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5 Great TikTok Trends From 2022

There’s no doubt about it: TikTok has fast grown to become the most dominant app in the world for young consumers. With over one billion monthly active users and an app-opening average of fifteen times per day, its personalised algorithm and bite-size content has truly won the hearts of Gen Z.

Today, we take a look at some of the best TikTok trends of 2022, and share what youth marketers can learn from them to best capture the attention of young consumers.

1. User Generated Content

User Generated Content (UGC) is one of the most overarching trends for TikTok this year – and with UGC content posts performing 22% higher than branded content, it’s one that youth marketers simply cannot ignore. 

UGC content is any kind of content that has been posted by a user on any online platform. For brands, UGC is a valuable part of any marketing strategy because it showcases products in an authentic way that drives consumer trust. Again, this is more pertinent than ever for Gen Z marketing, with 82% of Gen Zers saying they trust a company more if it uses real customers in advertising. 

One successful example of a brand using UGC for brand awareness and conversions is makeup giant Laura Mercier. Laura Mercier recently kicked off a TikTok campaign with the branded hashtag ‘#ReadySetGo’. This challenge encouraged users to apply their favourite Laura Mercier products and showcase their transformations. Laura Mercier got the ball rolling by initially partnering with well-known beauty influencers Jamie Genvieve and Alxct, and later attained 8.1 billion global impressions and 2,500 pieces of organic user-generated content.

2. Music Trends

If you’re an artist looking to make your mark on the music industry, it’s no longer about who you know, but how far you’re willing to go to go viral. With many of today’s artists (such as Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X and Pink Pantheress) starting their careers via TikTok, many have noted the correlation between plugging their music into the platform and the music eventually appearing on the Billboard Hot 100. As more artists release songs via TikTok specifically, music brands have hopped onto this trend by shifting their digital practices. Syco, Universal, Republic Records and Samsung recently announced the launch of ‘StemDrop’ , an integration that enables artists and creators to showcase their talent and collaborate via TikTok. This is a trend largely being driven by Gen Z, who are 59% more likely to find music via short-form TikToks.

@hanamartinx

⚠️FLASH WARNING⚠️ how could i not do the #driverslicense trend;) @livbedumb IB: @spoiledmel #oliviarodrigo

♬ drivers license – Olivia Rodrigo

3. Street Interviews

A format popularised initially by YouTube, street interviews have quickly become a For You Page staple. Typical formats see creators out and about in cities, approaching strangers with entertaining (and often outrageous) questions. This trend is popular amongst younger users because it constitutes unscripted, authentic and lighthearted content – something we know Gen Z love. And it doesn’t stop there – in fact, many interviews have seen shorter clips extracted and going viral as a trending sound. Max Fosh’s famous ‘I don’t know my fruits’ clip drew the attention of millions worldwide, with celebrities like Ashley Graham hopping on the trend. Brands have utilised this trend to bring a human face to their products, with Gymshark’s TikTok content often showing their team out and about interviewing strangers with fitness-related questions.

@gymshark

dude has his priorities straight #calves #interview #Gymshark @The Canadian Boys

♬ Small calves – MaxTCB

The team at Student Beans has also implemented this TikTok strategy with great success. Popular videos see our social media team interacting with students and discussing the all-important topics dominating the Gen Z world today. Experimenting with a variety of topics has been the driver behind this strategy, with our most popular video on unprotected sex reaching a massive 48,000 people. Check it out below:

PS) Anyone got a message for their ex?

4. Influencer Houses

Forget surface level content – Gen Z are demanding more from influencers in this day and age, wanting to know exactly what they’re up to, who they’re dating and who they’re beefing with (Olivia vs Flossie anyone?). So, imagine a format where Gen Z can see this in real time, with their favourite influencers living under the same roof, armed with smartphones and a whole load of branded products. 


A recent example of a TikTok influencer house is FootAsylum’s ‘Locked In’ series. This campaign saw some of the hottest names on TikTok *quite literally* locked into a house together for a week. The line-up included TikTok sensation GKBarry, Kate Elisabeth and Max Khadar. FootAsylum showed their calibre against their competitor JD Sports (who had an envious line-up of stars for their Christmas campaign this year), drawing in millions of new searches and generating a huge amount of online buzz.

5. TikTok Live

Live shopping is the latest trend to penetrate the social space – and it’s a trend brands should take note of, with stats from Voxburner’s Gen Z and Social Media guide revealing that 54% of Gen Z users have made a purchase after seeing a product on TikTok. TikTok have amplified their standing in this trend, joining other tech giants such as Amazon to introduce a live commerce feature for US markets in partnership with TalkShopLive. This represents their second attempt at cracking the Live market, and marking it as a clear business priority. TikTok’s live feature sees influencers and creators live-streaming various branded products, with audiences interacting in the comments and adding the products directly to their baskets from the stream. Live commerce is a key trend for brands looking to integrate their products into the social space and to widen their exposure – and it’s seeing great results already. In 2021, Walmart’s live event with Jason Derulo saw their platform grow its TikTok followers by 25%, after attaining 7x more views than expected.

@jasonderulo

#ad SHOP LIVE with me & @walmart on Nov. 28 at 7pm ET & watch on Walmart.com/live #Sponsored #CyberDealsSunday

♬ original sound – Jason Derulo

Why not boost your brand’s potential with Student Beans Creators? Our Creators produce genuine, original content delivering ‘real’ campaigns to their peers. And the best bit? The content created is yours to keep and use across your own channels. Find out more!

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