It’s 2022, and if brands have not yet been on board the TikTok bandwagon, well, it’s about time that they should. TikTok’s popularity has exploded over the past few years.

With 800 million users speaking 39 languages across 150 markets, the platform looks like it’s definitely here to stay for good. In fact, 90% of TikTok users access the platform every day.

So this year, it’s about time that brands accept the truth – TikTok trends are, in fact, more than just a trend.

Here are 2022 TikTok trends that brands need to watch out for:

TREND 1: More brands and influencers will join TikTok this 2022.

TikTok has grown rapidly in just a few years, and some brands have totally embraced this new social phenomenon. TikTok has recently launched its formal advertising network, and as a result, there could be a significant increase in the number of brands doing video marketing on the platform this 2022.

Similarly, the number of influencers joining TikTok has also increased. With so many people uploading more niche and comprehensive TikTok videos, influencers who are also subject matter experts in their respective fields are given more exposure. As such, the rising number of influencers will also help increase the number of brands marketing on TikTok. For brands that are mainly targeting Gen Z or Millennials consumers, TikTok makes it easier for brands to reach their target audience through video ads and influencer marketing.

TREND 2: TikTok will remain popular even as the world goes back to normal.

TikTok was dubbed “the global pandemic app” as the surge of active users increased at the height of COVID-19 lockdowns. With so many people spending time at home, TikTok became the favorite app pastime for so many people. As the world opens up and people start to travel again, TikTok users have started to film their videos outside their homes. This trend is bound to continue in 2022. Users on the TikTok platform will begin sharing their lives outside their home environment.

TREND 3: More GenZ users will prefer TikTok to watching TV.

TikTok has replaced television for Gen Z consumers. With so many teens now using “to TikTok” as a verb, the platform is now the most popular social app for the Gen Z market. Since 98% of Gen Z teens have their own smartphones, they now take less interest in watching scheduled content on television. As a result, they spend more time online on their phones and use TikTok for content consumption. Since TikTok encourages episodic content, each video serves as a (mini) TV episode for the younger generation.

TREND 4: Brands will create more TikTok content this year.

TikTok videos are short, only maxing out at 60 seconds. Brands have started to realize that they can nurture their TikTok audience by consistently positing episodic content. For brands who wanted to maintain the engagement of their first TikTok video in their series, people would be eager to see what’s next. Brands can post in-depth TikTok videos and split them into several sequences. Each episode can even have cliffhangers at the end to ensure that the audience stays tuned for the next episode.

TREND 5: TikTok memes will reign supreme.

Memes have always been popular on social media, and this year, #memes on TikTok will be even more famous for Gen Z and Millennials. Video memes on TikTok will be more common, and a lot more TikTokers will also start creating videos that show their reactions to their favorite memes. As more TikTok users create videos memes, the more people will be inspired to create similar videos.

TREND 6: Branded hashtags will become more popular.

Hashtag challenges have always been one of the best TikTok features for brands. This 2022, brands will become more inclined to use hashtag challenges that will appeal to their TikTok audience. With a hashtag challenge, brands can create user-generated content that can possibly showcase their own products. As long as brands can make it fun and exciting, branded hashtag challenges are a sure win for TikTok marketing.

TREND 7: Social Commerce will become more ubiquitous on the platform.

With TikTok’s partnership with Shopify last year, eCommerce merchants now find it a little bit easier to reach their TikTok audience. Brands on Shopify can now create, run, and optimize TikTok campaigns on their Shopify dashboard. In addition, brands can create shareable content that can transform their product catalog to video ads on the platform. This gives users a seamless experience to browse and shop products on the app.

TREND 8: Brands will use more BTS and duets videos for fans.

Consumers are often curious about what happens behind the scenes of the brands that they follow and admire. TikTok creates the perfect opportunity to lift the veil of corporate secrecy and showcase the brand’s more personal side. This can be made even more enjoyable by showing exciting trivia about the brands, giving an office or factory tour, or even interviewing some of the brand’s employees.

TREND 9: Blurred lines between native ads and TikTok content will be more common.

TikTok users have a disdain for hard-sell advertising. That’s why brands make it a point to ensure that their ads don’t look like ads. Paid advertising content on TikTok is often aligned with the typical style and scope of the usual videos seen on the platform. That’s why video ads on TikTok are usually different from what we see on other social media channels. It’s not wise to reuse a brand’s TV ad and cut it to 15 seconds. Successful TikTok ads are often entertaining and would often add value to viewers.

TREND 10: Marketers will value more user-generated content.

The most valuable content for brands on TikTok is the user-generated content (UGC) that their followers made for them. Brands that have UGC turn their followers into their brand advocates on TikTok. Brands would often encourage their followers to share videos of themselves using their products and then post them with a branded hashtag. TikTok viewers also find UGC more favorable since most Gen Z consumers trust the content and reviews made by real people more than branded content.

Shakr DPA on TikTok

A scalable social commerce video solution is possible on TikTok with the help of Shakr’s dynamic product ads. Brands can create dynamic campaigns for their product catalog on TikTok. They can create thousands of videos, each unique to their individual SKUs.

So, what are the advantages of using Shakr’s video dynamic product ads (DPA)? Here’s the gist:

·   Proprietary video rendering with full interoperability with Adobe After Effects

·   On-demand support for any data feed to version automatically to infinity

·   Proven API with a track record with top e-commerce, advertising technology, and social platforms.

Shakr Brand Spotlight: YesStyle

The Challenge: Retarget viewers with native TikTok creatives.

Fashion marketplace retailer YesStyle used Shakr to run DPA campaigns on TikTok and create high-quality video assets at scale to increase their campaign results and video conversions.

The Solution: Shakr-made DPAs on TikTok for YesStyle

With the help of Shakr, YesStyle used both self-recorded TikTok assets and the Shakr Creative Lab team’s native model recordings to create high-quality TikTok templates for their product catalog. Each SKU in their catalog was plugged into one of the four TikTok templates at random to offset ad fatigue, and then the Shakr video technology rendered tens of thousands of assets, one for each product.

Key Result:

·   178% ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)

·   -70% CPM (Cost Per Mile)

·   -12% CPC (Cost Per Click)

The high-quality creatives drove a whopping 178% increase in ROAS compared to their static DPA campaigns on Facebook, proving that programmatic DPA creatives at scale can drive tremendous results by mimicking the native and organic look and feel on the TikTok platform.

Reference:

Geyser, W. (2021). 14 TikTok Trends You Need to Know in 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022, from https://influencermarketinghub.com/tiktok-trends/