♬ original sound – hilton
And here, RootineCo compares hanging out with a Type A friend while she goes through a lengthy pre-sleep routine as a Type B person who’s hesitant to plan ahead.
@rootine_co
But we love them even more because of it 🩷 #typea #typeb #friendship #hangingout #rootine #fyp
♬ original sound – RootineCo
7. Rallying Unhinged Fans
While TikTok is a short-form video platform, it’s allowed progressively longer videos over the years. Brands can now upload videos up to 10 minutes long. And in some regions, 15- and 30-minute video uploads are available.
But in some cases, short and sweet content still performs best. “Right vs. Left Pocket” is a great example of a 15-second trend that’s designed to be completely unserious yet still attract raving fans.
It’s based on a simple concept: the average person’s jeans typically have one (right) pocket for essentials like a wallet or phone, while the other (left) pocket is filled with complete chaos.
Taco Bell’s take on the trend shows a neatly organized right pocket and a left pocket filled with hundreds of packets of hot sauce.
@tacobell
just a few
♬ DON`T STOP – Slowed++ – GLXXMSTRIDER
Oreo’s spin on the trend takes it to an absurd level, showing the pockets filled with dozens of packages of Oreos.
@oreo
Just in case we get hungry 🤭 #rightvsleft #pockets #fyp #oreo
♬ Falling Angel – HCTM
8. Foreshadowing Something Ominous
On average, TikTok users spend 58 minutes and 24 seconds on the app every day. That means brands have the potential to rack up a lot of views, as long as they can successfully capture viewers’ attention.
To keep viewers interested, experiment with different styles of storytelling. Like the #SubtleForeshadowing trend, which uses a unique editing style to intersperse flashes of the conclusion at various points in the video.
Here, Scrub Daddy hints that the protagonist—who uses an off-brand sponge—will have an encounter with an unusually large sponge. Sure enough, the protagonist gets attacked by a Scrub Daddy at the end.
@scrubdaddy
Just a reminder… #scrubdaddy #smile #cleantok #cleaningtiktok #clean
♬ original sound – Scrub Daddy
Bakers Delight takes the concept a step further by foreshadowing the conclusion—a baker hunched over on the floor – without giving away the reason. The viewer has to watch until the end to learn that the baker’s carefully proofed dough has fallen to the floor, leaving it unusable.
@bakersdelight
Dough! 🫠👨🍳 #breadtok #bakersdelight #bakersoftiktok #baking #bakingvideo #foryou #forshadowing #fail #cctv #trend #bakerylife #bts #dough #epicfail
♬ Comforting – Noah
9. Taking Viewers Behind The Scenes
Let’s face it: whether you work in the office or from home, a lot of day-to-day work isn’t exactly exciting. At least, it might not be exciting to you, the person doing the work.
For followers and customers, it’s a different story. When you take viewers behind the scenes, you give them a glimpse of a world they don’t typically get to experience.
While behind-the-scenes content is hardly new on TikTok, styles and formats have evolved. Instead of unfiltered footage, some of the most popular behind-the-scenes videos are heavily edited content that shows business owners completing tasks like packing up orders.
@lovewisd
Let’s packaging All Purple Order 🎉Dear Natalie bought purple tumbler set and purple journal kit. Thank you soso much💜hoping you will like them💜#asmr #orderpacking #orderpackingasmr #order #packingorders #packagingorders #packwithme #packaging #packanorderwithme #packingasmr #ordernow #packageopening #canada #usa #europe #uk #tumbler #stanley #stanleycup #stanleytumbler #cup #journalkit #stationery #journal #notebook #planneraddict #plannercommunity #plannertok #schoolsupplies #stationeryaddict #stationeryshop #stationeryhaul #tumblerset #accessories #stanleydecorations #purple #newyork #america #asmr #foryou #fyp
♬ original sound – LOVEWISD
Many “pack an order with me” videos are highly aesthetic and include ASMR elements that make them especially pleasant to watch. As a result, they do an excellent job of selling the brand experience – which can have the added effect of driving sales and cultivating loyalty.
