17 Strategies to Uncover TikTok Trends and Generate Viral Content Ideas

Whether you love it or despise it, social media thrives on popularity. It’s no surprise that TikTok’s trends have skyrocketed alongside its growth.

Trends on TikTok are essentially elements within videos that make them widely appealing. They often originate from viral videos using unique formats or catchy audio.

Following trends increases the likelihood of your TikTok videos gaining views and engagement, which is crucial for business growth on the platform. However, with over 625 million TikTok videos watched every minute, trends change rapidly.

tiktok trend discovery - tiktok videos viewed per minute Source So how do you identify what’s trending? More importantly, how do you stay current with these trends? We’ll explore the answers with TikTok trend discovery tips and ideas designed to help you create relevant and unique videos for your business.

Table of contents

TikTok trend examples

Let’s start with some quick examples so you know what to watch for during your own TikTok trend discovery. Remember that TikTok trends typically last a few months, so these examples might not be currently trending but serve as useful reference points.

Bird’s eye view trend

This trend gained traction towards the end of 2023. Three primary aspects contributed to its popularity:

  • The camera angle. The trend involved taping your phone to the ceiling for a distinctive and difficult camera perspective.
  • The song. This trend featured a segment from rapper JID’s song, Surround Sound, which was popular then.
  • The edits. The videos cut between serious and fun moments, synced to the song’s beat.

tiktok trend discovery - tiktok trend example Watch an example TikTok that demonstrates this trend.

Bad idea trend

Popular during the summer of 2023, this trend used two consistent themes:

  • The song. It featured a well-known clip from Olivia Rodrigo’s song bad idea right?.
  • The plot. Videos showcased the creator engaging in an activity requiring a significant decision, aligning with Rodrigo’s contemplation in her lyrics “Seeing you tonight, it’s a bad idea right?”

tiktok trend discovery - tiktok trend example bad idea right Check out this an example of this TikTok trend _. _

I got married in Italy trend

This humorous trend cleverly utilizes an audio clip from one of Kim Kardashian’s confessional cam moments on the Hulu show The Kardashians. The trend pokes fun at imitation, mirroring Kim calling out her sister for copying her wedding in the clip.

tiktok trend discovery - example of business using tiktok trend Here’s Watch this TikTok trend example . 💡 Unlock ways to use psychology in marketing with this complimentary guide!

How to do TikTok trend discovery using TikTok Creative Center and more

TikTok offers several in-app features and a dedicated library called the TikTok Creative Center, brimming with video ideas, tips, and inspiration, to help businesses and creators stay informed about current trends. Here are some effective methods for TikTok trend discovery using these resources:

1. Check out top creators

The Trends section of TikTok Creative Center allows you to explore videos from prominent TikTok creators and influencers by selecting the Creators tab. This helps you identify trends by observing patterns among top creators and uncover potential influencers for collaboration.

tiktok trend discovery - trend discovery using tiktok creative center

Within the Videos tab of TikTok Creative Center Trends, you can view currently trending videos regardless of the creator’s follower count. This is an excellent source for identifying viral videos that your business can mimic, duet, or stitch.

tiktok trend discovery - top tiktok videos screenshot

The Hashtags tab in TikTok Creative Center, under Trends, allows you to monitor trending hashtags related to your industry. You can also use the search function to find hashtags aligned with your target keywords.

tiktok trend discovery - trending tiktok hashtags

The Songs tab section of TikTok Creative Center Trends lets you discover trending audio clips and songs for your videos. It comprises two sections. The “popular” section highlights frequently used songs within your chosen timeframe, allowing you to filter for business-approved options. The “breakout” section showcases rising songs and user-generated audio clips, giving you a head start on emerging trends.

tiktok trend discovery - songs

5. Use the TikTok Commercial Music Library

Besides the Trends section, the TikTok Commercial Music Library (within Creative Tools) is valuable for trend discovery. The Commercial Music Library contains pre-cleared music for organic content and TikTok Ads. Numerous filtering and sorting options help you find trending songs that resonate with your content. The Playlist tab offers viral TikTok music playlists and a vast selection categorized by new releases, gaming and meme popularity, business suitability, and more.

tiktok trend discovery - viral tiktok song playlist

6. Read up on TikTok trend perspectives

To simplify trend discovery, TikTok Creative Center features a Trends section with Trend Perspectives. These perspectives educate TikTok marketers and advertisers on audience behaviors, enabling you to anticipate trends within your industry.

