Instagram and TikTok for businesses: How online retailers can capitalise on the 5 latest Instagram Reels and TikTok trends for themselves and their products

Social media is now a relevant part of your customers' everyday lives. As an online retailer, you have of course long known that online marketing is a key pillar of your marketing strategy and that you can reach your target group exactly where they are anyway. You may also have long realised that TikTok marketing and Instagram marketing are important levers for increasing your reach, addressing customers directly and generating new traffic sources.

With new TikTok and Instagram trends springing up almost daily, it can quickly become a problem for you to keep up with developments. That's why we present the latest trends clearly in this article and show you how you can use TikTok and Instagram to market your products.

By the way: This article will be updated regularly with the latest trends - bookmark it and come back to this article.

Social media marketing: the most important definitions

Social media marketing offers you a whole range of opportunities to generate more traffic, conversions and ultimately more sales. However, if you are just getting into the subject, it is important to know the most important definitions first.

What is social media marketing (SMM)?

As part of online marketing, the focus here is on marketing via social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin or TikTok. This form of marketing encompasses all tactical and strategic measures for communicating company messages, interacting with users and generating visitors for your own website.

In recent years, this branch of marketing has experienced huge growth. Almost all major companies are represented on at least one platform.

SMM can support you in the following ways:

• Increase reach and brand awareness

• Increase visibility of the online shop

• Direct contact with customers and potential new customers

• Increase trust and customer satisfaction

• Generate traffic for your own shop

• Expand brand image

• Attract new target groups

There is now a large selection of social media platforms, but you don't have to be present on every one of them. The most important thing is that you use the platforms on which your target group spends time. It can therefore be crucial that you carry out a target group analysis and customer segmentation from the outset.

What is TikTok marketing?

TikTok is particularly popular with the younger target group (millennials and Gen Z) - more than half of users are under 25 years old. The content consists of short video clips that are usually edited with effects, sounds and filters. At TikTok, the focus is on creativity and spontaneity. It is not about highly professional video formats, but about authentic posts with humour and at the same time the seemingly casual integration of brand, product and co.

TikTok marketing encompasses all measures on TikTok to promote a brand, product or service. This includes various tactics such as influencer marketing, TikTok ads and the creation of organic content. Marketing via TikTok can help you, for example, to increase brand awareness, sell products and services or obtain feedback from customers and the target group.

What is Instagram marketing?

Simply put, Instagram marketing is the way a company posts, behaves and interacts on Instagram to increase brand awareness, gain followers and drive sales.

More than half of users are under the age of 35 and therefore belong to the millennial generation. Content published on Instagram can be shared in the form of posts (images), Instagram stories (images or videos that disappear after 24 hours) or Instagram reels (short video clips, similar to TikTok), for example. Another option are adverts that you can place directly on Instagram.

Common mistakes made by companies on Instagram and TikTok

1. Irregular posting and lack of consistency

One of the biggest challenges on Instagram and TikTok is posting regularly and consistently. Irregular content leads to followers losing interest and the platforms' algorithms showing less engagement. Companies should have a clear posting schedule and stick to it to stay present in the feeds and increase engagement.

2. Lack of content strategy

Many companies start without a clear content strategy, resulting in disjointed and ineffective content. A well-thought-out strategy includes setting goals, identifying the target audience, selecting appropriate content formats and topics, and planning the frequency of postings. Without this strategy, content can miss its mark and dilute the brand image.

3. Content that is too promotional

Users on Instagram and TikTok are looking for entertainment, inspiration and authentic experiences. Content that is too promotional and only aims to promote sales is often ignored or even perceived negatively. Companies should focus on building relationships and providing added value, e.g. through informative, entertaining or inspiring content.

4. Neglecting interaction with the community

A common mistake is that companies do not interact sufficiently with their community. Ignoring comments, questions and messages can make followers feel unappreciated. Active engagement, such as replying to comments and liking or sharing followers' content, strengthens the bond with the brand and promotes community growth.

5. Ignoring platform trends and new features

Both Instagram and TikTok are constantly evolving and regularly offer new features, such as reels on Instagram or new music and effects options on TikTok. Companies that ignore these trends and features are missing out on the opportunity to adapt to current user interests and make their content more relevant. It is important to remain flexible and integrate new trends promptly.

