Boasting more than one and a half billion users globally, TikTok has undeniably transformed the social media landscape since its debut in 2016.
As the platform continues to weave itself into the daily routines of countless users around the world—spanning far beyond just teenage audiences—its expansion remains unstoppable.
The platform provides a ton of opportunities for companies looking to connect with and captivate potential customers. If you haven't yet begun marketing on TikTok, there's no better moment than now to jump in.
This guide explores the essential TikTok trends you should be aware of as an ecommerce entrepreneur. Whether you're just starting out or refining an existing approach, you'll discover exactly what you need to succeed.
1. Brands and Influencers Are Embracing TikTok
When you think of "influencers," Instagram and YouTube might spring to mind first. However, the expansion of influencer marketing in recent years has extended across various social platforms, with TikTok emerging as a major player.
Content creators are increasingly discovering TikTok's power to connect with fresh audiences, capitalizing on what has become the fastest-expanding social network in history. Influencers are dedicating more time and energy to TikTok, with many shifting their focus toward the platform as a primary channel for audience engagement.
Beyond individual creators, companies are also taking notice. As businesses weave TikTok into their social media marketing strategies, the platform becomes more central to how brands execute influencer campaigns.
This represents one of the most significant TikTok trends currently unfolding, and all signs point to its continued momentum.
2. TikTok is Focusing More on Social Commerce
Social commerce on TikTok is poised for significant expansion. TikTok has formed strategic alliances with major ecommerce platforms, creating pathways for merchants to expand their visibility and drive conversions. These partnerships enable sellers to oversee their TikTok promotional activities directly through their existing store dashboards.
For brands to thrive in TikTok commerce, their content strategy should prioritize entertainment value over direct selling, especially as many purchases happen spontaneously. Most buyers aren't actively seeking products when they make purchases. Instead, they discover items while casually browsing. Many users turn to TikTok for inspiration or to research products they're considering, rather than with immediate purchase intent.
3. Personalized and Practical Content Dominate Feeds
Brief dance clips and hashtag challenges initially propelled TikTok into the spotlight during its early days. While these content formats continue to captivate audiences, new conversations have begun dominating the platform.
Personalized and practical content, wellness and mental health topics, and tight-knit communities rank among TikTok's most prominent themes today. As a marketer, you'll want to adjust your strategy to incorporate these elements meaningfully.
Think about weaving narratives and personal experiences into your promotional content when showcasing products. A "demonstrate, don't advertise" philosophy can be far more persuasive.
You can also incorporate uplifting and purposeful content centered on wellness into your feed, as inspiration often motivates buying decisions.
Finally, if you haven't done so already, build a community centered on your brand and offerings, regardless of how specialized your niche might be. You can achieve this by sharing educational content or demonstrating your products in real-world scenarios.
4. More and More Video Ads Coming to TikTok
The appetite for online video content has surged dramatically in recent years, with viewers dedicating substantially more time to watching videos compared to just a few years ago.
Given this rising demand, it's hardly surprising that organizations have ramped up their video content initiatives. The proportion of businesses incorporating video into their marketing mix has grown considerably over recent years. Video advertisements will become one of the most prominent TikTok trends moving forward.
Additionally, TikTok is investing heavily in supporting brands with their advertising efforts. The platform has launched educational resources featuring guides, tools, and best practices for creating video ads, essentially providing businesses with everything necessary to excel at video marketing on the platform.
5. TikTok Continues to Be the Platform for Fun
Different social media platforms serve distinct purposes. LinkedIn caters to professional networking and Pinterest draws people looking to explore new brands and products. So, what role does TikTok play?
The platform has become virtually interchangeable with entertainment and humor. A huge number of TikTok users visit the app specifically for fun.
To illustrate just how dominant TikTok is as an entertainment destination, consider that the percentage of users seeking similar content on Instagram and Facebook, both ranked among the most popular social media platforms, falls significantly lower.
That being said, entertainment isn't the sole draw for TikTok users. A substantial portion also use the platform to discover and learn about brands and products, so it's clearly a platform where brands should concentrate their marketing resources.
6. Remixing Is the New User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is far from a new concept. However, TikTok has introduced fresh approaches for users to enhance this content through the popular "remixing" format.
Remixing involves taking existing formats, templates, or concepts and recreating them to showcase a user's unique personality or perspective. This creative approach has gained significant traction on TikTok.
TikTok's integrated editing capabilities and features enable users to produce far more imaginative content. Adding audio to videos is merely the starting point. The platform also provides augmented reality effects, allowing content creators to incorporate interactive and visually striking elements into their videos.
7. TikTok has Become Google for Young Adults
Google has long had its name used as a verb, highlighting its supremacy among internet users. However, that dominance may be facing a challenge, and not just because of the shift toward AI search behaviors.
A substantial share of young adults are moving away from Google and instead using platforms like TikTok for discovery. For this demographic, TikTok has become their primary destination when seeking information or recommendations.
