TikTok went from viral phenomenon to marketing goldmine, and it’s not slowing down any time soon in 2025. With more than 1.5 billion users worldwide, the platform has become more than a home for dance challenges and lip-synching videos, bridging peers and brands through authentic connection to audiences. But how can you use TikTok trends to increase your brand’s reach, engagement and return on investment (ROI)?
Here, in this blog, we will discuss how to use the TikTok trends to enhance your brand growth in 2025. From why you should care about trends to how to be proactive (not reactive) in your TikTok marketing approach, we’ll offer tips to help you formulate a successful TikTok strategy.
Why Brands Should Pay Attention to TikTok Trends
TikTok trends are more than passing entertainment; they are conversation starters, community builders and even revenue generators. Here’s why your brand should take note:
Big Reach
Trends can take you from zero to seen by a large audience in a few hours. From a new hashtag to a popular filter or a dance challenge, trending TikTok content can reach millions in a matter of hours.
Cultural Relevance
TikTok is a center of cultural moments. Another is that by engaging in trends, the brand can maintain being current with its customers’ lifestyle.
Affordable Marketing
With small budgets and a lot of engagement, TikTok trends are low hanging fruit for businesses of all sizes that want to stand out in a world filled with advertising.
User-Based Potential
TikTok is user-generated content (UGC) heaven. Once your followers engage with your branded trends or challenges, they become advocates that extend your reach.
How to Spot TikTok Trends Early
TikTok trends come and go quickly. To keep pace, you will need to remain vigilant:
Explore the “For You” Page
The For You page (FYP) on TikTok is a treasure trove for discovering new waves. Open this page briefly every day and observe recurring themes in content, hashtags and sounds.
Follow Creators and Influencers
The biggie is that TikTok superstars are the trendsetters of viral content. Follow some amount of creators to see new trends early.
Use TikTok’s Creative Center
The Creative Center is an in-app analytics feature that surfaces popular music, hashtags, and creators. Use it to shape your approach around what’s buzzing.
Monitor Social Listening Tools
Social listening tools including Brandwatch or Sprout Social can be used to monitor trending sounds, challenges and hashtags on TikTok and beyond, enabling you to get a head start on these trends.
TikTok Fads That Will Define 2025
TikTok lives on creativity and never stands still. Here are some of the biggest trends projected to take over in 2025:
Personalized Storytelling Challenges
Storytelling is the king for 2025, and everything related to sharing personal experiences is trending. Brands that can present real, raw, edgy challenges and attach those experiences to an authentic human story will resonate at a profound level.
Eco-Influencer Collaborations
Gen Z and Millennials still prioritize sustainably. Collaborating with eco-influencers for challenges or campaigns featuring sustainable products will be especially relevant.
Interactive Live Videos
Live streaming is nothing new, but TikTok’s interactive features — Q. and A. polls and real-time shopping integrations — have brought a new sense of urgency to live content as a marketing tool for brands.
“Just Ask AI” Content
The trends in A.I. are permeating TikTok in every direction. Anything that is educational in nature, or considered a challenge in showcasing how AI plays into our everyday lives (ie, “AI meal planning hacks”) will be huge.
How to Take Advantage of TikTok Trends to Grow Your Brand in 2025
Now that we’ve discussed why trends are important and how to recognize them, let’s dive into actionable ways to utilize TikTok trends:
Match Your Campaign with the Pinners’ Tide – Be Trendy, but Be Relevant
Not every trend will be a fit for your brand. Stick to your identity and audience, and what vibes with you. If you are a food brand, participating in recipe challenges is a more logical match than jumping on board dance trends, for instance.
Put Your Spin on the Trend
Creativity is key. Take advantage of popular sounds or hashtags but mix in your brand’s distinct personality. And a fun twist keeps your content unique while staying on trend!
Partner with TikTok Creators
Influencers on TikTok have a lot of power. Team up with the right creators who share the same brand values as you and you can extend your reach and ensure that you gain traction more quickly for your content.
Encourage User-Generated Content
And get your followers to join in on your challenge or use your branded hashtag as well. Acknowledging players with mention or giveaways helps them feel part of a group and keeps them coming back.
Measure Performance and Adapt
Anyone who is honest will tell you that TikTok trends are fickle, so keep an eye on your posts with TikTok analytics tools, looking for views, shares and engagement. Leverage this information to optimize your approach and determine what content rovsuthe best ROI.
A Case Study of TikTok Trends Riding on the Coat Tails of IRL
How Duolingo Became a TikTok Sensation
The language-learning app Duolingo went viral on TikTok, with its playful, relatable mascot — a bird named Duo the Owl. The brand joined popular trends, tapping into humor and absurdity and subtly showcasing the app. This approach produced millions of views, increased its app installs and made the brand culturally relevant to Gen Z.
TikTok Overview: What Is the App and What You Need to Know
TikTok Analytics: Top 9 Metrics to Track for Your Brand
Here are the KPIs to follow when tapping into TikTok trends:
Engagement Rate (likes, shares, comments): Measure the people who have liked, shared, and commented on your content.
Hashtag Performance: Track the Impact and Competition of Your Brand’s Hashtags.
Views and Watch Time: More views and longer watch time signal interesting content.
User-generated content: Keep an eye on the numbers of users who create content around your challenge or trend.
Putting Your TikTok Plan in Action
You already know that on TikTok, when people say the trends turn, trends do not just turn, but evolve — and people lead them. The platform is rich for marketers who are ready to tailor their approach to the changeable ecosystem.
Begin your TikTok marketing plan and try your first trend experiment. Whether you’re igniting a branded challenge, collaborating with influencers, or tapping into the latest sustainability craze, these are each movements toward creating a culture-first, digitally-native brand.
