Regardless of solely launching internationally in 2017, TikTok has grown to turn into one of the vital common social media platforms amongst younger individuals within the UK, and TikTok advertising is one of the best ways to market to them straight.
Success on the platform is about consistency, high quality and maintaining with the always-changing TikTok traits UK customers watch probably the most.
That can assist you higher perceive the individuality of UK TikTok, we’ve outlined what units it aside from its US and different counterparts. We’ve additionally listed 15 of an important UK TikTok traits that you may reap the benefits of to spice up the attain of your accounts.
Understanding the UK TikTok Ecosystem
TikTok is reliably one of many high 4 most used platforms within the UK right this moment, with hundreds of thousands of every day energetic customers, and it additionally has a notably younger consumer base. Round 74% of all younger individuals aged 15-24 engaged with TikTok within the UK in 2024, and folks aged 25-34 make up the app’s second-largest demographic.
These TikTok stats showcase recognition much like different markets, just like the US, however UK TikTok additionally has many intricacies of its personal. Whereas some development cycles are the identical for UK and US TikTok, a lot of UK TikTok’s traits concentrate on UK-specific hobbies or occasions, like Premier League soccer and British cleaning soap operas. Main nationwide occasions like Wimbledon, Glastonbury and London Trend Week additionally are likely to create their very own region-specific traits.
It due to this fact isn’t sufficient to have an understanding of how TikTok works within the US in the event you’re hoping to draw UK customers to your account. A nuanced understanding of what units the TikTok traits UK customers desire aside can assist you create content material that higher serves their wants.
TikTok traits within the UK
Capitalising on these specific traits calls for a pointy content material creator and a deep understanding of how UK TikTok works. Ensure to analyse which accounts and audiences are leaping on a development, and determine whether or not your account can contribute in a singular method.
We’ve additionally factored this level into all of our traits beneath. As a result of it’s near-impossible to trace these short-term traits earlier than they transfer on, we’ve targeted on extra wide-reaching UK TikTok traits that proceed to affect the app always. From comedy sketches to UK meals, listed here are the 15 UK TikTok traits impacting the app in the meanwhile.
1. UK TikTok’s fast-moving development lifecycle
Very similar to elsewhere, UK TikTok traits are fast-moving and sometimes fleeting. The “very conscious, very demure” development was all around the app final summer season, however no person is posting about it in 2025. It’s onerous to place an actual timescale on the lifecycle of a TikTok development, however traits targeted on TikTok sounds or speaking factors usually solely final round per week or two earlier than a brand new development seems. In case your model desires to take part in a development, time is of the essence.
2. Comedy sketches
The UK has a protracted historical past of comedy sketch routines, from The Two Ronnies to Mr Bean. This historical past has discovered its solution to UK TikTok, the place comedy sketches are one of many predominant trending content material sorts. Generally accounts are solely targeted on these sketches, whereas influencers or manufacturers would possibly create one-off sketches amidst a wider technique to capitalise on the development.
These sketches have a tendency to come back in two varieties–both as rehearsed sketches made by comedy-focused UK TikTok influencers or as unscripted sketches that concentrate on the pure comedy created by sure individuals or conditions. The instance beneath is a well-liked model of this second kind of UK sketch comedy put up.
3. Self-deprecating British humour
One other common comedic development on UK TikTok is accounts that depend on self-deprecating British humour. This normally doesn’t translate nicely to different audiences, however has led to some UK accounts constructing enormous followings on the platform.
Alex Dodman creates “actual evaluations” of common UK vacationer locations that poke enjoyable on the UK as an entire, in addition to at himself. This reveals one other key development about UK TikTok–that what appears like negativity can, in the fitting conditions, create a constructive response. Pulling one of these content material off does nonetheless demand an understanding of how UK comedy works.
4. The affect of UK meals TikTok and inventive meals recipes
In terms of TikTok traits, meals is without doubt one of the most influential classes for UK customers. Meals TikTok content material is so influential within the UK that it has begun to vary the consuming habits of younger individuals throughout the nation.
The BBC discovered that 57% of millennials and Gen Z are influenced by diet traits on the platform. The cucumber salad and tomato toast traits that hit the UK platform during the last 12 months additionally elevated gross sales for each components throughout the nation. These clear impacts created by meals TikTok within the UK are an important instance of how traits on the platform can result in wider societal traits.
One of many predominant methods to adapt to the meals TikTok development as a part of your content material technique is thru recipe content material. Nonetheless, because the platform has advanced, most UK viewers now have increased expectations from the recipes they’re watching. Because the variety of UK TikTok meals accounts has grown, standing out has meant content material creators have to design eye-catching recipes which can be distinct from others on the platform.
