Top TikTok Trends 2026: The new rules of engagement for brands

TikTok SEO: new tactics for getting content seen

Search engine optimisation (SEO) has long been essential for improving a website's or blog's Google rankings. But on TikTok, SEO can also help content reach more users' FYP and appear higher in search results.

Consumers now research, compare, and buy products on social media, and businesses must rank higher to win sales. That's why, if a user searches for “mountain bike Manchester,” for example, local bike sellers want to rank at the top.

Use this guide to improve your TikTok SEO:

• Video information: Captions, hashtags, titles, sounds, and audio affect how content ranks.
• Latest TikTok trends: Hopping on viral trends, whether it's TikTok dances, lip-syncs, sounds, or topics, will help your content get seen.
• Account settings: While this isn't the biggest ranking factor, setting language preferences, country, and categories of interest on your account settings lets TikTok know who you're targeting.

Posting high-quality, creative content will also positively impact SEO on TikTok.

2. What's trending on TikTok right now? Content and video formats going viral

Staying on top of trending sounds, TikTok dances, and content formats will ensure your campaigns benefit from the buzz.

Let's look at the top content formats and styles in 2026.

Faceless Content, immersing the viewer

Faceless content, as the name suggests, is social media content that doesn’t show the poster’s face. Unlike typical influencer content, faceless videos centre the visuals, experience, and viewer's perspective over personality.

This trend is gaining traction because it's immersive and engaging. It's also often relaxing, featuring serene landscapes and aspirational settings. This is especially powerful for lifestyle, travel, and event content.

Faceless TikTokers can also use text overlays, audio, and captions to add context to the video.

In the video below, travel blogger and micro-influencer Jessie (@pocketwanderings, 32.8K followers, TikTok) shares her favourite activities in Florence, Italy. The one-minute video shows bridges, cathedrals, and statues, while the influencer explains the positives of each location in the audio. She also uses subtitles and a text overlay to introduce the topic, allowing the video to be watched while muted.

This style of content is very powerful for businesses that sell experiences. For example, a hotel can create content that captures the arrival, service, and atmosphere.

User-generated content (UGC): Organic content dominating conversations

UGC is promotional content created by social media users who aren't influencers—typically seen as those with a follower count under 5,000.

There are two key types of UGC:

• Unpaid UGC: Users share content because they genuinely value a product, attended an event, or are reviewing a viral product. The brand doesn't contribute to this content in any way. In the example below, creator Sophie (@sophieedemua, 3.4K followers, TikTok) reviews Charlotte Tilbury's products.

• Paid UGC: Many UGC creators only make promotional content, sharing affiliate links to Amazon Marketplace or other platforms. Brands may also sponsor UGC creators to promote their products.

For marketers, inspiring or paying for UGC creates a wealth of social proof. It also increases volume, making their branded content more likely to feature in search results.

Split-screen commentary: Reviews and analysis

Social media remains the place for social commentary. Influencers share their thoughts on other creators' videos, news stories, and TV/film. Influencers superimpose their faces onto other creators' videos, or they use a full split screen to react to another event.

This style of content fits many niches. For example, eco-conscious fashion influencers may analyse the claims in a fast-fashion advert.

Or, an influencer may review content from another creator in their niche. For example, beatboxer Chezame (@chezame_official, 11M followers, TikTok) uses the split-screen format to try challenges by other beatboxers.

Marketers running TikTok influencer campaigns can use this tactic by asking influencers to review a brand event or react to their advert.

Co-creation formats for boosting engagement

Collaborations between brands and influencers or between multiple creators are a great way to boost reach and engagement.

When creators within the same niche collaborate, they tap into each other's audiences. This is especially effective in comedy, lifestyle, fitness, or fashion, where formats like "duets," co-hosted skits, and challenge responses thrive.

When brands collaborate with influencers, they can co-create sponsored challenges, product lines, or simply content.

For example, beauty brands might invite creators to co-design packaging or launch limited-edition collections. This approach gives influencers ownership and encourages their audience to engage more deeply.

Trending TikTok sounds, music, and songs: Increasing reach

Using trending sounds helps boost a video. So let's dive into some trending sounds.

Here are the top trending songs on TikTok in February 2026:

1. Big Guy – Ice Spice
2. 2 Little 2 Late – Levi & Mario
3. CHANEL – Tyla
4. I Run – HAVEN. & Kaitlin Aragon
5. Glow – nimino

Trending sounds tend to be posted with specific formats. For example, the song "Big Guy" by Ice Spice typically comes with a dance that features bicep curls.  The dance is shown in the video by influencer Desinty (d.3stiny.d, 3k followers, TikTok). 

How long do TikTok trends last?

TikTok trends vary in length. While some live and die over a few days, others stick around on feeds for months.

Trends stem from societal trends, new editing software, relevant news, pop culture stories, and trending sounds. For example, the trending song "Nice to Meet You" by Pinkpantheress created a new meme format featuring two people shaking hands while lip-syncing to the lyrics.

