How to Start a New TikTok Trend

Posted on 22nd Nov, 2024.

Trends are TikTok's lifeblood, and new ones come around daily on the app. But while trying out a new trend can help you go viral, creating a trend all but cements your status as a TikTok legend. By creating a trend, almost everybody else that participates will either have to reference or watch your original video in order to take part. That means an influx of new followers for you.

But how exactly do you start a TikTok trend and make sure it lands? We've got you covered, with our in-depth guide to creating your own TikTok trend as well as spotting what's already trending.

Try our TikTok Likes

Buying tiktok likes is a way to increase engagement at an instant.

100 likes at $1.99

Buy now

1. Create a Trending Sound

One of the most common types of TikTok trends is a trend that involves some sort of sound. This can be a song, piece of music, or even dialogue from popular TV shows and movies.

But did you know you can create and upload your own trending sound? You can blend two songs together, speed up or slow down an existing song, or pair a song with dialogue from a movie or TV show to create a cool sound. Use it in a video, buy some likes to give yourself a head start, and you'll be at the front of TikTok's FYP in no time.

2. Create a Trending Dance

Another TikTok classic - the trending dance routine. As long as you've got some natural rhythm (although sometimes, it can be funnier if you've not), you can create a dance routine - bonus points if it's to a trending sound.

A great recent example of this was the user who created the dance to 'Apple' by Charli XCX. She's grown her follower count exponentially, become a huge TikTok star, and even got to appear on the big screen at Charli XCX's recent tour!

3. Try a New Lip Sync

A popular TikTok trend is a lip sync - when a user finds a piece of speech or dialogue and lip syncs over it, acting out the words with emotion and passion, often with a humorous slant. Lip syncs are some of the most common trends on TikTok, and they're relatively easy to do even with little to no acting experience. Use an existing TikTok sound or upload your own.

4. Create a Trend Within Your Niche

A super effective way of starting a new trend is to create one in your niche. Are you a food creator? Try out a new set of 'flights' such as pizza slice flights, or create a quirky recipe that will get people talking. Are you a makeup creator? Try a new type of eyeshadow shade or eyebrow shape and watch it take off.

Even though trends within a niche might not go as viral as generalist trends, they can help you get the views you need to become TikTok famous.

5. Build on Existing Trends

If you don't have the ideas to create a brand new trend by yourself, try jumping on another trend and adding your own twist. If you see a cooking trend, for example, do your own version by swapping out one of the ingredients, or by making it vegetarian. By putting a unique spin on something others are already enjoying, you insert yourself into the conversation.

6. Use a Quirky Feature

TikTok is awash with plenty of fun features, such as filters like Green Screen and interesting games. By using a quirky feature, you can start a trend of others doing the same.

Likewise, you can use a particularly feature in a niche way. For example, a celebrity ranking filter might have been created to rank the celebrities you'd most like to date. But you can switch up the way you use the filter, and do something quirky and left-field such as 'ranking celebrities in order of who I'd most want to look after my dog.'

How to Spot Existing Trends

If you're not up to creating your own trend just yet, here's how to jump on an existing one with three ways to find what's currently trending.

1. Look at Trending Topics

You can actually see which topics and sounds are trending on TikTok easily, meaning you can create content that fits into the same category. When you click Search on TikTok, there's a list of trending topics that comes up automatically on the 'You May Like' section. TikTok's Creative Center also helps creatives discover trending topics and take inspiration for their own videos.

2. See What Comes Up on Your FYP

The easiest and most organic way to find out what's trending is to see what comes up on your For You page. If a style of video is trending - whether it's a challenge, lip sync, audio, or dance - the chances are it will appear on your FYP. Jump on trends as early as possible for maximum effectiveness. If you see a video is trending, try it out as soon as possible or you'll risk looking late to the party when you do it weeks down the line.

3. Scroll News Sites

While many news sites only report on world affairs, others, especially tabloid sites like the Daily Mail, cover social media trends. You can scour these sites to find TikTok trends and challenges to take part in. Who knows - if you do a good enough version of a trend or even make up your own, you might end up on the front of one of these news sites!

Participating in trends is probably the number one way to get noticed on TikTok. Whether you join the bandwagon on challenges that are already trending or start your own, TikTok trends offer the best opportunity to go viral and become a full-time content creator on this video-sharing app.