Regardless of solely launching internationally in 2017, TikTok has grown to turn out to be one of the vital common social media platforms amongst younger individuals within the UK, and TikTok advertising and marketing is one of the best ways to market to them immediately.
Success on the platform is about consistency, high quality and maintaining with the always-changing TikTok tendencies UK customers watch probably the most.
That can assist you higher perceive the distinctiveness of UK TikTok, we’ve outlined what units it other than its US and different counterparts. We’ve additionally listed 15 of an important UK TikTok tendencies that you would be able to make the most of to spice up the attain of your accounts.
Understanding the UK TikTok Ecosystem
TikTok is reliably one of many prime 4 most used platforms within the UK at the moment, with tens of millions of each day lively customers, and it additionally has a notably younger person 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 reputation just like different markets, just like the US, however UK TikTok additionally has many intricacies of its personal. Whereas some pattern cycles are the identical for UK and US TikTok, a lot of UK TikTok’s tendencies deal with UK-specific hobbies or occasions, like Premier League soccer and British cleaning soap operas. Main nationwide occasions like Wimbledon, Glastonbury and London Vogue Week additionally are inclined to create their very own region-specific tendencies.
It due to this fact isn’t sufficient to have an understanding of how TikTok works within the US should you’re hoping to draw UK customers to your account. A nuanced understanding of what units the TikTok tendencies UK customers desire aside may help you create content material that higher serves their wants.
TikTok tendencies within the UK
Capitalising on these explicit tendencies calls for a pointy content material creator and a deep understanding of how UK TikTok works. Be certain to analyse which accounts and audiences are leaping on a pattern, and resolve whether or not your account can contribute in a singular method.
We’ve additionally factored this level into all of our tendencies under. As a result of it’s near-impossible to trace these short-term tendencies earlier than they transfer on, we’ve centered on extra wide-reaching UK TikTok tendencies that proceed to affect the app always. From comedy sketches to UK meals, listed below are the 15 UK TikTok tendencies impacting the app in the mean time.
1. UK TikTok’s fast-moving pattern lifecycle
Very similar to elsewhere, UK TikTok tendencies are fast-moving and sometimes fleeting. The “very conscious, very demure” pattern was all around the app final summer time, however no one is posting about it in 2025. It’s laborious to place an actual timescale on the lifecycle of a TikTok pattern, however tendencies centered on TikTok sounds or speaking factors usually solely final round per week or two earlier than a brand new pattern seems. In case your model desires to take part in a pattern, time is of the essence.
2. Comedy sketches
The UK has an extended historical past of comedy sketch routines, from The Two Ronnies to Mr Bean. This historical past has discovered its method to UK TikTok, the place comedy sketches are one of many foremost trending content material varieties. Generally accounts are totally centered on these sketches, whereas influencers or manufacturers would possibly create one-off sketches amidst a wider technique to capitalise on the pattern.
These sketches have a tendency to return 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 under is a well-liked model of this second sort of UK sketch comedy publish.
3. Self-deprecating British humour
One other common comedic pattern on UK TikTok is accounts that depend on self-deprecating British humour. This normally doesn’t translate effectively to different audiences, however has led to some UK accounts constructing big followings on the platform.
Alex Dodman creates “actual critiques” of common UK vacationer locations that poke enjoyable on the UK as an entire, in addition to at himself. This reveals one other key pattern about UK TikTok–that what appears like negativity can, in the precise conditions, create a constructive response. Pulling this kind of content material off does nevertheless demand an understanding of how UK comedy works.
4. The affect of UK meals TikTok and artistic meals recipes
With regards to TikTok tendencies, 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 alter the consuming habits of younger individuals throughout the nation.
The BBC discovered that 57% of millennials and Gen Z are influenced by diet tendencies on the platform. The cucumber salad and tomato toast tendencies that hit the UK platform during the last yr additionally elevated gross sales for each components throughout the nation. These clear impacts created by meals TikTok within the UK are a fantastic instance of how tendencies on the platform can result in wider societal tendencies.
One of many foremost methods to adapt to the meals TikTok pattern as a part of your content material technique is thru recipe content material. Nevertheless, because the platform has developed, 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 must design eye-catching recipes which can be distinct from others on the platform.
NellsKitchn is an efficient instance of an account doing this in follow. They’ve created a recipe collection centered on turning crisp sandwiches–a well-liked UK pastime–into connoisseur sandwich recipes. This combines the pattern of nostalgic content material (which we’ll element under) with recipes to create a fascinating collection for her UK viewers.
5. Road meals POV accounts
One other important TikTok pattern UK customers are participating with is content material managed by avenue meals vans, 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 vans symbolize an ideal alternative for TikTok content material due to their enclosed area, their smaller record of menu objects, and the truth that truck employees interact immediately with prospects and handle their very own companies. Among the most disruptive accounts on the platform proper now embody SpudMan and SpudBros, each of whom handle jacket potato meals vans and have earned widespread information protection.
6. Native UK companies utilizing TikTok for advertising and marketing and gross sales
It isn’t simply meals vans 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 pattern for the platform.
Many of those TikTok enterprise accounts have been inspired by wider tendencies selling gross sales on the platform, like the continued #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt hashtag. Every of them makes use of TikTok in a singular method to announce one-time gross sales, create humorous sketches, reply questions their viewers has and extra.
