TikTok’s Insights for Marketers in 2025

TikTok’s annual report looks closely at new trends and strategies. These will influence social media marketing in 2025.

As TikTok grows, it is changing from a platform for entertainment to a key player in digital marketing.

Here are 10 important points from the latest report. These insights can help marketers make the most of the platform’s potential.

• Key Insight: Two-thirds of TikTok users appreciate when brands work with a variety of creators.
• Why it matters: Partnering with creators across different niches allows brands to tap into unique, highly engaged audiences. For example, Supercell’s Squad Busters gaming campaign reached 261 million people globally by engaging both gamer and non-gamer creators.

Authenticity is Crucial

TikTok’s audience craves authenticity. The report highlights that brands should focus on being real, relatable, and transparent.

• Key Insight: 40% of TikTok users find brands with a genuine personality more relevant, and 45% of users feel more connected to brands that make them feel “understood.”
• Why it matters: Content like behind-the-scenes footage, street interviews, and storytelling helps build a brand’s authenticity, driving stronger consumer connections.

Embracing Diverse Perspectives

TikTok continues to be a platform where diverse voices thrive, and brands that amplify varied perspectives tend to succeed.

• Key Insight: 81% of TikTok users say the platform introduces them to new topics and trends they didn’t know they liked.
• Why it matters: Campaigns that encourage users to share personal stories and experiences foster higher engagement and brand loyalty.

The Rise of “Girlhood”

The report highlights the growing prominence of women-focused content, with a focus on shared experiences and communal bonds.

• Key Insight: 72% of women on TikTok feel the platform makes it easy to connect with like-minded communities.
• Why it matters: Topics like pay transparency, self-care, and relatable lifestyle content (e.g., ASMR hairstyles or luxury splurges) are resonating with women, offering marketers an opportunity to engage this group.

AI-Driven Creativity

Artificial intelligence is becoming a powerful tool for both TikTok users and brands looking to enhance their creativity and engagement.

• • Key Insight: TikTok users are 1.4 times more likely to be excited about Generative AI in ads compared to users on other platforms.
  • Why it matters: Brands can use TikTok’s free AI tools to create unique content, like Lidl’s AI-generated shopping experiences, or tap into trending universes like the #potaxie hashtag.

Dynamic, Multi-Format Storytelling

TikTok is leading a shift toward diverse storytelling formats, blending video, images, and other media.

• Key Insight: 76% of TikTok users enjoy a mix of images and videos.
• Why it matters: This flexible approach allows creators to share content in more creative ways, such as travel creators using TikTok’s Image Ads for easy-to-digest destination tips.

Redefining Milestones

TikTok is helping to reshape traditional milestones like homeownership and marriage into more personal, relatable goals.

• Key Insight: 50% of users seek content that reflects their own lives, with campaigns focusing on personal achievements gaining traction.
• Why it matters: DoorDash’s #5to9 campaign, which encouraged users to share their side hustles, is a prime example of how brands can celebrate unconventional milestones.

Making Content Accessible

TikTok’s Symphony tools are enhancing accessibility by allowing brands to create multilingual and inclusive content.

• Key Insight: Tools like AI-generated dubbing and custom avatars are helping brands engage global audiences.
• Why it matters: VietJet used AI avatars with multilingual capabilities to boost ad recall and consumer consideration, maintaining cost efficiency while expanding reach.

The Power of Emerging Communities

Niche communities on TikTok are gaining cultural relevance and shaping the platform’s identity, marketers can tap into these smaller, more focused groups to build deeper connections and foster brand loyalty. These communities are creating a space for targeted, meaningful engagement.

Conclusion

TikTok’s 2025 What’s Next report underscores the platform’s transformation into a robust marketing tool. Success on TikTok isn’t just about viral trends anymore—it’s about genuine engagement, collaboration with diverse creators, and staying attuned to evolving cultural conversations.

AI and innovative tools can enhance your strategy, but it’s authentic, community-driven content that will truly resonate with TikTok’s audience. For marketers crafting their 2025 strategies, these insights offer a roadmap to navigate the changing digital landscape.