You need fun, high-quality content to build a following on TikTok—boring content won’t cut it.
While building a brand profile can be tough, it’s not impossible. Some struggle to get an audience, but others build massive engagement and brand authority thanks to their creativity.
You can earn that success too.
All you need is consistency, quality control, and great content ideas. To get you started, this guide shares real trends used by independent brands to build their audience.
What Kind of Videos Trend on TikTok?
TikTok trends are always changing, but certain types of content will always be popular:
Dances
When thinking of TikTok, “dance” is the first thing that comes to mind. Dance is the foundation of TikTok’s brand, followed by the other trends discussed here.
It’s not uncommon for hundreds of people to recreate an original dancing video. Dancing is fun to learn, watch, and do.
Dance videos might seem out of your brand’s scope, but TikTok is a casual, off-the-cuff fun place. Building a down-to-earth brand might be as simple as showing off your dancing skills.
Sounds
A huge portion of all TikTok content revolves around a trending sound. They give your content instant engagement just due to the recognition factor alone.
Imagine someone posts a funny skit that goes viral.
Creators can use the same sound to make their own skits inspired by the original video. Others follow suit, and the TikTok sound ends up more popular than the original video.
Challenges
Challenges are when people invite others to copy what they are doing. These challenges range from dances to recipes to eating corn cobs with a power drill (not recommended).
Songs
You can’t talk about TikTok without mentioning music. Virtually every video on the platform has some sort of tune playing.
They can be the focus of the video (dances, singing, etc.) or just background music.
Transformations
TikTok’s native editing makes it easy to create smooth transformation videos. People show their life changes, glow-ups, makeup tutorials, and more.
Five Trends Used by Real Businesses
Below, you’ll see how businesses are using trends to build grounded, relatable brands on TikTok. And because of their identical format, these videos are also great Instagram reels ideas for businesses.
1. Day in the Life
@leighastepp this is why we don’t take days off ✌🏼😂 #boutique #smallbusiness ♬ Bloom (Bonus Track) – The Paper Kites
Young consumers are sick and tired of bland, sterile corporate ads. By giving them a peek into your life, you satisfy their craving for authenticity.
The boutique owner in the above example doesn’t show an action-packed schedule full of adventure.
Her “day in the life” is a casual look at her day, with honest confessions of stress and celebrating little wins.
The result? Several million views and over 855k likes.
Your authentic self is all you need. People don’t understand small business life, so shedding light on it will always be interesting.
Make a video of your daily routine filter-free, then edit and voice it over. Don’t make any promotional mentions of your stuff, just be your true self.
You’ll build one-on-one relationships with strangers all charmed by your brand’s warmth.
2. Pack an Order With Us
@kathrynkate0077 #asmr ♬ original sound – Kathryn Kate
Even something as mundane as a packing order can go viral with good editing. Crisp sounds and satisfying cuts captivate people.
Next time you’re shipping a product, capture the entire process on camera.
Take the footage into an editing program and include all the tapes, seals, and stamps of the process. Your next order might turn into a viral video pulling in hundreds of new sales.
At the very least, your existing customers will learn how your packaging works. Show them they’re made with care, not carelessly bundled together.
3. Product Launch Tease
@vanesamaro91 I guess the secret is out. And dish daddy is 2… this amazing new product is available now at @scrubdaddy websit #scrubdaddypartner #newscrubdaddy #scrubdaddy ♬ Here Comes The Sun – Instrumental – Emerald Empire Band
If you have a genuinely cool product, don’t be afraid to share it. Scrub Daddy’s brush demo reached over a million people and earned 110k likes.
Show your product in action, explain why it’s awesome, and talk like a human being (no corporate speak). Don’t forget to respond to questions in the comments, either.
Even if your tease doesn’t bless millions of For You pages, your existing fans will hear about an exciting new product from the brand they love.
4. How-to Demonstrations
@getbacknecklaces how to use our 35mm waterproof film camera! get memory making ⚡️ #filmcamera #getbacknecklaces ♬ original sound – getbacknecklaces
How-to demos get people curious, even if they don’t know your product. It’s satisfying to see a new, innovative product in action.
Show viewers how your product works, and they’ll think of all the ways they can use it. This puts them right in the middle of the sales funnel.
Above, the creator shows their film camera in use without any introduction (just like any tutorial video). People ask when they’re restocking in the comments, implying they’re buying right after watching.
5. Meet the Team
@shopaurelle full office at Aurelle 💗✨ #aurelleswimwear #shopaurelle #meettheteam ♬ original sound – fishwad
A “meet the team” video lets you make a personal connection with your followers. No longer is your profile a faceless brand, but an expression of creativity by real people.
Don’t be afraid to put effort into this, thinking nobody will care. The above example parodied the Full House intro and went viral (nostalgia’s a strong marketing tool).
How to Find Trends on TikTok
To build a long-term TikTok presence, you need a way to find trends consistently. This next section teaches how.
Scroll Through the “For You” Page
Using TikTok casually is the easiest way to find trends. Scroll through the For You page and bookmark trending videos, sounds, and songs you could repurpose for brand content.
Look Outside Your Circle
The problem with relying on the For You page is TikTok quickly pushes you into your own content bubble. If you want to keep on top of TikTok, you’ll need to expand your scope.
You can find viral content outside your bubble using these methods:
- Use the Discover page
- Scroll through someone else’s TikTok feed
- Search for challenges, dances, songs, and other evergreen trend types
- See what other people do with a viral video’s sound
Follow TikTok Expert Accounts
A huge niche exists in professional TikTok content creation. These accounts discuss trending topics and suggest ways to use them.
You can also follow the #trendalert and #foryou hashtags for a constant stream of current content.
How to Spin TikTok Trends for Your Brand
Putting trends to work for your brand means putting your own spin on them without seeming like you’re leeching relevance from them. Here’s how:
Put People First
Younger people can sniff out promotional “hello, fellow consumers” content almost supernaturally. Give product promotion a backseat in your content—push it out with the sole purpose of making someone’s day.
Making people-focused content breaks your brand out of the sterile corporate mold.
Be Weird
Keeping your content confined to a plastic brand voice is a one-way ticket to irrelevance.
Be weird. Have fun with your content, and put smiles on people’s faces. Laugh, and the world laughs with you.
Start Building Your Brand Today
When it comes to TikTok trends, there’s no problem with jumping on the bandwagon. TikTok for business revolves around following trends.
By definition, a trend always has a lot of interest. Jumping on them leverages that interest and uses your creativity to take it further.
The brands featured above showed how powerful that formula is. Getting started is the only difference between you and them.
