Top TikTok Trends to Watch and Create to Go Viral in 2024

Editorial Team -

TikTok continues to be one of the hottest social media platforms for content creators, brands, and influencers, especially when it comes to capturing attention and driving engagement. Staying up-to-date with current trends is crucial for any creator looking to go viral in 2024. Here are the top TikTok trends you should watch for and create this year to boost your visibility and make your content stand out.

1. AI-Generated Content

Artificial intelligence is taking TikTok by storm, with AI-generated images, music, and even video scripts making waves. Tools like ChatGPT, DALL-E, and other creative AI platforms are allowing creators to generate unique content effortlessly. From AI-drawn artwork to funny chatbot dialogues, integrating AI into your TikTok strategy can make your content fresh and shareable.

AI-generated content not only gives creators the ability to produce new types of videos but also helps save time and diversify content styles. Viewers enjoy seeing how creators experiment with AI to produce unexpected and entertaining outcomes. As AI tools become more accessible, the opportunity for viral content that feels cutting-edge and innovative grows.

How to Use This Trend:

  • Use AI tools to create quirky, fun captions or visuals for your TikTok.
  • Share behind-the-scenes content on how you use AI tools to generate ideas for your videos.
  • Create "AI vs Human" challenges where you compare AI-generated work with something you've created without AI tools.

2. Nostalgia Throwbacks

Nostalgia never goes out of style. In 2024, creators are leveraging past trends, childhood memories, and iconic pop culture moments to evoke feelings of nostalgia. Whether it's remixing songs from the early 2000s or recreating iconic movie scenes, nostalgia-based content has a high chance of going viral.

TikTok users love content that takes them back to simpler times, often reliving their favourite moments from the past through humorous or touching recreations. By invoking shared memories, nostalgia content has a unique ability to create emotional connections between creators and audiences.

How to Use This Trend:

  • Use soundtracks from your favourite childhood TV shows or movies.
  • Recreate or react to iconic pop culture moments from the 90s or early 2000s.
  • Make "Then vs Now" content, showing how trends, products, or even personal styles have evolved over the years.

3. Interactive Filters and Effects

TikTok's in-app effects and filters have only gotten better, and 2024 is all about making the most of them. Interactive filters that respond to user input—such as raising eyebrows or making certain facial expressions—are driving user engagement. These filters encourage viewers to participate, making them a great way to boost interaction rates.

Interactive filters add an element of fun and unpredictability that keeps viewers engaged. By incorporating interactive effects, creators can make their content feel more immersive and invite audiences to engage in a playful manner.

How to Use This Trend:

  • Try trending filters and make them your own by adding a personal twist.
  • Encourage your audience to stitch or duet your video using these effects.
  • Create challenges based on specific interactive filters, prompting your viewers to do the same and tag you in their results.

4. Authentic Storytelling

Audiences are craving authenticity now more than ever. Creators who share real-life stories, struggles, or behind-the-scenes moments resonate more deeply with viewers. Whether it's talking about a recent failure, an unexpected win, or a genuine moment of vulnerability, authentic content is more likely to get shared and commented on.

Authenticity is one of the major components that can transform a casual viewer into a dedicated follower. People want to see the real side of creators—whether it's your journey to overcome obstacles, your creative process, or just candid moments from daily life. Authenticity builds trust and humanizes the creator, fostering a stronger community.

How to Use This Trend:

  • Share your journey whether it's about creating content, personal challenges, or your growth over time.
  • Create content that gives an unfiltered look into your day-to-day life or creative process.
  • Post "Expectation vs Reality" videos to show the true ups and downs behind the content creation process.

5. Duet Challenges and Reaction Videos

Duets and reaction videos have always been a staple on TikTok, but they are expected to dominate the platform even more in 2024. Duet challenges, where users collaborate on a viral video or react to trending content, help increase visibility and bring in new followers.

By reacting or collaborating with other viral content, you increase your chances of reaching new audiences. Participating in duets that involve trending topics, viral dance challenges, or popular reactions can bring in large audiences who are already engaged with that content.

How to Use This Trend:

  • Create a duet with trending videos or content from major influencers.
  • Encourage your followers to duet or react to your original video, amplifying reach.
  • Participate in duet challenges with a humorous twist or add your unique perspective to serious topics.

6. Educational "Did You Know?" Content

Short, informational videos that answer interesting questions or provide little-known facts are gaining traction. These videos have an inherent shareability factor and position creators as experts or thought leaders. Trending topics include pop science, productivity hacks, or industry secrets.

The "Did You Know?" format also works because people are naturally curious and love to learn surprising facts. Keeping it short and visually engaging ensures that viewers retain the information, making them more likely to share it with others.

How to Use This Trend:

  • Share niche information that relates to your area of expertise.
  • Use simple, engaging visuals to explain a concept quickly and clearly.
  • Create a series of videos covering different aspects of a single topic to keep viewers coming back for more.