NellsKitchn is an efficient instance of an account doing this in apply. They’ve created a recipe collection targeted on turning crisp sandwiches–a well-liked UK pastime–into connoisseur sandwich recipes. This combines the development of nostalgic content material (which we’ll element beneath) with recipes to create an interesting collection for her UK viewers.
5. Road meals POV accounts
One other vital TikTok development UK customers are participating with is content material managed by road meals vehicles, created by UK meals influencers. These accounts usually create POV-style content material throughout meals service, and in addition have a tendency to make use of TikTok reside streams.
Meals vehicles characterize an ideal alternative for TikTok content material due to their enclosed area, their smaller record of menu objects, and the truth that truck workers have interaction straight with prospects and handle their very own companies. A few of the most disruptive accounts on the platform proper now embrace SpudMan and SpudBros, each of whom handle jacket potato meals vehicles and have earned widespread information protection.
6. Native UK companies utilizing TikTok for advertising and gross sales
It isn’t simply meals vehicles which can be benefitting from creating TikTok accounts. Over 1.5 million SMEs within the UK now use TikTok to market their merchandise on to prospects, which is a rising development for the platform.
Many of those TikTok enterprise accounts have been inspired by wider traits selling gross sales on the platform, like the continued #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt hashtag. Every of them makes use of TikTok in a singular solution to announce one-time gross sales, create humorous sketches, reply questions their viewers has and extra.
Even companies you wouldn’t anticipate at the moment are on UK TikTok, proving how versatile the platform is. One instance is Wakey Wines, who owns a neighborhood off-license and has earned nearly one million TikTok followers. His success has been partially on account of embracing his area people and the area of Wakefield, exhibiting the energy of group engagement on UK TikTok.
7. BookTok within the UK
BookTok exists in different international locations just like the US, however it has a very sturdy affect within the UK market. Since 2023, BookTok influencers have been closely impacting how books are offered and revealed throughout the nation.
It’s grown to turn into one of the vital vital subcategories of TikTok within the UK because of this wider affect and the rising variety of BookTok UK influencers. TikTok has additionally been selling this facet of the platform particularly by means of its annual TikTok guide awards. An unbiased bookshop in Wales gained the award for bookshop of the 12 months final 12 months. Its recognition proves {that a} key a part of success on TikTok within the UK is discovering your area of interest and creating content material that markets in direction of them straight.
8. UK Gaming TikTok
The UK’s gaming TikTok group is rising, with TikTok itself sponsoring the UK’s EGX gaming present to help extra gaming content material on the platform. Over 34.4 million posts have already been created utilizing the UK players subject.
UK gaming TikTokers usually focus their content material on particular video games that’re significantly common, like Fortnite or Minecraft, or genres of video games like indies or cosy video games, to attraction to sure audiences. This can be a good instance of how having area of interest content material can assist appeal to a extra engaged UK TikTok viewers. They’re additionally identified for constructing communities by means of reside streams and throughout different apps like Discord.
Very similar to with BookTok, the UK gaming TikTok considerably influences which video games are bought and performed throughout the nation. There are additionally many gaming influencers on the platform right this moment; MadMorph is primarily a TikToker and has over 1.3 million followers who admire his recreation suggestions.
9. Day within the life, behind-the-scenes and GRWM
Behind-the-scenes content material is without doubt one of the greatest UK traits and might embrace prep work for kitchens, how merchandise are made, candid conversations and extra. For influencers, this tends to incorporate a day within the life, while UK trend influencers in addition to UK magnificence influencers have tailored this into the continued GRWM (Get Prepared With Me) content material kind. The sort of content material may be very common on UK TikTok partly as a result of it depends on authenticity, and making a dialogue with an account’s viewers.
They’re additionally common content material sorts as a result of they break a number of the conventional partitions of selling down. As a substitute of forcing potential prospects to see one facet of a enterprise, these TikTok accounts present extra angles of themselves, which builds a extra human connection between them and their followers.
10. Conversational POV movies
One other UK TikTok content material development that additionally builds authenticity is conversational POVs. These are sometimes designed for account homeowners to share a topical thought they’ve had for the day, or as a method of reacting and interesting with feedback they’ve obtained. GK Barry is without doubt one of the greatest TikTokers within the UK and repeatedly posts these light-hearted, conversational POVs.
Content material like GK Barry’s exhibits how authenticity on UK TikTok differs from the US. Authenticity within the UK is commonly meant to be humorous and unserious, although this may differ barely relying on who manages the account and their specific viewers. The development for conversational POVs stays huge and is without doubt one of the predominant ways in which UK TikTokers are capable of have interaction with their followers by means of content material updates.