6. Insufficient target group analysis

Many companies fail to precisely analyse their target group on the platforms. Without a deep understanding of the interests, demographics and behaviour of the target audience, it is difficult to create content that is engaging and relevant. Carefully analysing platform insights and regularly adjusting the content strategy is crucial for success.

7. Neglect of visual quality and creativity

Visual quality plays a major role on both platforms. Blurry images, poorly edited videos or boring designs can quickly cause users to keep scrolling. Companies should invest in high-quality photos and videos and produce creative, engaging content that captures users' attention.

8. Not using analytics and KPIs

Without the use of analytics tools and key performance indicators (KPIs), companies cannot measure whether their social media strategy is successful. Ignoring performance data means that companies do not know what is working and what is not. By analysing metrics such as reach, engagement rate, follower growth and conversion rates, strategies can be optimised in a targeted manner.

9. Lack of adaptation to the platform algorithm

Each platform has its own algorithm that determines which content is prioritised. Companies that do not understand or take these algorithms into account risk their content not being seen. On Instagram, engagement rates, dwell time and interactions such as shares and saves are important. On TikTok, playback time and interactions matter most.

10. Too much focus on follower numbers instead of engagement

Many companies measure their success primarily by the number of followers. However, a high follower count alone does not guarantee success. Much more important is the engagement of the followers, i.e. how often they interact with the content. It is better to have a smaller but active and engaged community than a large one that barely interacts with the content.

11. Overuse of hashtags or wrong hashtags

Although hashtags are an important means of making content more visible, overuse or incorrect use can also be detrimental. Too many hashtags or irrelevant tags come across as spam and can even reduce engagement. Companies should specifically use relevant and popular hashtags that fit the brand and the respective content.

12. Not adapting the content to the platform

A common mistake is to post the same content on both platforms without customisation. Instagram and TikTok have different user expectations and content formats. Companies should tailor content to the respective platform: Instagram favours aesthetically pleasing, often photography-based content, while TikTok values fast, creative and entertaining videos.

What is the best way to sell products via Instagram & TikTok?

Marketing products via social media is no longer a trend, but has developed into an important pillar of e-commerce. It is important that you know your target group and know how to address them authentically. After all, consumers are not necessarily looking for something on social media, but are rather inspired by suitable products in their personal social media environment.

In this section, we will introduce you to the most important ways in which you can market products on Instagram and TikTok.

Market products on TikTok

If you haven't already done so, download the TikTok app and create a business account. A business account gives you access to the TikTok Business Centre and thus to analyses, ads, TikTok Sounds and the Creative Hub, which provides users with instructions on current content and best practices.

In Germany, however, business accounts do not yet have access to the TikTok Shop function. In future, followers will be able to browse through their products and make purchases without leaving the app. A launch was already planned for 2022, but has so far been put on hold. Following a successful launch in Asia, however, a new global rollout of the feature is planned - but we can only speculate as to when exactly this will happen.

Create your own TikTok videos

Before you start creating video content, you should first invest some time in familiarising yourself with the app. It's important to keep up with the latest trends - you'll find these further down in this article.

Once you feel confident, it's time to start creating. Some key tips to keep in mind are:

• Create engaging content: On TikTok, it's important to immediately captivate your audience within the first 3 seconds. Otherwise, users will scroll straight to the next video.

• Be authentic: Avoid being overtly promotional in your videos. Rather try to entertain your viewers (with a few references to your product, of course).

• Create a challenge: If you invite users to take part in a TikTok challenge (a type of challenge to which users respond with their own videos). Don't forget to create a hashtag specifically for your challenge.

• Ensure originality: You should not simply imitate other creators, but rather create original content that is unique.

In general, it is important on TikTok that you consistently create content and interact with your audience. This means you should create a schedule for video uploads to ensure that you deliver new content regularly. If you receive comments, you should focus on dialogue - this will build trust and allow you to respond directly to customer feedback. Another plus point: interaction in the comments makes the algorithm aware of your account.

‍Work together with influencers

By working with the right influencers, your brand can reach a much larger audience. When looking for a suitable influencer, make sure they are a good fit for your brand. For example, if you sell beauty products, your company could be a good fit with influencers who share make-up tutorials. You can start your search in the TikTok Creator Marketplace, for example, where you can discover creators quickly and easily.

Promote user-generated content

With viral products on TikTok, most of the time the attention comes from videos of customers who love the product and not just from paid advertising. You can incentivise this process by asking customers to share videos of themselves using or talking about the product. This form of content is known as User Generated Content (UGC).

