LINK Chains: Week of December 27th
Weekly TikTok Trend Identification and Analysis for Businesses
Foreword
This week we’re making a bit of a change to the newsletter to bring more people together with it! We’re getting rid of our premium price tier and bringing the extra trends, applicability, and bonus features to our free readers as well. We want everyone to be able to harness TikTok to the best of their ability and we hope this newsletter will be where you start to not only understand the content on TikTok but engage with it in a meaningful way. Without further a do we’d love for you to join us as we explore through the trends and popular culture that surround the app every week, and how you can utilize it to best engage with your audience.
The Trends
#1 Yes I am
288.7k videos on the sound
Everyone has had a moment in their life when they have been told by a parent to not do something, yet they decide to do it anyways and these scenarios has manifested themselves into a trend. Creators are using Aloe Black’s song I’m the man, but more specifically the line that goes, “yes I am, yes I am, yes I am” in response to being told they aren’t going to do something. Activities range from sneaking out to some more inappropriate topics but users have gotten extremely creative with the theme and the videos we have seen are taking over the for you page.
Examples:
Applicability:
Brands will want to joke about engaging in activities that ride the border between being seen as inappropriate for a business but also hilarious in a petty or salacious fashion.
#2 Things I want for Christmas
165.2k videos on the sound
Christmas has passed but in the days leading up to the holiday users got very creative with wanting what they couldn’t necessarily buy. Creators made videos showing off their list of things they wanted except every image they used was of a single individual using those items. The videos subtly imply that they want the individual as their Christmas present while not being too forward and because of this the trend has blown up.
Examples:
Applicability:
Since Christmas has passed brands will want to wait until next year to re open this trend to the world of TikTok.
#3 What’s going on
88.5k videos on the sound
If you’ve ever felt like you drew the short stick, well this trend if for you (no pun intended). Users are presenting unrealistic expectations they have which weren’t met or when they are being wronged by another in an unimportant manner. Examples include users wondering what is going on when they don’t see a significant other wrapped under the tree Christmas morning, or what is going on when their little sibling starts to get away with things that they were not able to. The possibilities are endless and users continue to explore funny scenarios where they feel they mistreated, whether sarcastic or not.
Examples:
Applicability:
Brands will want to joke about funny scenarios when they aren’t “winning”. For example a brand could sarcastically joke about customers entering a competitors store or about a customer trying to steal.
#4 Round one fight
62.6k videos on the sound
With these videos creators are presenting times when they have to face a challenge, whether physical or metaphorical, The trend stems from a popular video game audio where players are to box one another, thus implying that creators are getting into this fight. The joke lies in the fact that users will either face no challenge whatsoever or if they do, the challenger will outmatch them significantly. They show this by turning around to face their opponent and then realizing they have to look way up to make eye contact. The opponent can be either physical or metaphorical but most creators are associating their competitor with an inner challenge and the results speak for themselves.
Examples:
Applicability:
Small brands will want to joke about competing or fighting with much larger conglomerates and large brands will want to create videos joking about not having to compete with smaller competitors.
#5 He could tell I was wifey material
41.4k videos on the sound
In this trend girls on the platform are joking about their personal attributes that make them “wifey material”. While some videos are serious with girls flaunting being wholesome or pure, most are very sarcastic and joke about things that common culture would not deem as wifey material. See examples below for a better understanding about the attributes that are either valued or not.
Examples:
Applicability:
Brands will want to associate their good traits or practices with being “wifey material” in a sarcastic manner.
#6 Hello… you…
18.6k videos on the sound
This trend represents situations where one has caught themselves dreaming about a very bad idea. While enticing at first, the circumstances users are presenting are generally paths that lead to bad outcomes and often they are mistakes the user has made in the past. The audio starts out with “hello you” alluding to a well received introduction to their lives, but then cuts to “oh no” in a regretful manner.
