TikTok Your Way to Savings

Introduction

Welcome to your next lesson! In our previous session, you learned how to use Instagram Stories features like polls and quizzes to engage and nurture your existing community. Building that trust is fundamental. Now, we're shifting our focus to a platform built for explosive growth and reaching entirely new audiences: TikTok.

Today's lesson is all about harnessing the power of TikTok's culture. Your goal is to identify and use a trending format (like a sound or an effect) and adapt it to a money-saving tip. While Instagram Stories help you talk to your followers, mastering TikTok trends helps you get discovered by millions of potential new followers who share an interest in your "cheap and cheerful" lifestyle niche.

1. What is a "Trending Format"?

On TikTok, a "trend" isn't just one thing. It's a combination of elements that people replicate and adapt. The most common components are:

• Trending Sounds: These are the backbone of TikTok. A sound can be a snippet of a popular song, a line from a movie, or a user-created audio clip that goes viral. Using a trending sound can significantly boost your video's visibility.
• Trending Effects & Filters: These are visual overlays that change your appearance or your environment. Some effects become trends themselves, where the point of the video is to use the effect in a creative way.
• Trending Formats & Memes: This is the broader structure of a video. It might involve a specific dance, a "Point of View" (POV) scenario, a lip-sync challenge, or a particular way of using on-screen text with a specific sound.

The images below show how you can access and apply some of these visual elements within the TikTok app.

2. How to Find What's Trending

To use a trend, you first have to find it. Your goal is to catch trends as they are rising, not after they've become oversaturated. Here are three effective, practical methods for trend-spotting.

Method 1: Curate Your "For You" Page (FYP)

Your FYP is your personal trend-finding machine, but you need to train it first. The best way to find trends relevant to your niche is by teaching the TikTok algorithm what you care about.

The following video explains this foundational strategy perfectly.

Once your FYP is optimized, simply scroll through it for 5-10 minutes a day. When you hear the same sound or see the same format multiple times, you've likely found a trend.

Method 2: Use the TikTok Search Bar Strategically

This is a more direct way to hunt for trends. Instead of just waiting for them to appear, you can actively search for them.

The next two videos offer brilliant, step-by-step instructions on how to use the search bar and what to look for.

Method 3: Use TikTok's Official Tools and Other Platforms

TikTok provides its own tools to help you find popular sounds and formats.

• TikTok Creative Center: This is a website run by TikTok that shows you what's trending. You can see top songs, hashtags, and more. It's a fantastic resource for data-backed insights. The video from TikTok Tactics you just watched also gives a tour of this starting at 02:48.
• In-App Sound Library: When you create a video and tap "Add sound," TikTok presents you with a list of recommended and trending audio. The Shopify article "How To Find Trending TikTok Sounds" explains this clearly under its fourth point.

You can explore a comprehensive list of these methods in the following article.

3. The Golden Rule: Adapt, Don't Just Copy

This is the most important part of the lesson. Simply copying a trend won't make you stand out. Your goal is to adapt the trend to fit your unique message and niche. People follow you for your perspective on frugal living, not to see the same dance someone else did.

So, how do you do this in practice? Let's take an example.

• The Trend: A popular sound with a dramatic beat drop. People often use it to show a surprising "glow-up" or transformation.
• Generic Use: Showing an old, awkward photo, and then a new, stylish one.
• Your Adapted Use (Frugal Niche):
  • Video: The first part of the video shows a picture of a messy pile of receipts and a stressed-out facial expression.
  • On Beat Drop: The video cuts to a clean, organized spreadsheet or budgeting app on a laptop, with a happy, relaxed facial expression.
  • On-Screen Text: "The glow-up my bank account needed."

In this adaptation, you used the trend's core idea (transformation) but applied it directly to a money-saving topic (getting your budget organized). You've provided value that is unique to your brand.

Your Action Plan: Create Your First Trend-Based TikTok

It's time to put theory into practice with these clear, actionable steps.

1. Find a Trend (15 mins): Use the methods from Part 2 to find a trend.

   • Scroll your FYP or use the search bar to find a trending sound or format.
   • Pro-Tip: As a beginner, look for trends based on sounds and on-screen text, as these are often easier to adapt than complex dance challenges. Aim for a sound with between 50,000 and 300,000 videos—this is often the sweet spot where a trend is popular but not yet completely saturated.

2. Brainstorm Your Adaptation (15 mins): Once you have a trend, ask yourself: "How can I connect this to saving money?"

   • Does the sound express the feeling of finding a great deal?
   • Example: A sound of someone cheering could be paired with text: "When the grocery item you need is BOGO."
   • Can the format show a "before" and "after" of a money-saving habit?
   • Example: A pointing format could show "Things I used to waste money on" vs. "What I do now."
   • Can you use the sound's lyrics and apply them to a frugal living concept?
   • Example: If the lyric is "I made a mistake," you could show a receipt for an impulse buy.

3. Record and Post Your Video (20 mins):

   • Open TikTok and find the sound or effect you chose.
   • Record your short video clips. Don't worry about being perfect; authenticity is key on TikTok.
   • Use the Text tool to add your money-saving tip or relatable thought. Make sure the text is easy to read and doesn't cover your face.
   • Write a simple caption. You'll learn more about captions and hashtags later, but for now, you can include something like: "Had to hop on this trend! Who can relate? #savingmoney #budgeting #frugalliving"
   • Post your video!

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've just learned one of the most powerful skills for growing on TikTok. By finding relevant trends and, most importantly, adapting them to your "cheap and cheerful" niche, you create content that is both discoverable and valuable.

Key Takeaways:

• TikTok trends are a mix of sounds, effects, and formats.
• Find trends by curating your For You Page, using the search bar strategically, and checking TikTok's Creative Center.
• The golden rule is to adapt, not just copy. Connect the trend's core idea to a money-saving tip that serves your audience.
• Authenticity and creativity will always perform better than a perfect but soulless copy.

Preview of the Next Lesson:
In this lesson, you learned to adapt general trends. Next, we'll dive into a specific type of trend that involves interacting directly with other creators' content: the Stitch and Duet features. This is a powerful technique for joining conversations that are already happening in your niche and adding your unique, budget-friendly perspective.