TikTok Trends: Are they a thing of the past?

TikTok erupted into the mainstream social landscape in March 2020. When everyone was stuck inside due to lockdown restrictions, TikTok became the go-to source of entertainment. 

TikTok trends were coming in thick and fast, reaching the furthest corners of the platform. Your entire For You Page would consist of people trying TikTok dance trends (remember Renegade?), TikTok food trends (whipped coffee, anyone?), and general mindless content (bored in the house). 

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Back then, we weren’t just consuming content. We were creating it. Many viral TikTok trends were started by user-generated content; most TikTok creators had yet to dominate the space. TikTok trend discovery was easy; all you had to do was visit the—since retired—Discover page. 

In its early days, TikTok was all about content. As the platform grew and creators began to gain popularity, TikTok introduced the Creator Fund Program. Then, trends seemed to shift. Instead of TikTok trends coming from users, they were made by creators. 

Instead of following trends, TikTok users began to follow creators. Followed creators and those similar were boosted organically through the For You Page’s algorithm, which was beginning to become the online opium we have today. TikTok didn’t need to rely on everyday users to create content anymore—creators were looking to do it professionally. 

Creators users follow dictate the experience they have on the app. These creators ignited the subcultures and niches present on the platform today. Rather than everyone experiencing the same TikToks and entertainment, the viewing experience is catered to the subcultures users are within. 

TikTok trends right now are mainly found within niches. While some TikTok trends reach virality (we’re thinking Dabloons or negroni sbagliato… with prosecco in it), they don’t last nearly as long as they once did. 

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In addition to this, TikTok has introduced new formats (photo slideshows) that has resulted in memes being recycled from other platforms. While this technically offers new variety in terms of TikTok trends, it also meant trends from other platforms were now replicable on TikTok, making it somewhat indistinguishable from the others. 

One benefit of the nicheness of new trends is that TikTok trends for brands are now easy to locate and replicate. As long as a brand is fully immersed in its niche, and understands how its audience communicates on TikTok, recreating TikTok trends for businesses is easy…ish. 

In the beginning, TikTok provided entertainment and an escape to users across the globe. It was a communal experience, with users of all sizes readily getting involved with trends and TikTok fun. As time progressed, subcultures and niches solidified their places on the platform, creating unique TikTok communities and a more personal social experience. 

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@ Socially Powerful

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