Use adverts on TikTok

Paid advertising is another option you can use to promote your products on TikTok. The adverts appear when scrolling between organic content - this can be effective as the adverts blend in with other TikTok videos. To run ads on TikTok, you must have a business account.

Tip: Check out TikTok's Small Business Resource Centre for helpful tips to get you started.

Market products on Instagram

Instagram is a popular platform for discovering new products - a full 60% of users stated that they had already discovered new products via Instagram, and 72% stated that they had already purchased products via Instagram (source: Kinsta).

However, you don't necessarily have to advertise on the platform. You can use the following strategies to market on Instagram:

Instagram Reels

Instagram reels are Instagram's reaction to the TikTok hype. If you want to increase your reach, you should post reels regularly - the Instagram algorithm will probably reward this. The short videos on Instagram follow a different algorithm than content shared in the feed.

However, the algorithm aims to keep users on the platform for longer. Therefore, reels on the same topic are grouped together - this offers you a great opportunity as your reels are automatically suggested to new users if they are already viewing similar content.

Use hashtags

Hashtags can be compared to the so-called keywords from the SEO area. Users can find your content with the help of these tags. They consist of terms that are associated with your product.

It is best to use a good mix of hashtags with a high, medium and low search volume. You can find hashtags via your competitors' posts, for example.

Use a call-to-action (CTA) in the image descriptions

Your image description should always contain a convincing message. In this, you should convince your customers to find out more or click on a link in your bio. Use a call-to-action so that users actually take an action. This allows you to collect new leads that you can later convert into paying customers.

Latori customer Asphaltgold uses a CTA in its image description to encourage customers to read a blog post.

Place a link including a CTA in your bio

Most users first look at a brand's bio when they are interested in a product. Therefore, you should definitely place a link to your online shop or app here.

Latori customer LFDY encourages its customers to install the new LFDY app in its bio.

Instagram Live

The Instagram Live function is perfect for offering short webinars or presenting products, for example. A live stream also reaches more users than a normal post, as Instagram users are informed about your live stream.

Share Instagram stories

When you post stories, users will see your logo as a bubble at the top of the screen and can access the story with just one click.

In your story, you can either include a direct link to a website or product or offer viewers a behind-the-scenes look at your company to strengthen customer loyalty. Sharing practical tips is another way to offer customers added value.

Instagram Ads

You can use Instagram ads to increase your reach and also influence sales. The ads are displayed on Instagram like normal posts and only differ in principle by a CTA that appears on the post.

What options does Shopify offer for social media marketing?

In the Shopify App Store, you will find many apps to help you expand your social media strategy. In this section, we present 4 apps that are useful for product marketing on TikTok and Instagram.

Socialwidget

Would you like to seamlessly integrate your social media presence into your Shopify shop? With Socialwidget, you can do just that. This app offers fully customisable, shoppable Instagram widgets and TikTok video feeds. This allows you to integrate Instagram feeds into your shop and sell directly from the posts. This way, you turn your social media content into engaging product presentations.

Cost:

• Free plan & 14-day trial

• Standard ($9.90/month)

• Professional ($19.90/month)

• Advanced ($49.90/month)

Outfy

With Outfy, you can automate your content and share it on different platforms. With a free plan and a free trial, you can start automating your posts right away.

Outfy offers a variety of features for Shopify and social media marketing, including automated creation of engaging content, automated posting to platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and Twitter, and AI-driven scheduling for strategic posts.

Cost:

• Free plan

• Starter ($20/month)

• Pro ($40/month)

• Ultimate ($70/month)

Linkpop

The Linkpop app offers a customisable link-in-bio tool that allows you to curate content, analyse traffic and sell products via a shareable link.

As a public app, Linkpop is a simple and popular solution for businesses. Linkpop offers direct access in the Shopify admin area and is available in different languages.

Cost:

• Free of charge

Archive Instagram & TikTok UGC

Want to get the most out of your Instagram and TikTok UGC? Archive allows you to automatically detect, download and organise content where your brand is tagged.

Cost:

• Free plan

• Starter ($29/month)

• Pro ($99/month)

The latest trends for TikTok and Instagram reels (and how online retailers can use them for marketing)

New trends emerge almost daily on TikTok and Instagram that you can utilise for your TikTok videos or Instagram reels. You should note that trends also depend on the respective For You Page or the respective interests on Instagram and can vary slightly from user to user. However, viral TikTok and Instagram trends emerge time and again.