Examples:
Applicability:
Brands can use this to joke about being nice to competitors or other funny situations where it sounds enticing but the outcome will not benefit the company. Relating these situations to more human interactions is best.
#7 It was so good, I wanna give you a 10
11.4k videos on the sound
Two weeks ago TikTok brought to us the trend where it was so bad, they wanted to give us a zero. This week users have flipped the trending audio around and are joking about times when something another does is very attractive or tempting. This one is as simple as that, check out examples below!
Examples:
Applicability:
Brands will want to joke about past brand images including logos, promos, commercials, being really well done for their time.
Brands can also use this to uplift many of their products as amazing.
Trends from last week that keep climbing
#8 Pop your sh*t twin
119.4k videos on the sound
Sometimes one has to take their friends ego down a notch and this trend is allowing creators to do exactly that. The term “pop your sh*t” is a way for users to communicate that they are hyping up their friends or other people in their lives. Yet, like all things on TikTok this should be taken with a large, sarcastic, grain of salt. Most creators are utilizing the audio to make fun of their friends for being something they are not. One very popular example is users joking that their friends are secretly gay when they actually aren’t, yet the trend extends too many other forms of mockery.
Examples:
Applicability:
Brands can use this to satirically hype up competitors for doing a mediocre job or doing the bare minimum.
Additionally, it would be hilarious for brand representatives to highlight workplace dynamics, sarcastically cheering on their coworkers in a harmless manner.
#9 You must be sick
136.3k videos on the sound
As Omicron continues to sweep the world, TikTok users are, as per usual, not taking things too seriously. This trend has arisen as a joking way to show off user’s kinks and odd lusts. The videos have a self deprecating function to them and show the blunt truth that give viewers a laugh. Creators set up a premise that one “must be sick” if they are to like a certain attribute, and alongside the audio, act as if they are coughing, thus implying they are sick.
Examples:
Applicability:
Brands will want to joke from a customer perspective that one must be sick to like their product in an excessive manner.
For example, Chick Fil A could joke that someone must be sick to want Chick Fil A seven days a week when they can take a break on Sundays.
#10 I’m trynna get like you, my boy
92.7k videos on the sound
Jealousy can be motivation, and with this trend users are highlighting moments in their life when they have seen others living their dream. The audio reads, “must be nice, I’m trying to get like you my boy” and the tone represents a wholesome motivation to achieve a goal that another person in their life is living. Some videos are sarcastic, but most rely on others living a dream that is truly hard to achieve.
Examples:
Applicability:
Brands will want to joke from a customers perspective about wanting to be able to purchase an excessive amount of their product.
Additionally, brands could take a risk and joke about wanting to achieve what other brands in their space already have.
Bonus:
Last week we brought to you the wonderfully funny TikTok account for the Empire State building. As a little recap, the account is centered around the Empire State building being personified and roasting other famous skyscrapers. It turns out, however, that their campaign has caught the attention of the other towers of the world. Some have fought back, and others have admired from afar. The responses started with London’s Shard building when they began making flirtatious TikToks about the Empire State. I know, I promise you I’m not making this up. The Shard was smart in this tactic, making sure that they sided with the most prominent building on TikTok and even drawing some flirtatious responses in the comments from the Empire State, however, others decided to fight back. The Empire State’s account has most prolifically made fun of 432 Park Avenue in New York, but last week they made an account to fight back. It is unclear if this account is run by the actual management or a random TikTok user, but they’ve had a lot of fun responding to the attacks in their videos. Regardless, this interaction between skyscrapers of all things is yet another hilarious use case on TikTok and we hope to see more interactions like this soon.
Summary
Christmas season has come to a close and as New Years approaches, TikTok users are deciding not to reflect on themselves and rather reflect on how the world has treated them. Self deprecation combined with this sarcastic narcissism is driving users’ attitudes on the platform and the trend content we are getting out of it has been absolutely amazing. Stick along for the ride and we’ll make sure to guide you through the tumultuous world that is culture on TikTok, and how to navigate it with your brand.