Even companies you wouldn’t anticipate are actually on UK TikTok, proving how versatile the platform is. One instance is Wakey Wines, who owns an area off-license and has earned nearly one million TikTok followers. His success has been partly 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 nations just like the US, nevertheless it has a very sturdy affect within the UK market. Since 2023, BookTok influencers have been closely impacting how books are offered and printed throughout the nation.
It’s grown to turn out to be one of the vital important subcategories of TikTok within the UK due to this wider affect and the rising variety of BookTok UK influencers. TikTok has additionally been selling this facet of the platform particularly via its annual TikTok guide awards. An impartial bookshop in Wales gained the award for bookshop of the yr final yr. Its reputation 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 the direction of them immediately.
8. UK Gaming TikTok
The UK’s gaming TikTok group is rising, with TikTok itself sponsoring the UK’s EGX gaming present to assist extra gaming content material on the platform. Over 34.4 million posts have already been created utilizing the UK avid gamers matter.
UK gaming TikTokers usually focus their content material on particular video games that’re notably common, like Fortnite or Minecraft, or genres of video games like indies or cosy video games, to enchantment to sure audiences. This can be a good instance of how having area of interest content material may help appeal to a extra engaged UK TikTok viewers. They’re additionally identified for constructing communities via 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 at the moment; MadMorph is primarily a TikToker and has over 1.3 million followers who recognize his recreation suggestions.
9. Day within the life, behind-the-scenes and GRWM
Behind-the-scenes content material is without doubt one of the largest UK tendencies and might embody 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 vogue influencers in addition to UK magnificence influencers have tailored this into the continued GRWM (Get Prepared With Me) content material sort. 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 varieties as a result of they break a few of the conventional partitions of promoting down. As an alternative 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 pattern that additionally builds authenticity is conversational POVs. These are sometimes designed for account house owners 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 largest TikTokers within the UK and usually 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 usually meant to be humorous and unserious, although this will differ barely relying on who manages the account and their explicit viewers. The pattern for conversational POVs stays large and is without doubt one of the foremost ways in which UK TikTokers are in a position to interact with their followers via content material updates.
11. Nostalgic content material
Gen Z and millennials are each closely eager about nostalgia. Within the UK, this can be a complicated trait, nevertheless it’s just like generational emotions within the US and different nations, the place unsure futures have pressured youthful individuals to yearn for an easier previous.
Nostalgic content material on UK TikTok may be very totally different from anyplace else as a result of it depends closely on the expertise of rising up within the nation. Imogen Aisha’s comedy sketch under, for instance, satires a definite sort of UK TV vogue present which was prevalent within the mid-2000s, which wouldn’t resonate with anybody outdoors of the UK. With the ability to faucet into UK nostalgia will be useful on TikTok, however you want to have the ability to use most of these cultural touchstones.
12. Suggestion interviews and regional alternate options
UK TikTok can be utilized as a advice software, and plenty of UK customers discover new eating places, days out and merchandise immediately via this kind of content material. TopJaw has remodeled the best way restaurant suggestions work on social media via their well-edited 1on1 interviews with cooks, influencers and celebrities, who all suggest their favorite locations in London.
This pattern reveals a wider behavioural pattern for TikTok use within the UK–that its customers are actively in search of 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 effectively as a result of it isn’t a tough promote; these are options 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 along with your viewers.
TopJaw and this fashion of advice content material has blown up previously yr, however in a method that additional reveals the distinctiveness of UK TikTok. Area-specific accounts centered solely on sharing issues to do in sure cities or areas are actually highly regarded on the platform; MCRFinest in Manchester, NottsHappening in Nottingham and TheYorkshireman throughout Yorkshire to call a couple of.
These take the London-centric method 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
Quick clips of current movies or podcast conversations will be highly regarded with sure demographics on UK TikTok. In most of those instances, TikTok can kind an extension of an already profitable podcast or video collection, permitting its followers a brand new method to see when new episodes are out or to expertise it in a truncated format. AmeliaDimz is without doubt one of the largest social media celebrities within the UK, and has over 4 million TikTok followers because of her posting clips of her Hen Store Dates.
These clips don’t need to be taken from common on-line exhibits to achieve attain. The information channel Novara Media clips their podcast conversations to a following of just about 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 publish content material extra often 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 get monetary savings, impressed partly by Martin Lewis, “The Cash Saving Knowledgeable”, who has been a serious journalist and superstar within the UK for a few years. The sort of content material has additionally turn out to be more and more common as a wider UK social media pattern because of the UK’s ongoing cost-of-living disaster.
UK TikTok creators can think about this continued pattern 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 critical subjects and monetary issues, because of the open and inclusive nature of the platform.
15. TikTok tendencies protection in UK media
Because of its ongoing reputation, TikTok is now being coated usually by the UK media. Lots of the largest publications within the nation, together with the BBC, Glamour Journal and The Unbiased, amongst others, have devoted sections on their web sites centered solely on the newest TikTok tendencies.
Checking these matter sections usually is a great method to catch present tendencies you would possibly’ve missed. Whereas not as dependable as monitoring tendencies 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 inventive TikTok pancake day recipes. You shouldn’t depend on these publications totally, however utilizing them as an extra trending touchpoint may help with content material ideation.
The best way to broaden your attain on UK TikTok
The 15 tendencies above ought to offer you a clearer image of how UK TikTok differs from TikTok within the US and world wide. 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 method.
In the event you hope to extend your attain within the UK, learn via Sprout’s record of 30 totally different TikTok instruments that may enhance your account’s development.
