TikTok’s ‘What’s Next’ 2024 report says curiosity, storytelling and trust are game-changers

As we close 2023 and look forward to the new year, we’re deeply immersed in prediction season. The reality is, something new is always trending (songs, relationships, celebrities), and it's hard to know what will go the distance and where businesses should invest creatively to have the most impact. Fortunately, TikTok’s new “What’s Next Trend Report” for 2024 reveals trending behaviors within the TikTok community, along with better ways to tell stories and communicate with your audience. This year's report introduces the idea of "creative bravery"; that taking strategic risks and being vulnerable is now the ultimate brand strategy. It offers a peek into what will be on-trend in 2024 with a plethora of examples—popular audio clips, product recommendations, video formats and everything in between. These trends get more powerful when users comment on videos or make their own content, and as such, can inform sales and advertising trends that are worth following. Supported by global research studies, TikTok analyzes these trends and comes up with a picture of a modern culture that is characterized by three big shifts in user expectations: 1. Curiosity Peaked: What you didn’t know you needed TikTok’s report finds that its users are curious, especially when it comes to new experiences and topics. The platform found that 44% of users came to TikTok with a specific outcome in mind, but ended up discovering something they didn’t expect. Dubbed “Serendipitous Scrolling,” the report dives into global trending hashtags prompting new knowledge sharing and discovery — #tiktokfinds, #whattowatch, #curiosidades. The report also highlights cultural diversity with another trend it calls“Entertainment Without Borders”; 74% of TikTok users report the platform connects them with people from different backgrounds and cultures. As an example, the report highlights a Clinique UK campaign on the platform that relied on this concept of discovery and serendipity. Using TikTok’s Search Ads Toggle, the brand teamed up with creators to endorse its latest product lines. Its success in driving consideration through search translated to a 441% increase in conversion rate and a 51% increase in click-through rate, the report says. 2. Storytelling Unhinged: Expect the unexpected TikTok’s second trend for 2024 makes note of an evolution in creator storytelling, characterized by unpredictable tales with flair that compel users to want to know how the stories work out. For advertising, the report found that intriguing narrative structures have the power to guide users past the first few seconds, keeping them watching 1.4-times longer than traditional storytelling. The report calls this “Community-Fueled Storytelling", leading to “disruptive narrative formats” that surprise and capture attention. The takeaway for marketers: It’s you and your community that together shape your brand’s identity and narrative. Always explore ways of contributing to an existing conversation, or even invite co-creation by adding suggestions and comments into subsequent videos. As an example, the report notes IGG’s launch of its new game Viking Rise. The brand showcased a variety of “let’s play” creatives, getting TikTok gamers excited about the new launch. IGG also rolled out a #VikingRise Branded Mission with a “spin the wheel” effect that invited users to experience what it’s like to unlock characters in the game. In the campaign, illustrating unexpected immersive elements, IGG reached 400 million users, with 600,000 offering submissions to play along and add their own impressions and spins on the stories. 3. Bridging the Trust Gap: Listen and grow with your community Among the many findings in the report is an acknowledgement of the growing trust gap between consumers and brands. While brands are unsure how to meet consumer expectations here, trust can be driven by insider lingo that brands can adopt. Luxury has expanded into #quietluxury and #affordableluxury; #cleangirl is a TikTok-bred aesthetic all about minimalism; and #girldinner has redefined dinner into a fun joke and sharing activity with over 183,000 video creations. The marketing takeaway: Understand and adopt the language of the community's cultural context and connection. It lets them know you’re not just there to sell, “but are also listening, laughing and creating alongside you.” This mindset also allows marketers to cultivate a network of creators who are natural fits, to build relatability and influence with their communities. As an example, the report notes how baby-care company Makuku partnered with TikTok creators in mother-and-baby communities with a new product launch. The creators took the two keywords “best” and “love,” suggested by a hashtag challenge, as the campaign’s messaging starting point. Highlighted by a dancing baby in no-leak, comfortable diapers and by speaking the lingo of mothers, Makuku found that 20% of its brick-and-mortar customers learned about the brand on TikTok, with a resultant 500% increase in sales. Creative bravery breaks through TikTok has tried to put its finger on what it calls the three “Trend Forces” that marketers might consider in speaking authentically to its audiences in the new year. These forces, defined by curiosity, storytelling and community, highlight practical ways that brands can lean into creative bravery and show up in a meaningful way on TikTok. The report is only a snapshot of how marketers can keep up with a culture that’s constantly evolving. But over 1 billion users on TikTok offer a pretty compelling image. About TikTok TikTok for Business is a global platform designed to give brands and marketers the solutions to be creative storytellers and meaningfully engage with the TikTok community. With solutions that can deliver seamlessly across every marketing touchpoint, TikTok for Business offers brands an opportunity for rich storytelling through a portfolio of full-screen video formats that appear natively within the user experience.

TikTok’s ‘What’s Next’ 2024 report says curiosity, storytelling and trust are game-changers

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