How to Create TikTok Trends

Ever wondered why a specific sound, phrase, or dance suddenly dominates your For You Page? It isn't just random luck, there’s a science and strategy behind what makes a TikTok trend catch fire. This guide will walk you through the entire process, showing you how to move from a simple idea to creating a repeatable format that has the potential to become TikTok’s next big thing.

Deconstructing a TikTok Trend: What Actually is it?

Before you can build a trend, you need to understand its components. A viral trend isn't just one thing, it's a replicable framework that other creators can easily adapt. Think of it as a template people can use to share their own stories. Most trends are built from a combination of a few core elements.

The Core Trend Ingredients:

• The Sound: This is the most common entry point for a trend. It can be a quote, an original music clip, a remixed popular song, or even just a funny voiceover. The sound sets the mood and provides the audio foundation.
• The Action or Format: This is what people do in the video. It could be a specific dance, a lip-sync, a character POV, a response to a text prompt, or a specific editing style. The “Of course…” trend, for example, is a format based on stereotypes for a person's identity or profession.
• The Effect: Sometimes a trend is tied directly to a specific TikTok filter or effect, like the popular greenscreen effects or a creative CapCut template. The visual element becomes the thing that links all the videos together.
• The Story or Challenge: Many trends are built around a central question or prompt, often presented in on-screen text. "Tell me without telling me..." or "List five things you'd never do as a [profession]" are formats that invite anyone to participate by sharing their own unique take.

Your goal isn’t to invent something completely out of nowhere. It's to create a simple, engaging package using one or more of these elements that is extremely easy for others to borrow and make their own.

Step 1: Unearthing Your Trend-Worthy Idea

The best trends feel familiar yet fresh. They tap into shared experiences, emotions, and cultural conversations. This is where you need to put on your detective hat and find a concept with viral potential.

Find the "I Thought I Was the Only One" Feeling

The most powerful trends come from hyper-specific, yet universally relatable, human experiences. Think about the small, weird, frustrating, or funny things everyone thinks but rarely says out loud.

• Internal Monologues: What’s the voice in your head saying when you're stacking the dishwasher? Or when you get an email starting with "Per my last email"? Turning these quiet moments into a sound or format connects instantly.
• Niche Pain Points: Every job, hobby, or lifestyle has its own set of inside jokes and complaints. The "we're [profession], of course we..." trend works because it gives people a way to bond over shared experiences that feel unique to their group. Dig into the specific problems and quirks of an audience you know well.
• Opposing Forces: High emotion is fuel for trends. Think about trends centered on concepts like "Things that just make sense" versus "Things that should be illegal." This simple binary gives people a clear structure to build on.

Ask yourself: what niche observation can I make that will make thousands of people nod their heads and say, "That's so true"? That’s where trend gold is hiding.

Tap into Current Conversations

You don't always have to start from scratch. Sometimes the best ideas come from adding a new angle to something people are already talking about.

• Pop Culture Moments: Did a new hit show just drop? A celebrity say something wild? A major movie trailer release? These moments create a wave of conversation. You can create a trend format that allows people to react to it, parody it, or comment on it.
• News &, Current Events: The “Roman Empire” trend was hilarious because it tapped into a broader online conversation about history memes and gender dynamics. Think about the bigger themes in the news and how you could create a simple, apolitical format for people to weigh in on through their own creative lens.

Step 2: Building Your Trend's Core Components

Once you have an idea, you need to turn it into a replicable package. The number one rule here is to keep it simple. The lower the barrier to entry, the more likely people are to participate.

Craft a Memorable Sound

If your trend relies on audio, it has to be good. A memorable sound is clean, catchy, and perfectly crafted for its purpose.

• Make it Loopable: TikTok is a looping platform. Does your sound work well if it plays three or four times in a row? A sound with a jarring end will stop people from watching on repeat, which hurts your video's performance.
• For Original Audio: If you're creating a voiceover, speak clearly and with personality. Use a simple external mic if you can - sound quality matters more than you think. Build a natural rhythm or cadence into your speech that makes it fun to listen to.
• For Music: Find a catchy 7-15 second clip. It could be an instrumental hook, a satisfying beat drop, or a lyrical phrase that perfectly matches the mood of your trend idea. Avoid sections that are too slow or too complex.

Design a Simple, Repeatable Format

This is where most potential trends fail. They are too complicated. Your trend format should be understandable just by watching one video.

• The 10-Minute Rule: If an average user can’t come up with an idea and film their version of your trend in less than 10 minutes, it's probably too much work. A simple format like showing yourself before and after seeing the price of something is easy. A complicated, 12-step editing trend is not.
• Create Clear "Rules": Even unstated rules help. The user needs to know what to do. Should they point to text on the screen? Use a specific camera move? Show a "before and after"? Make the action clear, concise, and easy to mimic.
• Give Ample Room for Personalization: The best formats are rigid enough to be recognizable but flexible enough for creativity. The "Tell me without telling me" format has a clear start, but the answers can go in a million different directions. This allows people to contribute something personal while still being part of the larger trend.

Finalize the Visuals and On-screen Text

The last layer is the hook. Your opening frame needs to tell the viewer exactly what they’re watching and why they should care.

• A Strong Text Hook: Craft a caption that immediately explains the premise. Phrasing it as a question or command works well. Examples: "Using this sound to show off..." or "What's an unpopular opinion you'd defend to the death?"
• Consistent Visual Tools: If your trend is visual, make the tool a key part. "Finding out which painting my dog looks like with the Art History filter." Here, the effect *is* the trend. Choose a simple, easily accessible filter or effect that complements your idea.

Step 3: Launching Your Trend into the Wild

Creating the "perfect" trend video is only half the battle. Now you have to seed it and help the algorithm understand what you're trying to do.

Film the Perfect "First" Video

Your first video is the instruction manual. It needs to be the ideal example of how the trend should work. Nail the sound, the format, and the text hook. Make it obvious what you want others to do. If the first video is confusing, the trend is dead before it starts.

Use a Smart Hashtag Strategy

Don't just use `#trending` and call it a day. You need a mix of broad and specific hashtags to reach the right initial audience.

• Broad/Discovery Tags (1-2): Use something like `#newtrend` or `#viralsoundidea`. This tells the algorithm you're trying to start something.
• Niche/Content Tags (2-3): Use hashtags relevant to your video's subject matter. If your trend video is about being a software engineer, use tags like `#softwareengineer` or `#techtok`. This gets your video in front of a community that will immediately understand and relate to your concept.
• A "Unique" Hashtag (Optional): If you want to track participation easily, you can create a unique hashtag, like `#[YourTrendName]Challenge`.

Engage with Early Adopters Immediately

The first 24 hours are critical. If people start using your sound or format, you need to become their biggest fan. Leave a positive comment on every single new video that participates in your trend. This early engagement builds community and encourages more people to join in. It shows that there's a real person behind the original post and validates others' participation.

By treating the launch strategically, you are giving your trend the best possible chance to be picked up by the algorithm and show up on more For You Pages, creating the flywheel effect needed for viral takeoff.

Final Thoughts

Starting a TikTok trend isn’t a matter of blindly hoping for the best. It's about combining genuine relatability with a simple, repeatable structure that invites others to share their own stories. By understanding these core principles, you can stop just participating in trends and start creating them.

Perfect timing is essential for a trend launch, and staying on top of every comment in those first few hours helps build critical momentum. To streamline this process, we designed Postbase with tools like a visual content calendar to perfectly plan your launch video and a unified inbox that brings all your TikTok comments into one place. This lets you focus on engaging with your growing community without frantically switching between apps.