5 Foolproof Ways to Stay on Top of TikTok Trends

Last Updated: January 12, 2023

When you think of TikTok, you might think of the songs, the dances, or the many #challenges that have surfaced over the past year. TikTok is known for its quick and snappy style and keeping up with the latest trends, sounds, and challenges is important for every TikToker. With these five tricks and tips, it’ll be even easier to stay on top of what’s popular right now.

1

Use Your Discover Page

The first place you should go to find the newest trends is your Discover Page. Easily one of the most looked over tools on the app, the Discover page lists the most popular hashtags, video effects, sounds, and challenges.^{[1]
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Expert Source

A.J. Aldana
Social Media Specialist
Expert Interview. 30 July 2020.}
- At the top of the screen, a rotating banner will show you the trending hashtags and popular topics. Click on one of the banners to learn more about that trend.
- As you scroll down on the Discover page, you’ll notice numbers on the right-hand side of each trend. That number will tell you how many people have used that sound, effect, or hashtag. Click on that number and scroll through all the videos using that trend. Not only will this feature help you see the most popular trends (with some numbers up in the billions), but it can also give you context or ideas on how to film your own TikTok in that trending style.^{[2]
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- Keep track of the videos that you see on your "For You" page since that can show trends and hashtags that are relevant to you.^{[3]
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  Expert Source
  
  Chelsea Hunersen
  Social Media Expert
  Expert Interview. 4 November 2022.}

2

Follow Big TikTok Influencers

Who you follow will change what type of videos you see and how quickly you see them. To make sure the biggest trends get to you as soon as they go viral, be sure to follow the people who set the trends! Influencers are known for making different sounds and challenges popular, so they’re a great resource.
- These are a few of TikTok’s most popular influencers that you might already follow: Charli D’Amelio (@charlidamelio), Addison Rae (@addisonre), Bella Poarch (@bellapoarch), and The Dobre Twins (@dobretwins)
- TikTok is perfect for short form comedy and these users have it down: Brittany Broski (@brittany_broski), Broski’s lesser known second account is also a gold mine (@lostmymarblesagain), Emmy Hartman (@emmwee), Casey Hamilton (@mrhamilton), Kyle Gordon (@kylegordonisgreat), and Sally Darr Griffin (@sallydarrgriffin)
- You can also find some of the best cooks, chefs, and foodies on TikTok: Morgan Ekroth (@morgandrinkscoffee), Shereen Pavlides (@cookingwithshereen), and Jeremy Scheck (@scheckeats)
- And for a mish mash of popular content: Jasmine Chiswell (@jasminechiswell), Hyram Yarbro (@skincarebyhyram), Remi Bader (@remibader), and Oneya Johnson (@angryreactions)

3

Filter Your Search Results by Type

You can filter your search results to display content on certain trends using TikTok's Search bar. Once you’ve found a popular challenge, user, sound, or hashtag, type it into the search bar at the top of the Discover page. This will lead you to a page that gives you different posts related to your search, as well as a few filters.
- Select a filter to see the associated media type related to your search. For example, clicking on the “users” filter will show you all the users with your search in their username, ranked by the most popular user or the user that best matches your search. The “videos” tab will show you videos related to your search and the “sounds” filter will show you the most popular sounds related to your search.

4

Filter Your Search Results by Popularity

If you are generally looking for trends, filter search results by popularity. To fine-tune your searches based solely on the popularity of the video, trend, or sound, once you have searched a topic, click on the sliding bars icon on the right-hand side of the search bar.
- This will pull up a filtering option that will allow you to adjust what is prioritized in your searches.
- You can filter by when videos were made, the number of likes, or the relevance of the content. Once you’re happy with your filters, click “Apply” in the top left corner to filter your search. Modifying these filters will allow you to dive one level deeper into trends and popularity, making sure you’re seeing TikTok’s most recent content.

5

Look to Other Social Media

TikTok popularity extends beyond TikTok. It may feel counterintuitive to look to other social media platforms to figure out what’s most popular on TikTok, but stick with us. The most popular TikTok videos will likely also become popular on other social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and even Snapchat. TikToks that go viral on other platforms are popular enough to reach even larger audiences, guaranteeing their trendiness and popularity. Keep track of what you see on TikTok and what transfers to other platforms by routinely checking your other social media platforms.
- Often, videos that come from TikTok will have the TikTok logo somewhere on them no matter what platform they’re on.
- For instance, TikToks are often posted to Instagram’s similar platform, Instagram Reels, You can find Instagram Reels by clicking on the middle movie reel button on the bottom of the screen on the homepage of Instagram.
- Another way to use other social media platforms is to take note of challenges and sounds that are reused from app to app. Challenges and popular songs are easy to recreate on other platforms, so even if the videos aren’t identical, similar trends indicate popularity no matter the platform.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do I track TikTok trends?

Chelsea Hunersen
Social Media Expert
Chelsea Hunersen is a Social Media Expert and leads the Social Media team at Qualtrics in the Greater Salt Lake City Area. With over 10 years of experience, she specializes in social media and content development. She has been published in TheMuse, The HubSpot Blog, and HuffPost. She earned her MS in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University and her BA from the University of Michigan. She also holds a HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certification.

Chelsea Hunersen

Social Media Expert

Expert Answer

Check the hashtags on the videos in the "For You" page. Sometimes, people use trending hashtags that don't line up with their content to make their videos trend. You can also google what's popular on Tiktok—there are sites out there that unofficially aggregate what's trending on TikTok for the day.
Question

How long does the average trend last?

Chelsea Hunersen
Social Media Expert
Chelsea Hunersen is a Social Media Expert and leads the Social Media team at Qualtrics in the Greater Salt Lake City Area. With over 10 years of experience, she specializes in social media and content development. She has been published in TheMuse, The HubSpot Blog, and HuffPost. She earned her MS in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University and her BA from the University of Michigan. She also holds a HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certification.

Chelsea Hunersen

Social Media Expert

Expert Answer

Trends don't last super long—so, if you see one going around, it's important to hop on it within a day or 2 so you don't miss it. You never know how long a trend is going to stick around, so you want try and catch it while it's still popular.