral.
And of course, the earlier you know about the trend, the faster you can respond to it – and create TikTok marketing content that Gen Z finds cool, relevant and aspirational -and can go viral on TikTok – earning you millions of views, likes, positive comments and customers.
So, what are you waiting for? Check out the links below to find the best TikTok trends right now.