tiktok trend discovery - trend perspectives

7. Research successful TikTok creative strategies

The Creative Strategies page within Creative Center’s Education tab provides insights into past successful trends. Here, you’ll find TikTok marketing case studies, creative guidance, and concise tutorials.

tiktok trend discovery - example of tiktok creative strategies

8. Use the TikTok Ads library and Top Ads Dashboard

The TikTok Ads library, similar to Facebook’s, offers transparency and inspiration by showcasing competitor ads.

tiktok ads library - available country data example Currently limited to European ads, it provides a broad understanding of trending ad formats within your industry. For a global perspective, the Top Ads Dashboard within Creative Center’s Inspiration section displays top-performing ads based on your criteria for any region.

tiktok trend discovery - top tiktok ads example

9. Find hot keywords with Keyword Insights

Located in the Inspiration section, the Keyword Insights tool helps you discover trending keywords to optimize your video scripts and captions for connect with your target market. This tool identifies keywords with significant popularity surges and showcases related videos for inspiration. Remember to pre-determine your core target keywords using other research tools.

tiktok trend discovery - tiktok keyword insights 🛠 Need assistance with TikTok Keyword Insights? Explore our Free Keyword Research Tool.

For competitive analysis, the Top Products section within Creative Center’s Inspiration tab is essential. It offers insights into trending products within specific categories.

tiktok trend discovery - top tiktok products You can then compare your video performance against industry averages and examine trending content for those products.

tiktok trend discovery - top products analytics

11. Browse your own TikTok FYP

Your own TikTok FYP is a valuable resource for TikTok trend discovery. The TikTok For You Page (FYP) curates content based on your interactions, providing insights into your target audience’s preferred trends. Engage actively on your account, adopting the mindset of your ideal customer.

tiktok trend discovery - tiktok fyp

12. Use the TikTok trend discovery page

TikTok’s emphasis on trends has led to a dedicated TikTok trend discovery page within the app. This section allows users to explore videos related to the most popular trends.

tiktok trend discovery page screenshot

6 more ways to do TikTok trend discovery (beyond the TikTok Creative Center)

While TikTok’s app and Creative Center are primary resources, a well-rounded approach considers other avenues for trend identification. Explore these ideas:

1. Look at YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts are YouTube’s short-form videos, similar to TikToks in length, style, and format. Many brands maintain a consistent presence on both platforms, making popular YouTube Shorts a valuable source for discovering new TikTok trends.

tiktok trend discovery - youtube shorts home page example

Similar to YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels offer another avenue for discovering trending short-form video content. Many trends overlap between Instagram Reels and TikTok, with viral TikToks frequently reposted as Reels!

tiktok trend discovery - instagram reels example

3. Refer to your historical performance

Trial and error are essential for determining which trends work for your business. Continuously test and benchmark your progress, referring to your TikTok analytics for data-driven insights. Over time, historical performance analysis allows you to anticipate new trend evolution based on your past successes and failures.

tiktok trend discovery - tiktok analytics Source

4. Use your marketing planning calendar

Aligning your content with upcoming events and seasons using a marketing planning calendar helps you predict and capitalize on potential TikTok trends.

tiktok trend discovery - example marketing planning calendar from localiq

Google video search ranks videos based on factors like popularity and relevance, making it useful for gathering trend ideas from platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and industry websites.

tiktok trend discovery - google video search screenshot

Using TikTok trend discovery to your advantage

Numerous methods exist for discovering TikTok trends relevant to your business. Dedicating even a small amount of time to understanding these trends can significantly streamline your content planning. If staying constantly updated feels overwhelming, consider how our solutions can help your business leverage social media trends across platforms, including TikTok.

Here’s a recap of TikTok trend discovery methods:

Using TikTok Creative Center:

  1. Explore top creators
  2. Monitor the trending videos tab
  3. Analyze popular hashtags
  4. Read TikTok trend perspectives
  5. Discover popular songs
  6. Utilize the TikTok Commercial Music Library
  7. Research successful creative strategies
  8. Analyze the TikTok Ads library
  9. Uncover hot keywords with Keyword Insights
  10. Identify trending products
  11. Browse your own FYP
  12. Utilize the TikTok trend discovery page

Beyond TikTok Creative Center:

  1. Explore YouTube Shorts
  2. Examine trending Instagram Reels
  3. Analyze your historical performance
  4. Leverage your marketing planning calendar
  5. Try Google video search
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