TikTok has recently launched a new monthly series called TikTok Trends Digest. This helps marketers keep up to date with the rapidly changing state of trends on the platform. Here are our favourite takeaways from the first round-up 👇

1. ‘Trend Moments’ vs ‘Trend Signals’

It’s no secret that individual trends on TikTok are born and die at a lightspeed pace. By the time you’ve recognised a trending video style, shot your footage, edited and received sign-off on your content, you may have already missed the boat. However, if you’re able to keep up with the broader picture regarding trends, you can anticipate the kind of content that will be effective and on-trend without needing to be as reactive. 

TikTok defines these as ‘Trend Moments’ and ‘Trend Signals’. You might think of Trend Moments as part of the short-term strategy, while Trend Signals are long-term. Trend Moments constitute more defined elements of a trend. Trend Signals on the other hand tend to be made up of multiple smaller Trend Moments with overarching elements. 

Speaking of which…

2. TikTok Trends are made up of four key elements

TikTok has narrowed down the building blocks of trends into four core parts. These are the Trend Message, Associated Hashtags, Sonic Identity, and Visual Narrative.

Trend Message: Overarching story, the core of the video.

Associated Hashtags: Categorise the content and get discovered.

Sonic Identity: Original sounds, music, voiceover.

Visual Narrative: The way the TikTok is filmed (composition, edits & transitions).

3. “Delulu is the solulu”

As reported back in TikTok’s What’s Next 2024 report, one of the Trend Signals to be aware of is the #delulu mindset, short for ‘delusional’, which involves bringing a ‘fake it til you make it’ type of optimism to everyday situations and connecting to audiences through shared experiences. 

TikTok Trend Digest points to three examples of Trend Moments that follow this Trend Signal: “Maddie Knew”, “Of Course”, and the Comparison Slideshow. While these Trend Moments have their own ways of using the four core trend elements, they share similarities across the board. 

Some of the specific techniques include:

• Trend Message: Give the audience an authentic look at the people behind the brand through an unfiltered and self-aware lens.

• Associated Tags: Add hashtags that speak to a broader community that your brands/content fits within, e.g. #OfficeTok. 

• Sonic Identity: Include trending original sounds and utilise the Commerical Music Library for copyright peace of mind.

• Visual Narrative: Use swipeable carousel slideshow format can be used to present a narrative in defined stages.  

The TikTok Trend Digest is sure to be a handy reference point for marketers to understand the bigger picture of trends on the platform. While it isn’t an exact science, keeping up with Trend Signals and Moments can help you create TikTok ads that speak to the audiences you want to reach. 

Want to learn more about how you can use TikTok Ads for your business? Get in touch with our Newcastle digital marketing agency today, we’d love to chat!