11 Tips on How to Find TikTok Trends Early
Virlo Team
Mar 8, 2025
Trends on TikTok are like a runaway train. They move fast, and you might miss your chance to go viral if you don’t jump on early enough. What’s worse is that the next trend is already on its way, and your audience will be moving on to that instead of engaging with your content.
Finding TikTok trends early can help you create viral content, but you must be quick. This guide will show you how to spot trends early and get your videos out before the train leaves the station.
One way to find TikTok trends early is to use Virlo’s virality analysis tool. This tool helps you identify trends and how they relate to your niche so you can find relevant TikTok video ideas. Instead of sifting through tons of videos, you can uncover insights and go straight to creating your viral content.
Table of Content
Importance of Finding TikTok Trends Early
Catching the Wave Early: TikTok Algorithm Boost
TikTok trends come and go in days, if not hours. The platform's algorithm uniquely sorts content and prioritizes trending topics, meaning videos that jump on a new trend early are more likely to appear on users' "For You" pages. This can lead to broader exposure as your video gets pushed to more and more users, even those who don’t follow you.
11 Tips on How to Find TikTok Trends Early
1. Use Virlo: Your AI-Powered TikTok Trend Assistant
Virlo helps short-form content creators crack the code of virality through AI-powered trend analysis. Our platform combines creator insights with advanced analytics to identify winning content patterns, optimal posting times, and successful audio/video combinations that help your content stand out in today’s fast-moving social landscape.
Perfect for independent creators looking to build a sustainable side business, Virlo takes the guesswork out of content strategy. We analyze the latest viral trends and help you understand when to post and what combinations of elements drive engagement. Whether you’re just starting or looking to optimize your existing content, Virlo enables you to navigate the ever-changing algorithms to increase your chances of going viral. Go viral with Virlo’s virality analysis tool.
2. Search the “Explore” Page on TikTok
TikTok’s Explore page is an excellent tool for spotting trends and staying up-to-date with the latest viral content. Here are a few tips to help you navigate the Explore page like a pro: Keep your eyes peeled for the Explore tab. This is where you’ll find the most popular videos and hashtags of the moment. It’s a great place to start if you’re looking for inspiration. Explore the different categories: Trend discovery is divided into various categories, such as “Fashion,” “Beauty,” and “Food & Drink.”
Click on each category to see the trends currently making waves in that area. Look for patterns: As you scroll through the Explore page, you might notice specific themes or styles that are popping up repeatedly. These are likely to be trends that you can incorporate into your content. TikTok trends can come and go in the blink of an eye, so staying alert and keeping your finger on the pulse is essential.
3. Spend Time on TikTok to Spot Trends
The best — and certainly the most fun — way to identify a TikTok trend is to use the app simply! If you don’t already have one, create your own TikTok account. And get it verified. Then scroll through your home page, explore the Discover tab, and pay attention to what you’re seeing — and hearing. Take into account everything on the screen. From the camera angle to the specific sounds and effects the creator used, all the moving parts allow you to spot TikTok trends.
4. Use the For You Page to Find Patterns in Trending Videos, Audio Clips, and Challenges
Since this page curates content based on popularity, it’s a great starting point for identifying trends.
5. Discover TikTok Trends from the Creative Center
The Trend discovery feature in TikTok’s Creative Center is an excellent resource for identifying trends and keeping up with the latest developments. Here are some suggestions for making the most of this tool:
Select the country your target audience resides in
This is where you’ll find the viral content on TikTok for that particular location. Click on it to see a list of TikTok’s latest and hottest trends.
Follow the trail of hashtags.
Look at the creator's hashtags if you encounter a video that catches your eye. Those hashtags are part of a more significant trend that you can tap into.
Filter out creators by their follower count and likes
Creators with a big following are often at the forefront of new trends and can give you a good sense of what’s popular on the platform. This can give you a sense of how much traction a particular trend or piece of content gets.
Get creative
Once you’ve found a trend that catches your eye, look at those and set aside some budget for video production for social media. This will give you a better idea of how people interpret the trend and what content resonates with audiences. Remember, TikTok is all about having fun and being creative, so don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things.
6. Explore Outside Your Content Lane
TikTok’s algorithm does a phenomenal job of giving users exactly the kind of video content they want, so it can very quickly funnel you into a very narrow content lane. “Part of the reason why TikTok is so popular is because it very quickly gets you, and it will put you into a lane of content on things that you love and you engage with,” Horowitz says.
You can discover viral TikTok trends outside your feed by doing the following
Use someone else’s TikTok app to stumble on videos you’d never encountered.
Explore the Discover page often.
Click on a sound and see what people are doing with it.
Use the search box to find topics and hashtags relevant to your brand, products, and customers.