@xxl.scrunchie
OUR BIGGEST SINGLE ORDER EVER. 😱 Pack a 1645 item order with me for Gia, @Silky Gem Crystal Candy ✨🥹📦 Thank you SO much! Wait til you see the struggle when we figure out how to ship it all 🥲 #asmrpackaging #packageanorderwithme #smallbusinesspackaging #packagingasmr #packingordersasmr
♬ original sound – XXL SCRUNCHIE & CO 🇨🇦
This format can also serve as social proof, which can turn casual viewers into paying customers. Above, XXL Scrunchie invites followers to pack more than 1,000 items, the company’s largest order yet.
10. Asking Employees For Their Opinions
Not all behind-the-scenes content has to focus on your products or services. Some of the most engaging videos put a spotlight on employees, introducing the people behind the brand.
Instead of simply filming employees as they go about their day, ask several staff members for their opinion on a trending topic.
Here, the Chicago Bulls asks the team’s players to weigh in on the top three items on their Thanksgiving plate.
@chicagobulls
What are 3 things you need on your Thanksgiving plate?! 👀🍽️ #thanksgiving #foodtiktok #basketball #travel #nba
♬ original sound – Chicago Bulls
And here, Sephora asks in-house beauty advisors for their recommendations. Each employee shares a top pick while offering a mini pitch for the product.
@sephora
Their faves 🤝🏽 your new faves.
♬ original sound – sephora
For social media managers who spend a lot of time as the face of the brand on TikTok, this approach is great for getting other employees or players in front of the camera. Pay close attention to the comments to see which personalities are most popular with followers. Then, ask them to star in more videos.
How Trends Evolve On TikTok
Trends aren’t a new thing in the world, especially in fashion. People have wanted to be on trend for years, with magazines, movies, and TV shows all setting the trends and reflecting the organic ones that formed.
TikTok and social media have accelerated the trending process, breaking down the 20-year trend cycles we used to see into rapid trend sprints that can overlap.
Trends are now incubated by the collective attention of social media users who determine what gets engagement and what doesn’t.
This becomes amplified by the sheer number of people engaging with content. Because of the huge audience interacting on TikTok daily, people can validate their experiences almost instantly.
And, if someone has coined a term for it, it can spread like wildfire. Think “girl dinner,” “microcheating,” “polywork,” and more.
Once it becomes part of the collective consciousness of TikTok with its own hashtag, people can Duet or Stitch videos and create their own content using templates to evolve a trend further.
How To Find Trending Ideas In The Tiktok Creative Center
TikTok launched its Creative Center this year, giving creators another tool to help find inspiration for posts.
You can browse what’s trending in your country, broken down into hashtags, songs, creators, and videos.
Each category can give you insights into what type of content is trending, whether that’s lip-syncing audio, popular creators, or specific video formats.
There’s also the Creative Assistant, which provides a suite of AI-assisted tools to help streamline the creative process.
You can ask the Creative Assistant for insights on what’s trending right now, along with related videos, so you can see what other creators are making for that niche.
It also writes ad scripts, but these won’t be tailored to your business’s tone of voice or unique selling points.
They can act as a starting point if you’re very stuck, but without a detailed prompt, they might not produce content you can easily use.
How TikTok Trends Can Be A Source Of Inspiration For Content Ideas
When looking for ideas to fill your content calendar with, TikTok gives you a good indicator of what Gen Z is currently resonating with.
By getting an idea of the platform’s popular trends, you can find a way to leverage them for your own brand in an authentic way.
You need to make sure that the trend’s video style is a good fit for your brand. If it feels forced, your content could draw negative attention due to the inauthentic sentiment behind it.
What’s important is that in order to integrate your content organically into a trend, you need to be agile and reactive.
Leaving it too late to get involved with a trend might make your audience feel that you’re too corporate and leave them cringing at your content instead.
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Featured Image: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock