May 21, 2021 4 min read

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TikTok has managed to wedge itself into the big-league social media world alongside the likes of Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter today. Boasting an impressive 80 million monthly active users in the United States, with 60% of users falling in the age bracket of 16 to 24, TikTok is arguably the most powerful way to get in contact with Gen Z right now.

That’s probably why more companies, marketing agencies, influencers and campaign managers have flocked to TikTok than ever before in recent months, leveraging the video app for its organic and authentic marketing tools that use a far less aggressive approach to advertising when compared to YouTube and Facebook.

While all of these changes and an increasing user-base occurs within TikTok, the app’s creators are busy churning out content and impacting trends, contests and even app etiquette.

Although it can be hard to keep up with these creators who can, at times, post 8 to 10 videos per day (plus host a TikTok Live), here are three new TikTok trends to watch for.

2021 TikTok trends to watch

1. The at-home revolution

TikTok has, at times, been touted as the “pandemic app” that so many people downloaded in March 2020 as a form of entertainment from home. While we continue to work from home, workout at home and entertain from home in an effort to slow the- pread, TikTok has managed to fill a void in at-home ideas and suggestions for users. You can count on TikTok to provide you:

• How-to educational videos
• Short-form online courses

In just 15-seconds, TikTok creators have mastered the art of presenting step-by-step information that can help a person learn a new skill or trade. You can catch creators like Sandy Lin (@smallbusinesstips_) going over how to file an LLC, start a business or access new freelancing sites. And don’t forget TikTok chef Cooking With Shereen (@cookingwithshereen), who breaks down some of the most complex recipes in a simple-to-follow format. That’s probably why the #stepbystep hashtag took off at the end of 2020: TikTok has become one of the biggest marketplaces in the world for learning new information in 2021.

2. Mindful health and wellness on the go

In this “new normal” that is 2021, more people than ever are traveling in different ways in an effort to stay safe. For some, that’s living out of a van full-time for countrywide road trips. Just look at Adrian Brambila (@adrianbrambila) and how he documents his life on the road with his wife and affiliate marketing businesses.

For others, it’s crafting on-the-go limited food access series that show TikTok users how to select the best and most protein-packed food options in traditionally unhealthy settings like airports. Fitness influencer Allegra Paris (@allegraparis) has mastered the art of on-the-go TikTok tips that help all of her followers manage their macros in bus stations, gas stations, airports, and even small towns.

If there is one thing 2020 has taught us, it’s that you can’t take your health for granted.

3. The rise of the duet

The final trend to watch for this spring on TikTok is the increasing use of the duet as a means for brands and celebrities to connect with their fans. This was best demonstrated by actor Tom Felton (@t22felton), who used TikTok to duet with all of the creators that took part in the “Potter” challenge. For the best creator imitations, Tom dueted the video and his reaction so that the creator could not only see that Tom Felton watched their video, but so that they could also receive a big follower boost from the free promotion.

Duets are quick, easy, and require zero video preparation, yet humanize any big brand or celebrity almost instantly. It’s going to become an increasingly popular marketing tactic as social media users seek out a more organic connection with their favorite personalities moving forward.

Honorable mentions

Additional TikTok trend predictions include the explosion of episodic content with the arrival of the TikTok playlist feature, more record labels using TikTok dances as a way to make their clients’ songs go viral and digitized meme videos that add a whole new element to the popularity of meme culture.

As always, if you’re not using this social media app, you should be. It’s become so popular that YouTube is trying to play catch up with YouTube Shorts.

TikTok will continue to remain competitive in the U.S. social media market. It should be interesting to see how this social media app continues to impact changes made by Facebook and Google to their competing apps and products.