TikTok trends move at lightning speed. We’re still trying to figure out if someone calling us “sick” or “ill” means a good thing or not. But we’re not here to talk to you about Pedro Pascal fan edits or the latest challenge, but instead about the wider trends going viral on TikTok and why you should add them to your content calendar.
Entertain first
You don’t need a report to tell you that people go to TikTok to be entertained. You can find one on Hootsuite, but for the most part, it’s a given. Sure, people raise awareness and people market there, but in order for it to be effective, it has to entertain. If you are looking to market a product, ask first how you can entertain in your marketing.
If that proves difficult due to having a “dull” product or brand, well you might want to work on your brand for one thing, but don’t be disheartened. “Entertaining” is a pretty broad term nowadays. A bad joke is entertaining, a demonstration is entertaining, and satisfying content is entertaining, which means a simple cleaning video can go viral.
A strong personal brand
Speaking of working on your brand, that’s first and foremost when it comes to TikTok. Who are you? Sure, we’re complex beings, but if you had to boil it down, what makes you, you? Influencers are now their own brand ambassadors and their content reflects that. Boil your brand down to a few keywords and dive deep into them in your content, over a lot of videos.
Find a niche
Part of creating a personal brand is to look at niches. Being niche no longer means no one is interested in you. If you have a “thing” the internet, particularly TikTok will provide you with your people. People who either share in your niche or are interested in it.
This all feeds into targeted marketing, where you don’t have to waste your time appealing to the widest audience who may or may not accept your brand or items, but instead hone in on who you think are most likely to take you up on your marketing campaign.
Get experimental
TikTok itself is in an experimental phase. New features are coming out every other day it seems, and the content found on it is getting more chaotic. That’s not a bad thing. Chaos is entertaining (see above), but it does mean that marketers are going to have to really work to stand out. Users can spot an advert at a glance. It instantly seems more scripted, more reserved, and more careful. It’s time to throw that attitude out. Throw a few different things at the wall and see what sticks.
Put the spotlight on real people
Above all, TikTok users appreciate authenticity. If you don’t understand the trends that move at lightning speed, laugh about it and put that online. If you don’t have professional HD cameras, use your phone camera that looks like a potato is powering it. If you have a big personality at work, put them front and centre. The point is to be authentic. Gen Z and Alpha in particular have no time for fakery, and they sniff it out like a bloodhound. You’re only going to hurt your brand by trying too hard.
So, don’t try and contact Brad Pitt for a celebrity endorsement. That doesn’t even impress Shania Twain anymore. Instead, put your people front and centre. Show off your team, your customers, your fans, and ask them to be themselves.
Gen Z’s first choice
It’s worth noting that reports show that TikTok is its own trend, in that it’s the first choice for Gen Z. If you’re aiming to target Zoomers, TikTok is the place to do it. Use all the previous trends above to capture the attention of your demographic.
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