Finally, we would like to introduce you to 5 current TikTok trends that you can also use for Instagram reels. We'll also give you tips on how you can use the trends to market your products and get started with Shopify and social media marketing.

This list will be updated regularly. (Current status: october 2024)

1. ‘Dopamine Menu’ trend

The dopamine menu trend is all about consciously creating a list of things that make you feel good in everyday life in order to increase the production of dopamine - a ‘happiness hormone’. It's about identifying activities, experiences or products that trigger small moments of happiness and incorporating them into your everyday life.

Link to TikTok, for example

How can you capitalise on the trend?

Companies can develop their own ‘dopamine menus’ that are specifically tailored to their target group. For example, a brand of health and wellness products could offer a dopamine menu that includes things like a relaxing bath, a yoga session or healthy snacks - complemented by suitable products from its own range. The aim is to help customers consciously create positive habits, while the company offers its products as a solution for these moments.

2. ‘This is the police speaking’ sound

The TikTok trend ‘This is the police speaking’ refers to a popular sound clip use on the platform. This is an audio recording that begins with the phrase ‘This is the police speaking’. In many videos, the sound clip is used to present different outfits to the beat.

Link to TikTok, for example

How can you utilise the trend?

For fashion and shoe brands in particular, this trend offers a great opportunity to present their own products in creative combinations. For example, brands can show different outfits or shoe styles and emphasise the versatility and combinability of their collections through the humorous use of the trend. Fashion brands can also use the trend to present their products for different occasions through different style variations, such as everyday outfits, party looks or sporty combinations.

3. Advent calendar unboxing

The Advent calendar unboxing trend has become extremely popular on social media, especially on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Influencers and consumers show what surprises are hidden behind the doors of Advent calendars in the run-up to Christmas. This trend has expanded beyond classic chocolate calendars to include beauty, food, fashion and even technology advent calendars, making unboxing an exciting experience.

Link to TikTok, for example

How can you capitalise on the trend?

Many companies now bring out their own advent calendars with their products. Each door could contain a miniature version or a special version of a product. These calendars offer customers an exciting way to familiarise themselves with the brand's product range and be surprised every day. Brands could include limited editions or exclusive products as part of the calendar to make the calendar even more desirable. One of the best ways to capitalise on the unboxing trend is to work with influencers. But of course, your own employees and social media representatives can also do unboxings.

4. ‘Very cute, very demure, very mindful’ trend

The trend started with TikToker Jools Lebron (@joolieannie), who is known for her sharp-witted humour. In her videos, she parodies how to be ‘very demure’ and ‘very mindful’ in professional life - be it with make-up decisions or ‘modest’ behaviour at work. Her humorous exaggeration struck a chord with the TikTok community and the trend quickly went viral. Users began to create their own clips in which they ironically depicted everyday situations in a ‘very demure’ way, such as eating or applying make-up.

Link example TikTok

How can you capitalise on the trend?

Brands can use the ‘very cute, very demure’ trend creatively to make their brand messages humorous and accessible. As the trend is based on ironic depictions of ‘modest’ behaviour, this dynamic can be cleverly used to present products or services in a humorous way.

5. ‘When I run away from the police and the officer says’ trend

The TikTok trend ‘When I run away from the police and the officer says...’ plays with the idea that a person runs away from the police but suddenly feels shy and flattered because the officer gives a compliment. Users formulate funny scenarios in which the police identify the ‘suspect’ not because of a crime, but because of a conspicuous, positive characteristic.

Link example TikTok

How can you capitalise on the trend?

Brands can cleverly use the ‘When I run away from the police and the officer says...’ trend on TikTok to present their products in a humorous and authentic way. For example, a fashion label could use the trend to present a collection: ‘When I run away from the police and the officer says ’suspect has the trendiest jacket.’ This shows the product in a humorous way that also emphasises the positive characteristic.

Conclusion

TikTok and Instagram offer a multitude of opportunities for companies to market their products and reach their target audience. By utilising current trends, you can make your content interesting and appealing and attract the attention of your target group.

If you are not yet active on TikTok or Instagram, you should consider doing so and adapt your marketing strategy accordingly. The platforms offer a wide reach and allow you to target your audience and generate new traffic sources.