It’s not a groundbreaking statement to say just how unpredictable the social media landscape is. With updated algorithms, new trending songs, and an audience’s interest level that is always shifting, it’s hard to guess what kind of content will outperform others. TikTok released its annual “What’s Next 2023 Trend Report” which speaks to what the platform believes will be the focus for content and allows a comprehensive understanding of what marketers can anticipate how consumers’ wants and needs will change throughout the year.
Included within the report were three focuses that they encourage creators to venture into when they’re planning their content. This includes Actionable Entertainment, Making Space for Joy, and Community-Built Ideals. Our Platform creators are thriving on TikTok, as they have already implemented these features into their content, a testament to why their content continues to perform at the rate that it does.
Actionable Entertainment
This includes content that inspires the audience to take action. Instead of speaking about the products a creator has purchased or been gifted from a brand, they show their audience the product in action and provide their initial thoughts. An honest creator, whether through a positive or negative review, is able to build trust from their audience, which in turn, encourages their audience to continue to seek out the creator’s thoughts moving forward.
Miss Fiercalicious, KiteenMariee, and BelowTheBlonde have garnered their audiences based on honest and raw tutorials with personal stories of them trying products and showing their favourites and least favourite items. How they specifically connect to the product they’re speaking about shows relatability. For instance, Kiteen Marie uses her platform to influence other midsize Canadian moms to shop specific fashion pieces that she has found works for her body type. Her audience returns to her because they trust her opinion and can compare themselves to the visuals she shares in her videos.
Making Space for Joy
Many users seek out joy through the content they consume on TikTok. While there are plenty of self-care tips and tricks, users are still feeling burnt out and wish to find meaningful messaging on the app. This includes discovering stories celebrating humour, relaxation, and content that encourages users to make room for themselves.
LexNiko, Jules the Lawyer, and MaudeCPion show snapshots of their life that allow them to reflect on moments of positivity like #HotGirlWalks or pausing in the day to make themselves a fancy latte. Maude has grown her loyal audience by showing the mini luxuries in her day through calming, aesthetic videos.
Community-Built Ideas
TikTok’s communities thrive because of their specificity. People bond and learn from one another because they are able to find relatable creators that speak to their unique interests which then exposes them to something they might not have found on their own. Hyper-niche interests help users to bond with one another and in doing so, broaden their overall content exposure. For example, you love New York City and watch creators post about their life as a New Yorker and they use a song within the video that the user might not have listened to before.
Jessundecided, Christina.Mychas, and Rachspeed have curated audiences from their daily videos that include everyday activities while providing niche-specific knowledge to their audience. Christina’s channel is predominantly minimalist style tips but also includes budgeting and low-spend content that encourages saving and thoughtful spending.