After their buildup, trends eventually get saturated. Everyone has heard the song or seen the format multiple times, which can lead to a loss of engagement. New trends replace old ones, and while some live on in some form, many are simply forgotten.

3. Niche communities and subcultures gaining visibility

Niche communities are growing on TikTok. These communities have their own unique trends and allow users to share content about subjects they love.

Here are the most popular TikTok subcultures:

• BookTok for all things literature, including reviews, analysis, and lists of favourites.
• FinTok focuses on the financial niche. Creators share advice and experiences. It's a popular niche, with 46% of Gen Zers seeking financial advice on social media.
• Ecotok includes tips, dos and don'ts, and clever hacks for staying sustainable.

There are also micro-trends that come and go quickly. These are particularly popular with Gen Z and Gen Alpha users. For example, the current digital decluttering trend focuses on organising digital storage.

These niches allow brands to run targeted campaigns. Marketers can also reach their target audience creatively in a different niche. For example, a fashion brand could find influencers in the BookTok niche to reach a Gen Z audience.

Best trending hashtags in 2025-6 (food, local, and beauty)

Let's explore the hashtags currently trending on TikTok.

Local hashtags engage communities

Firstly, location-based content is popular. Users add hashtags like #ParisVibes and #LondonTikTok to share content locally. Marketers can use these hashtags to create hype in a local area. For instance, when running pop-up events.

Top food hashtags

Here are the top 2026 trending TikTok hashtags in the food and beverage niche:

• #londonhotspots
• #easter
• #electrolytes
• #iftar
• #healthyeating

Top beauty hashtags

Here are the top five beauty hashtags trending on TikTok in 2026:

• #fragrance
• #niche
• #slime
• #koreanskincare
• #skincaretips

What hashtags should I use on TikTok?

The hashtags a brand or person should use on TikTok vary by niche. 

4. Data-driven influencer strategies

Social media platforms and influencer marketing platforms have become more advanced. New AI capabilities allow influencer marketers to base their judgments on deep analytics rather than guesswork or vanity metrics.

For example, calculations for earned media value (EMV) now make accurate estimates of how much the buzz from an influencer's content would have cost through traditional marketing methods. This gives marketers a good idea of how much to pay the influencer, and it allows for easier comparison between influencer marketing and other forms of marketing.

Now that influencer marketing has been around for over a decade in its current advanced forms, it has become a more formal marketing channel.

Brands are even co-creating products with influencers. If a brand can use data to find an influencer who deeply understands their target audience, this influencer would likely have reviewed and been sent many products by similar brands. This gives them a unique understanding of the industry and what's available. This expertise is invaluable and can help brands create new, unique products that appeal to their target audience and engage the influencers' audience.

Using an influencer marketing platform like Kolsquare gives you access to influencer data, including audience overlap, engagement rates, EMV, and more, alongside compaing management features that simplifiy your workflow. 

5. What marketers should do to stay on top of trends

TikTok remains a popular platfrom used by 79% of influencer marketers, according to the Kolsquare State of Influencer Marketing Report. Marketers need to take steps to keep up and continually optimise their approaches. Sticking with the same old tactics just won’t cut it.

So here's our step-by-step guide for keeping your influencer marketing current, relevant, and engaging.

Audit your current partnerships

Your current influencer marketing might be performing well. But here's the catch. If you're not constantly upgrading, eventually you're going to start to fall behind. So, take stock of your current collaborators. Analyse who's performing and why.

This means diving into metrics for measuring and optimising campaigns, including:

• Engagements (likes, comments, shares), focusing on comments and shares for messaging content
• Average watch duration
• Reach (video views)
• EMV
• Audience demographics

Analyse who you're reaching with what messages. You'll also benefit from social listening tools here. For example, these tools can analyse how higher competitors are performing and benchmark your brand. Understand the messages each creator is sharing. Whether trending content performs better.

How can I find trending topics on TikTok?

Once you’ve identified a trend, whether it’s a viral sound, a popular challenge, or an emerging content format, it's time to act.

Here are the top ways marketers can turn TikTok trends into results:

• Collaborate with creators already using the trend: Partner with influencers who are organically participating in the trend. Their content will appear authentic, and you’ll ride the wave while it’s still peaking.
• Adapt each influencer marketing trend to your brand voice: Not every trend fits every brand. If you're a skincare brand, a trending "day in the life" format can become a mini-series about self-care routines featuring your products.
• Act fast but stay relevant: TikTok trends have a short shelf life. Use tools like Kolsquare to monitor trend momentum and time your campaigns effectively.

You can find this data using an influencer marketing platform like Kolsquare. Kolsquare helps you find trending topics by searching for keywords and hashtags. From there, you can find out which influencers fit your requirements.

Gain the insights to ride the trend wave

TikTok continues to shape culture. In 2025, the most effective brands aren’t just reacting to trends; they’re anticipating them and making the most of them.

The takeaway? TikTok moves fast—but your marketing doesn’t have to fall behind. Use platforms like Kolsquare to stay on top of emerging trends, find creators who align with your goals, and build campaigns that evolve with the platform.