7. Keep an Eye on Trending Hashtags and TikTok Challenges
Pay attention to trending hashtags and TikTok challenges, which often signal viral trends. Utilizing broad and niche hashtags that align with your content will optimize your TikTok SEO and help your videos gain traction.
8. Monitor Pop Culture for Emerging TikTok Trends
Pop culture can considerably indicate what will be popular in the coming months. Keep an eye on music, movies, and TV shows to see if any emerging trends are starting to take hold.
9. Follow Key Influencers Within Your Niche
Other creators in your niche often offer valuable insights into what’s trending. Following a TikTok influencer or engaging in influencer marketing can amplify your reach and help you stay ahead of new trends.
10. Focus on the Music
Scroll through your For You page on TikTok, and you’ll likely hear the same song repeatedly. This is because TikTok is built for music, and these audio trends provide a wealth of opportunities for users to create their remixes and interpretations.
While individual users can integrate songs and sounds into their videos without much concern for copyright issues, Horowitz cautions brands to refer to their legal teams before publishing. Brands may have to acquire a license in some instances. “When it’s just on your organic page, it’s definitely a legal gray zone,” he says.
11. Analyze Social Media Data for Patterns
Social media platforms are a treasure trove of data, and by analyzing engagement rate and search data, you can get a sense of what topics and themes are on the rise.
Related Reading
• Does TikTok Have Robust Analytics?
• How Many Videos Should I Post a Day on TikTok?
• How Do I Get More Views on TikTok?
• How to Find Your Niche on TikTok
• TikTok Competitor Analysis
How to Leverage TikTok Trends to Go Viral
Customize Trends for Your Audience
Not all TikTok trends will resonate with your target audience. After pinpointing a suitable trend, modify its format or message to suit your brand’s identity. For example, say a trend features a catchy, viral tune. You can use that song in a video that showcases your audience's values or highlights your products.
Fitness apparel brand Gymshark expertly adapts TikTok trends to align with its gym-focused audience. They launched the #gymshark66 challenge, encouraging users to commit to a fitness goal for 66 days. This initiative resonated with their customers’ health-centric lifestyle, resulting in over 45.5 million views.
Create Engaging Challenges
Challenges are a key component of TikTok culture. Develop a unique challenge that invites users to engage with your brand, utilizing a custom hashtag to build awareness. The popular fast-casual chain Chipotle has successfully kicked off several viral TikTok challenges. Their #GuacDance challenge invited fans to dance to a guacamole-themed song to celebrate National Avocado Day. This campaign garnered an incredible 430 million views in just six days, leading to 250,000 video submissions.
Collaborate with Influencers
Content creators play a key role in driving trends on TikTok. Partner with influencers who align with your target audience and can use a trend to amplify the reach of your campaign. For example, GUESS collaborated with popular TikTok influencers to promote their #InMyDenim campaign. Users showcased their transformations into GUESS denim outfits, leading to over 40 million views and increased brand engagement.
Move Quickly
Trends on TikTok are fleeting. Make sure your team can produce content fast to take advantage of trends while they are at their peak. For example, Kroger, a retail company, swiftly launched the #TransformUrDorm campaign at the start of the academic year. They partnered with influencers to encourage students to showcase their dorm makeovers, achieving 875 million views and effectively capitalizing on the back-to-school season.
Combine Trends with Paid Campaigns
Reinforce your organic strategy by using TikTok Ads to amplify the reach of trending content. Formats such as In-Feed Ads or Branded Hashtag Challenges are perfect for maximizing impact. For instance, Kool-Aid combined organic participation with a paid campaign by launching the #OhYEAHChristmas challenge. They offered a $10,000 prize for the best holiday-themed video, resulting in over 10,000 user-generated videos and 1.9 billion views, amplifying their reach.
Virlo helps short-form content creators crack the code of virality through AI-powered trend analysis. Our platform combines creator insights with advanced analytics to identify winning content patterns, optimal posting times, and successful audio/video combinations that help your content stand out in today’s fast-moving social landscape.
Perfect for independent creators looking to build a sustainable side business, Virlo takes the guesswork out of content strategy. We analyze the latest viral trends and help you understand when to post and what combinations of elements drive engagement. Whether you’re just starting or looking to optimize your existing content, Virlo enables you to navigate the ever-changing algorithms to increase your chances of going viral. Go viral with Virlo’s virality analysis tool.
7 Best Tools for Finding TikTok Trends
1. Virlo: Your Go-To Tool for TikTok Trend Analysis
Virlo helps short-form content creators crack the code of virality through AI-powered trend analysis. Our platform combines creator insights with advanced analytics to identify winning content patterns, optimal posting times, and successful audio/video combinations that help your content stand out in today’s fast-moving social landscape.