7. DIY and Life Hacks

DIY and life hack content remain evergreen on TikTok. The combination of simplicity, utility, and quick results keeps audiences coming back for more. In 2024, there is a special focus on sustainability-related hacks, home improvement tricks, and productivity-enhancing DIYs.

DIY projects and life hacks also encourage viewer participation, as many people love trying out new projects and showcasing their own versions. With sustainability becoming more important, DIYs that focus on repurposing and reducing waste have seen particular interest.

How to Use This Trend:

  • Share quick DIY projects that your audience can follow along with easily.
  • Showcase eco-friendly hacks that are both practical and innovative.
  • Create "Before and After" content to show the transformation achieved through a simple DIY project.

Sounds are at the core of TikTok culture. Viral sounds—whether it’s a catchy beat, a funny phrase, or a remixed song—drive the majority of content trends on TikTok. Jumping on the right sound at the right time can catapult your video to virality.

Sounds have the power to give your content instant recognition, as users browsing through similar trends are more likely to come across your video. Finding creative  to use these viral sounds ensures your content is fresh and in line with the latest trends.

How to Use This Trend:

  • Create content around sounds that have specific prompts, like dance challenges or lip-syncs.
  • Remix or reinterpret a viral sound in a unique way to make your content stand out.

9. Fitness Challenges

Health and fitness remain major themes on TikTok, and new fitness challenges are gaining popularity in 2024. These challenges are usually short, achievable workouts that anyone can try at home. They encourage users to post their progress or join in the community trend.

Fitness content helps create community as users often motivate one another to keep up with the challenge. Sharing progress, tips, and tricks throughout the challenge keeps the audience engaged and fosters a sense of accountability.

How to Use This Trend:

  • Create a simple, fun fitness routine and encourage followers to try it.
  • Share your own progress and invite others to join you in a fitness challenge.
  • Collaborate with other fitness creators to create multi-week challenges that users can follow.

10. Collaborative Brand Content

More brands are hopping on TikTok and collaborating with creators. These collaborations are often casual, humorous, and directly engage with the TikTok community's unique style. In 2024, authenticity in brand partnerships will be key—audiences are looking for honest endorsements rather than hard sells.

Successful brand collaborations feel organic and blend seamlessly with a creator's typical content. Followers value creators' honest opinions, so transparency is vital when promoting a product.

How to Use This Trend:

  • Partner with brands that resonate with your values and audience.
  • Share behind-the-scenes moments of your collaborations to make them more relatable.
  • Incorporate the brand in a creative way that fits the theme of your video—avoid hard selling.

1. Espresso Dance Challenge

The "Espresso" dance challenge, inspired by Sabrina Carpenter's hit song, has become a viral sensation on TikTok in 2024. Choreographed by creator Narjesse, the dance features a combination of beginner-friendly and advanced steps, allowing participants of various skill levels to join in. The challenge's popularity has extended beyond dance, spawning related trends such as the "Espresso" makeup challenge. Key elements of the trend include:

  • Catchy chorus choreography
  • Adaptable difficulty levels
  • Cross-platform virality (TikTok and Instagram Reels)
  • User-generated content featuring diverse interpretations
  • Hashtags like #EspressoDanceChallenge and #EspressoTikTok

The success of the "Espresso" dance challenge demonstrates TikTok's continued influence in spreading music-driven trends and fostering community engagement through participatory content creation.

2. AI Manga Filter Craze

The AI Manga Filter has emerged as one of TikTok's most viral trends in 2024, with over 155.3 million videos utilizing this transformative effect. This filter uses advanced AI algorithms to convert real-life footage into vivid manga-style illustrations, captivating users across demographics. Key aspects of the AI Manga Filter trend include:

  • Seamless integration with TikTok's native effects suite
  • Compatibility with various content types, from vlogs to dance challenges
  • Potential for cross-platform virality, extending to Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts
  • Synergy with anime and Japanese pop culture trends

Conclusion

TikTok in 2024 is a hotbed of creativity and innovation, and staying on top of the latest trends is key to standing out in a crowded space. From AI-generated content and nostalgia throwbacks to interactive effects and authentic storytelling, the trends outlined in this guide can help you grow your reach and build a loyal following. The key is to embrace what’s trending while staying true to your unique style and voice.

Whether you’re jumping on the latest viral dance challenge or sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of your creative process, TikTok offers endless opportunities for content that resonates. Remember that consistency, creativity, and authenticity are what ultimately win the audience over. As you leverage these trends, focus on building genuine connections with your viewers, and the results will follow.

Need help managing your TikTok schedule and keeping up with all these trends? Check out Planly for advanced scheduling, content management, and optimization tools to make the most out of your TikTok strategy.