The visual nature of TikTok also means these users are conducting searches in innovative ways on the platform, often gravitating toward visual content that feels relatable and easy to understand.
8. Promoting Music on TikTok
TikTok has become a haven for finding fresh music and audio experiences. A large majority of TikTok users report that sound or music in videos is essential, and videos wouldn't make sense without it.
Many users say they would pause to watch TikTok ads that incorporate audio. This figure far exceeds comparable metrics on other social platforms.
This indicates that to succeed on TikTok, brands must make audio the centerpiece of their content. Many TikTok videos achieve viral status precisely because of the originality of their sounds or music.
Looking ahead, we'll likely see more businesses incorporating distinctive audio into their TikTok content to promote their brand. As one of the biggest TikTok trends to watch, it also creates fresh opportunities for businesses to reach unexplored audiences and gain new visibility.
9. TikTok Is Essentially the New TV
Famous for its brief videos, TikTok might not resemble traditional television programming in the conventional sense. However, it draws parallels through the steady and regular flow of fresh content, similar to how viewers anticipate new TV episodes.
Since most TikTok content is discovered through hashtags, users have a clear pathway to newly published content tagged under the same hashtag and understand exactly how to access it. This functions similarly to how TV audiences would tune into the same channel at the same time weekly for a new episode.
This strategy works exceptionally well for brands because it helps captivate users and keeps them coming back for more.
10. TikTok is a Powerful Tool for Brand Identity
TikTok values authentic and genuine content above all else. Authenticity is a hard requirement for any TikTok channel hoping for an engaged audience.
This explains why content like behind-the-scenes footage has performed so effectively for brands on TikTok. It offers viewers an authentic glimpse into what the brand represents, the people driving it, and ultimately, an unfiltered, direct perspective on the brand's character. This type of content particularly resonates with younger, Gen Z audiences, who represent a powerful presence on TikTok.
Sharing unpolished and authentic content is one of the most significant TikTok trends ever (if not the most significant) and it's certainly something to prioritize in your TikTok strategy.
TikTok Trends for Ecommerce Businesses
Here's a summary of the TikTok trends you need to know as an ecommerce entrepreneur:
- Increasing numbers of brands and influencers are adopting TikTok as a core marketing channel.
- TikTok is becoming a primary social platform for emerging shopping behaviors and commerce trends.
- Personalization, wellness and mental health, and community building are among TikTok's biggest trends.
- With the expansion of video marketing and TikTok's business platform launch, users can expect increased video advertising on TikTok.
- The vast majority of people visit TikTok to discover funny or entertaining material.
- TikTok's robust integrated editing capabilities and features are enabling more users to remix their content creatively.
- A significant portion of young adults are turning to TikTok for information and recommendations instead of Google.
- The overwhelming majority of TikTok users consider sound essential to the TikTok experience.
- TikTok's ability to create TV-like serialized content experiences will continue.
- Sharing authentic and genuine brand content is and will continue to be fundamental to marketing success on TikTok.
TikTok Trends FAQ
Why Is TikTok Essential for Ecommerce Entrepreneurs?
Short-form video has become one of the most addictive and profitable media types for brands hoping to draw younger audiences toward their businesses. There are over 1.59 users on the platform globally, with a substantial share falling in the 18-34-year-old category. The platform launched TikTok Shop in 2023 for direct selling, making it a very valuable resource for ecommerce businesses, especially those hoping to reach millennials and Gen Z consumers with creative ads and branded challenges.
Is TikTok the Most Popular Social Media Platform?
While TikTok is quite popular and still growing, it’s not the biggest platform by monthly active users. Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp all have more monthly active users than TikTok, meaning that it’s still among the top platforms.
What’s the Best Social Media Platform To Reach Gen Z Customers?
Along with TikTok, the best social media platforms for selling to Gen Z in a way that matches their online behaviors are Instagram and Snapchat.
What Countries Use TikTok the Most?
Globally, TikTok had 1.59 billion users at the start of 2025, with an estimated 1.9 billion users by 2029. Even though the platform faces issues in the US, it’s the country with the most users (135 million). Indonesia had 107 million in 2025, and Brazil counted 92 million users.
When Should You Post on TikTok?
The most important factors for any social campaigns are authenticity and creativity, but timing definitely matters, even on TikTok. The platform’s algorithm gives priority to content that’s recent and relevant, so definitely schedule posts for when your audience is awake and active. Remember that weekends may seem like good times to post, but engagement and reach is generally lower than during the week. Most importantly, when you do identify times that work for your content, stick to them consistently and keep your quality up to expectation.
What’s the Best Type of Product for Dropshipping on TikTok?
TikTok has a relatively young demographic who are used to rapid consumption, deals, and low prices. Your products should appeal to the highly visual and impulsive nature of TikTok shopping and probably steer clear of prices over $45.