As expected, the popularity of TikTok has continued to scale. The social platform has more than 1 billion users and has been downloaded more than 200 million times – in the U.S. alone. It started out as a channel geared towards Gen-Z, but quickly became a more universal platform with users ranging from ages 13-60. In summary, all brand marketers should be considering TikTok and the role it can play in their social media marketing ecosystems. As a social media marketing agency, we are keeping tabs on how TikTok is expanding available features and the type of content that is trending. See below for a roundup of the latest and greatest TikTok news and trends.
Until recently, TikTok content was limited to 60-second videos. However, in the spirit of providing users with the ability to create more entertaining content and incorporate “richer storytelling,” TikTok is rolling out longer-form videos. Users can now film, upload, and edit videos up to three minutes long directly within TikTok. It will be exciting to see how TikTok content will be taken to the next level with this time expansion.
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On Friday, June 25th, singing sensation Ed Sheeran broke the record for the biggest LIVE music performance on TikTok to date, attracting more than 5.5 million unique livestream viewers. The performance was streamed globally on Ed Sheeran’s TikTok channel in partnership with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The show was completely concepted and optimized for what would perform best on TikTok, including a bespoke stage designed for vertical video.
The success of this livestream has certainly set the stage for future musical performances created specifically for TikTok.
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At the end of 2020, TikTok creator @jamiejukesuk took the popular Annie song “It’s a Hard Knock Life” and used the song to list all of the challenges that single people run into when dating in their 30s. As each new issue is presented on the screen, it shows Jamie getting knocked to the ground. Despite the fact that the video was originally uploaded in 2020, the trend took off in May 2021 generating over 27K videos.
The “Touch It” phenomenon is more of a traditional TikTok challenge with two iterations circulating on the app. One of those versions is fashion-focused, where creators showcase look after look. The audio is a remixed version of Busta Rhyme’s song “Touch It.” This is a great trend for fashion influencers and apparel brands to capitalize on, as people typically share six or more looks in a single piece of content. You can find this awesome content with the hashtag #TouchItChallenge. There are over 244M views on this content to date.
Have you ever had a Zoom mishap, like thinking you were on mute when you really weren’t? This trend encapsulates all of those embarrassing moments caught on camera. According to Complex, @thiswellplannedlife made a skit that showed an annoyed worker making agitated gestures while on Zoom, unaware that her camera was on. She eventually gets called out by another co-worker on the Zoom video and immediately tries to play it off. Other creators have taken this original audio to showcase their own cringe-worthy Zoom mishaps. You can find these videos with the hashtag #ZoomMeeting
And of course, any time content is created around food, you know it has the potential to go viral! This trend involves taking various ingredients packed into a tortilla wrap, then folding it into quarters, and grilling it. TikTok creators have incorporated literally every combination of ingredients you can think of, from savory Italian meats to sushi. You can find this content under the hashtags #tortillawraphack and #tortillachallenge.
Are you interested in starting your TikTok channel? Do you need help with strategy and creation of TikTok content? Reach out to our team of experts at info@socialflyny.com. We’d love to hear from you!
Written By: Kaitlyn Ryan, Director of Business Development & Marketing