TikTok has become one of the most entertaining social media platforms, thanks to its viral short videos and constantly evolving trends. These trends are shared by users through popular features, songs, sound effects, and hashtags, creating a community-wide conversation on the platform. For brands, engaging with these trends can be an effective way to increase visibility, expand reach, and make their brand relevant and relatable to TikTok users.
To join the TikTok conversation in an organic way, brands need to understand the process of identifying and participating in trends. By seamlessly blending in with the community and avoiding overly polished or salesy content, brands can make their presence on TikTok more relevant and engaging. This can help increase brand credibility and make the brand part of the broader conversation on the platform.
Participating in TikTok trends offers numerous benefits for brands. Firstly, TikTok's algorithm gives preference to trending videos, meaning that jumping on a trend can lead to more views and engagements. Users on TikTok enjoy exploring different interpretations of trends, which can organically lead to the discovery of a brand's content. Additionally, participating in trends demonstrates that a brand understands the platform, can entertain users, and have fun, resulting in increased brand awareness among target audiences.
Finding influencers who are already active on TikTok is crucial for brands aiming to leverage the platform's enormous reach and growth. Through influencer partnerships, brands can effectively tap into the TikTok community and amplify their message to a wider audience. To find relevant influencers, brands can search for specific hashtags or browse TikTok's For You page. Narrowing down the search by location or language can further help find suitable influencers for targeted campaigns.
Staying informed about user sentiment is vital for brands investing in social media marketing. Social listening, which involves collecting user sentiment and feedback, is instrumental in understanding how the brand is perceived on TikTok. Along with traditional metrics like views, likes, and shares, sentiment analysis through natural language processing (NLP) can provide deeper insights into user sentiments, allowing brands to better adapt their TikTok content and strategies.
Monitoring competitor strategies is also essential in staying ahead on TikTok. As users increasingly spend on in-app purchases, the platform becomes even more competitive for brands. By actively researching and analyzing competitor activities, industry trends, and audience interactions, brands can gain valuable insights and identify new opportunities to strengthen their own social media marketing strategies.
To successfully identify TikTok trends, brands need to spend time using the platform and actively exploring various videos, sounds, and effects. TikTok's algorithm may narrow the content seen by users, so it's essential to intentionally seek out different videos and creators outside of one's comfort zone. Focusing on the music used in the videos can also guide trend recognition, as many audio trends gain popularity and inspire user interpretations.
You can also use third-party TikTok analytics tools that track TikTok trends, such as Shoplus. By utilizing the TikTok analytics tracker, you can identify TikTok trending and trends on the platform and also find popular influencers who are promoting those products.
TikTok trends often respond to pop culture and current events, making it important for brands to stay updated with these developments and utilize them when applicable. Following TikTok experts, relevant hashtags, and trends pages can also help brands stay current with the latest trends and video challenges. However, it's important to note that trends can change rapidly, with some lasting only days or weeks, so being actively involved and close to the platform is crucial in spotting emerging trends.
When participating in TikTok trends, brands should strive to find their unique take on the trend while maintaining consistency and authenticity. By interpreting trends through the brand's voice, aesthetics, and values, brands can effectively engage with the TikTok community and differentiate themselves from competitors. Creating original trends can also be an effective strategy for brands to establish their presence on TikTok and inspire user-generated content.
Measuring the success of TikTok campaigns can be challenging since the platform lacks direct click-through options. Instead, brands should focus on analytics such as engagement, views, likes, and channel growth to gauge the effectiveness of their TikTok content. While it's difficult to determine ROI, brands should prioritize building brand awareness and engagement through trending content in the top-of-the-funnel activities.
In conclusion, TikTok trends offer brands an opportunity to increase visibility, expand reach, and make their brand relevant and relatable to the platform's users. By staying informed about trends, partnering with influencers, understanding user sentiment, monitoring competitors, and creating engaging content with a unique brand identity, brands can successfully participate in TikTok trends and capitalize on the platform's immense potential.
