How the Instagram algorithms work (and how to beat them)
Luke McCarthy
September 2, 2024
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As rivals strive to replicate its success, it’s clear TikTok remains the benchmark for sharing and viewing short-form video. So if you want to take your TikTok game to the next level, Vamp can help.
We have compiled the most popular trends from July, and we hope it can inspire you to create content to reach as many viewers as possible.
In a world that always wants more, the popularity of this trend may seem a little confusing at first. But start scrolling through videos and you’ll find a wonderfully refreshing, creative trend that marks one of Vamp’s favourites this year: underconsumption.
Content creators simply upload instances where instead of buying new things, they make the best use of items they already own, often by repairing them, or buying new products carefully.
Beauty creator, dainty.nugs, secured a whopping 1.4million views on her video of her underconsumption habits: wearing the same trendy trainers for two years, cutting edges off products to scoop out the last drops and not buying new clothes until donating some away.
Climate creator, Karishma, shares handy hacks like packing fruit in a washed yoghurt container and packing reusable mugs with tea bags ready to go. Another demonstrates her policy of only buying books second hand, along with furniture and clothes.
The reward? 25,000 likes and hundreds of comments.
Unless you’re one of the extremely fortunate few, we’re all feeling the squeeze at the moment in an increasingly uncertain financial world. So naturally any opportunity to save cash, while helping the planet in the process, is going to raise some smiles.
But crucially, the trend gives creators and consumers the chance to combine money-saving habits with their hobbies. TikTok viewers who love fashion, for example, are treated to an array of old outfits that still work today, inspiring a dig through the wardrobe.
It also serves as an ideas portal in all genres to save money, from household items to free furniture found on a Facebook group.
This popular trend is a goldmine for creators, with scores of TikTok users eager for more related content. And there are endless opportunities to service this need.
Vamp immediately thinks of fashion and a new pathway to advising on vintage outfits, using items viewers are likely to still have around the house. It may also serve as a golden opportunity for creators who specialise in decoration and furniture, advising on what bargains to look for and where.
But perhaps the trend offers the biggest opportunity for creators who specialise in finance, because it offers a landscape to provide cash-saving hacks. Are you keen to learn more about TikTok’s algorithm so you can take your content production to the next level? Read Vamp’s full guide on the TikTok algorithm and boost your performance.
For brands, you can be leaning into your high quality products. Do they have features that mean they’re built to last? Or maybe there are hacks you can share that show how your products can help consumers to consume less?
@dainty.nugs Some underconsumption tips ive been trying to follow this year, i am actually spending WAY less already than last year on material items and way more on experiences, traveling, hobbies and spending time with loved ones! #underconsumption #deinfluencing #underconsumptioncore ♬ original sound – speedz!
It may seem like a total pivot from our previous trend, but hear us out. TikTok creators have been sharing videos of themselves to this sound, that plays out loud the words “Let’s be financially responsible”.
Uploaders ironically proceed to share examples of instances where they instead treat themselves.
In this example, creator and actress Mercedes Blanche, who boasts 4.4million TikTok followers, rolls her eyes to the words before adding text overlay: “Me at the furniture store” and she wanders through the shop.
In another example, a keen gamer takes viewers through her gaming items and games, along with the cost of each. She has so far drawn 190,000 likes and counting.
While we love to see examples of money-saving and responsible consumption, as reflected in the underconsumption trend, the truth is we’re all human and there’s nothing wrong with a treat from time to time.
This trend allows creators to disclose exactly what those treats are, with the kind of irony and sarcasm that strikes gold on TikTok. It appears to have struck a chord because it’s in good spirits and not a vehicle for vanity (although one uploader used a Lamborghini in their example).
Brands are likely to find fertile ground here if selling products consumers consider a luxury treat, but not too expensive either. In music, this could mean flaunting a package of classic vinyls by starting with the trend’s sound, before showing the irresistible deal.
In fashion, it may mean advertising a killer pair of shoes or a range of luxury watches. And in lifestyle and wellbeing, it may be the perfect trend for something as simple as pamper treats like bath salts and oils.
Whatever field you specialise in as a brand, get the tone right and you could be on to a winner. Drive even more value on the world’s most viral platform with Vamp’s guide on TikTok advertising.
@missmercedesblanche Lets be financially responsible 🥲 @Valyou Furniture #furniture #valYOU ♬ original sound – House of Auto
Using this sound, content creators share a slide of photos featuring two unsuccessful snaps before finishing with a glittering, successful one. For most this includes poorly taken photos shot on mobile, particularly on holiday or events, before flaunting the shot that pulls on the heartstrings, like this one.
One fitness creator drew a staggering 10million likes by sharing low-quality, amateur shots before a pristine snap of himself on a horse outside Egypt’s famous pyramids. Others use the trend to share their progress, using the ‘fail’ shots to give viewers a taste of their previous struggles before demonstrating their success in the final one.
For a trend like this, the levels of engagement can be highly rewarding. That’s because, should you be successful in capturing someone’s attention with the first shot, there is a strong chance they will want to stick around for your final reveal.
That improves your engagement rate, and in turn gives TikTok the signals you need to crack its algorithm.
For brands and creators, this can be an excellent way to flaunt your product or service by demonstrating quality. Suppose you are a fitness creator, then sharing two photos of exercises using incorrect technique can be the perfect contrast to your final photo of flawless execution.
Perhaps you are a creator specialising in photography, this is the ideal opportunity to walk your viewers through the mistakes most of us are making, before sharing your top hacks for jaw-dropping snaps.
Or maybe you work in lifestyle, this is a chance to share two examples of the kind of everyday choices that are harming our health and happiness, before sharing a top healthy habit like yoga or exercise.
Learn more about mastering TikTok’s algorithm to secure the viewing figures you’re currently dreaming of in Vamp’s guide.
On TikTok’s trends hub, it was the Olympics that won gold by leading the charts. The Paris Games has led to all sorts of content opportunities, catering to the largest pool of nationalities achievable.
Funny, charming memes have been a natural fit for the event, including this example of a swimming fan discovering just how young a gold medalist is compared to them. There’s no shortage of admiration either, with an ultra-cool Korean shooter drawing millions of views in this example.
Away from the sport, others share top tourism tips for the French capital while the Games is on. This type of wider content strategy can be joined up with your TikTok SEO strategy.
The Olympics only comes around every four years, so the appetite to enjoy every moment is naturally a big, obvious factor. But perhaps another major driving force is the way so many countries are united in watching the same thing.
This improves the reach of your content by appealing to an incredibly wide and diverse pool of viewers, who may have previously been untapped.
Creators and brands from all corners can find a way into what remains of the Olympics, which ends with a closing ceremony on August 11. Are you a creator working in food? Well there couldn’t be a better time to talk viewers, existing and new, through your favourite Paris restaurants and recipes. How about sports and fitness? There couldn’t be a better time to cash in on a surging appetite to pick up a new sport, or get into shape after being inspired by the pristine physiques on display.
Or perhaps you’re a brand selling sportswear fans will now be searching for, then swiftly making content to flaunt your products is a must.
@travellingwithal I wish i had known these tips before i went to the olympics this weekend, so sharing them in the hope it helps some people. The olympics was absolutely fantastic (after the eurostar stress of getting to paris) but theres definitely a few of these tips that i wished id known. #olympics #olympicstips #parisolympics #olympics2024 #parisolympics2024 ♬ original sound – Alex 🐢 | Travelling 🌍
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