11. Nostalgic content material
Gen Z and millennials are each closely all in favour of nostalgia. Within the UK, this can be a complicated trait, however it’s much like generational emotions within the US and different international locations, the place unsure futures have pressured youthful individuals to yearn for a less complicated previous.
Nostalgic content material on UK TikTok may be very completely different from wherever else as a result of it depends closely on the expertise of rising up within the nation. Imogen Aisha’s comedy sketch beneath, for instance, satires a definite kind of UK TV trend present which was prevalent within the mid-2000s, which wouldn’t resonate with anybody outdoors of the UK. Having the ability to faucet into UK nostalgia could be useful on TikTok, however you want to have the ability to use all these cultural touchstones.
12. Suggestion interviews and regional options
UK TikTok can be utilized as a suggestion instrument, and lots of UK customers discover new eating places, days out and merchandise straight by means of one of these content material. TopJaw has remodeled the best way restaurant suggestions work on social media by means of their well-edited 1on1 interviews with cooks, influencers and celebrities, who all advocate their favorite locations in London.
This development reveals a wider behavioural development for TikTok use within the UK–that its customers are actively searching for suggestions and new issues to do. This exhibits an openness to new experiences, in addition to an expectation that they are going to be being offered to in some conditions. The advice components works nicely as a result of it isn’t a tough promote; these are solutions based mostly on high quality and private preferences. It’s a reminder that promoting on UK TikTok isn’t about direct gross sales, however about genuine engagement together with your viewers.
TopJaw and this fashion of advice content material has blown up prior to now 12 months, however in a method that additional reveals the individuality of UK TikTok. Area-specific accounts targeted solely on sharing issues to do in sure cities or areas at the moment are very talked-about on the platform; MCRFinest in Manchester, NottsHappening in Nottingham and TheYorkshireman throughout Yorkshire to call a couple of.
These take the London-centric strategy of most TikTokers and apply a regional specificity to their content material, which permits them to construct a big following of their chosen space. They’re proof that greater isn’t at all times higher on UK TikTok; clearly understanding your viewers can result in simpler development.
13. Clipped podcast or video conversations
Brief clips of current movies or podcast conversations could be very talked-about with sure demographics on UK TikTok. In most of those instances, TikTok can type an extension of an already profitable podcast or video collection, permitting its followers a brand new solution to see when new episodes are out or to expertise it in a truncated format. AmeliaDimz is without doubt one of the greatest social media celebrities within the UK, and has over 4 million TikTok followers because of her posting clips of her Rooster Store Dates.
These clips don’t need to be taken from common on-line exhibits to realize attain. The information channel Novara Media clips their podcast conversations to a following of virtually 500k on TikTok, as does Drag Race star Biminibabes to her following of over 250k. Repurposing long-form content material like this for TikTok is a good way for UK accounts to put up content material extra continuously and construct their viewers.
14. Cash-saving content material
One of many distinctive classes of content material on UK TikTok is money-saving accounts. These are all designed to assist individuals lower your expenses, impressed partly by Martin Lewis, “The Cash Saving Skilled”, who has been a serious journalist and movie star within the UK for a few years. The sort of content material has additionally turn into more and more common as a wider UK social media development because of the UK’s ongoing cost-of-living disaster.
UK TikTok creators can contemplate this continued development by higher understanding the place their merchandise are priced within the wider financial system in the event that they’re utilizing TikTok to promote. It’s additionally price remembering that UK TikTok customers have a tendency to understand clear and open discussions about severe matters and monetary issues, because of the open and inclusive nature of the platform.
15. TikTok traits protection in UK media
Because of its ongoing recognition, TikTok is now being lined repeatedly by the UK media. Most of the greatest publications within the nation, together with the BBC, Glamour Journal and The Unbiased, amongst others, have devoted sections on their web sites targeted solely on the most recent TikTok traits.
Checking these subject sections repeatedly is a brilliant solution to catch present traits you would possibly’ve missed. Whereas not as dependable as monitoring traits your self, these information web sites usually highlight greater creators and reveal what TikTok influencers are creating throughout nationwide holidays or countrywide occasions, like Glamour’s protection of artistic TikTok pancake day recipes. You shouldn’t depend on these publications solely, however utilizing them as an extra trending touchpoint can assist with content material ideation.
The best way to increase your attain on UK TikTok
The 15 traits above ought to offer you a clearer image of how UK TikTok differs from TikTok within the US and around the globe. The UK market has many uniquenesses and eccentricities that make constructing your attain on the community a definite activity that must be tackled with a regional strategy.
For those who hope to extend your attain within the UK, learn by means of Sprout’s record of 30 completely different TikTok instruments that may enhance your account’s development.