Perfect for independent creators looking to build a sustainable side business, Virlo takes the guesswork out of content strategy. We analyze the latest viral trends and help you understand when to post and what combinations of elements drive engagement. Whether you’re just starting or looking to optimize your existing content, Virlo enables you to navigate the ever-changing algorithms to increase your chances of going viral. Go viral with Virlo’s virality analysis tool.
2. Pentos: The TikTok Trends Tracker
Pentos is a tool that analyzes TikTok trends and measures account performance. The tool tracks hashtags, users, songs, topics, and trends. It will help you monitor competitors and measure progress over time. Pentos will help you gain valuable insights into your TikTok performance and optimize your social media strategy accordingly.
Key features
Trend graph, Trending songs, Competitor analysis.
3. Sprout Social: The All-in-One Social Media Tool
Sprout Social is a social media tool that includes TikTok analytics among its features. With Sprout Social, you can track and analyze your TikTok performance. You can also use Sprout Social to schedule and publish TikTok posts and respond to comments and messages. Sprout Social can help you manage and optimize your strategy across different platforms, including TikTok.
Key features
TikTok management, Content calendar, TikTok-specific metrics.
4. Analisa: The TikTok Hashtag Tracker
Analisa is a social media analytics tool that delivers real-time insights on profiles and hashtags. It can track hashtags and profiles on TikTok to provide insights into audience demographics, engagement rates, top-performing content, and other social media metrics. Interestingly, the tool detects TikTok influencers that match tracked hashtags, which might be very helpful for marketers looking to extend influencer campaigns.
Key features
Profile and competitor analytics, Follower demographics, Campaign tracking and reporting.
5. Socialinsider: The Comprehensive TikTok Analytics Tool
Socialinsider is a comprehensive social media analytics tool that provides insights into social media performance across various platforms, including TikTok. With Socialinsider, you can monitor TikTok accounts, track competitors, and analyze social media campaigns.
Regarding TikTok analytics, Socialinsider tracks several key metrics, such as engagement rate, video views, and follower growth. Historical data lets you detect drops or spikes in video views or engagement.
Key features
TikTok profile analytics, TikTok video analytics, and campaign tracking.
6. Keyhole: The Social Media Tracking Tool with TikTok Analytics
Yes, Keyhole provides TikTok analytics to help you understand your audience, but it is available only in the most expensive Agency plan. With Keyhole, a social media tool, managers can track hashtags, profiles, and keywords on TikTok.
The tool describes recommendations for increasing video views, likes, and comments. Also, it will tell you how often your TikTok videos gain likes and comments. If you are into influencer marketing, Keyhole will help you identify relevant content creators with whom to cooperate.
Key features
Profile analytics, influencer tracking, and recommendations to increase engagement.
7. HypeAuditor: The TikTok Influencer Marketing Tool
HypeAuditor is a marketing platform that analyzes TikTok influencers and provides key statistics. The tool presents insights into audience demographics, engagement, videos, and hashtags. What’s interesting is that HypeAuditor has its own AI-powered Account Quality Score that helps pick authentic and effective creators for campaigns. Plus, you can observe the profile’s audience growth, thanks to historical data.
Key features
Account Quality Score, Followers growth analysis, TikTok Analytics reports.
Related Reading
• How to Check TikTok Analytics
• How to Gain More Followers on TikTok
• How to Make a Video Go Viral on TikTok
• TikTok Audience Insights
• Hottest TikTok Trends
Go Viral with Virlo's Virality Analysis Tool
TikTok trends drive viral content, and they change quickly, often daily. To maximize your chances of going viral, you must identify trends before they get too popular. While you can jump on trends as they go viral, targeting the early engagement phase is best. That’s when your content has the best shot at standing out. Watch the \"Discover\" page and the latest viral sounds, hashtags, and effects to find TikTok trends early. Also, pay attention to the For You page (FYP) to find niche trends that align with your content.
1. Use Trend Analysis Tools.
Tools like Virlo help you identify TikTok trends early by analyzing user engagement and content performance. Instead of manually searching for trends, you can get a clear picture of what’s going viral and how to create your unique spin before popularity fades.
2. Create Original Content
Not all of TikTok’s trends involve creating videos that follow a specific formula or template—many trends center around using a particular audio clip or hashtag to make your original content. By focusing on these trends, you can produce unique videos that stand out from the crowd and help you go viral.
3. Don’t Just Follow the Crowd
Jumping on TikTok trends can help you get more visibility, but you don’t have to follow every trend. Instead, take the time to find trends that align with your niche. Creating content for these microtrends can help you attract a more targeted audience interested in your specific type of content.
Related Reading
• TrendTok Alternatives
• Best TikTok Niches
• TikTok Analytics Tools
• How to See Trending Sounds on TikTok
• Best Faceless TikTok Niches
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