Influencer marketing can be a bit of a question mark compared to more traditional marketing channels. It can feel like you either “get it” or you don’t, and the recipe for success for one person might not translate perfectly to another.
Fortunately, there are sure-fire ways to increase your viewership and earnings. One of the most effective ways to do that? Hop on the hottest short-form video trends.
TikTok and Instagram Reels have quickly become some of the most popular content platforms, and for good reason. They’re short, digestible forms of media that don’t require much reading and usually garner a quick laugh. They’ve become so popular that copycat platforms like YouTube Shorts and LinkedIn Video have begun to pop up.
The market for short-form video may already be saturated, but there’s still enough room for you to carve your niche, build your audience, and convert it to revenue.
Building an audience is a grind, but the journey there can be made easier in ways other than a single video with millions of views. Your audience wants to trust that you’re a consistent influencer who’s created a fun, welcoming space they can keep coming back to. Here’s how to do that.
Read the comments of the videos when you do your own scrolling. The most liked comments are going to rise to the top. Are they funny? Insightful? Encouraging? Trending phrases come in and out of style (it’s giving demure), and an easy way to get comment likes is by using them with your personal twist. More users liking your comments means more page visits and more people discovering your posts.
Keep it funny, keep it kind, and keep it consistent.
Remember, almost every platform now supports short-form video. What you’ve edited for TikTok could easily be used as an Instagram Reel, a Facebook video, a YouTube Short, and so on. Expanding your reach sometimes comes with a bit of luck, but this is a manual way to increase your chances of being seen.
Depending on your region, some platforms have minimum video length requirements to qualify for monetization. Take TikTok, for example. Videos that are one minute or longer qualify for monetization as per the TikTok Creator Rewards Program. Maybe not every video you make gets hundreds and thousands of likes, but ensuring they’re at least one minute will put some money in your pocket. And if you do go viral, you can expect a bigger payday.
Audience growth is one thing, but audience retention is arguably just as important. The people who follow you on social media want to feel appreciated for supporting you, and the best way to do that is simple acknowledgment. You should make a habit of ” liking” their kind comments and taking some time to respond to them. It’ll keep them coming back and show new watchers that if they engage with you, you’ll likely see it. This snowballs into growing a larger community in the long term.
Now that you’ve got the basics down, it’s time to test the tried-and-true trends that have helped influencers reach virality.
What makes it so viral: This trend comes from a dating show spoof, where the female lead eliminates a bachelor for only being invested in the set’s zipline. It’s absurdly hilarious, and you could easily recreate the trend and replace “zipline” with whatever you’re selling.
Audio: silosandsocial – 3.8k Posts
What makes it so viral: This is another funny audio from iconic reality star Tiffany (New York) Pollard, who was a contestant on season 2 of a reality show called Flavor of Love. Pollard is told she has 30 minutes, and the clip is silly and also creates a sense of haste—perfect for a sale you put on, an exclusive drop, or another reason you need your audience to act quickly.
Audio: realliamsilk – 39.2k Posts
What makes it so viral: Shark Tank is a popular reality show where entrepreneurs and business owners pitch their products to successful business moguls. This audio clip from the show has inspired creators to make their own (often silly or cute) pitches for their products.
Audio: itsshelbywright – 8.9k Posts
What makes it so viral: This audio pokes fun at increasingly out-of-hand tipping culture across North America. Tips for kind gestures? Tips for simply existing? The absurdity makes this trend funny, memorable, and easy to replicate in your own way.
Audio: Sparks by Evan Jacobson 193k Posts
What makes it so viral: Emma Stone went viral when a clip of her at an award show calling up a winner with much enthusiasm started making its rounds. Her “Get up here! Let’s dance!” could encourage your audience to feel like they’re a part of your reel or TikTok (or are at least in on your joke).
Audio: blossomeffect_ – 75.6k Posts
What makes it so viral: Billie Eilish’s new album Hit Me Hard and Soft has been wildly popular this year, and her track “Birds of a Feather” has been a fan favorite. This vibey remix has taken TikTok and Instagram by storm, where influencers worldwide are romanticizing their lives, routines, products, or anything that reflects their brand. These clips are calming and satisfying to watch.
Audio: Birds of a Feather (Vibey) – 84.9k Posts
What makes it so viral: This viral audio is a mashup of a scene from Gilmore Girls and the extremely catchy Breathe by Olly Alexander. Influencers use it to show “what they have to offer,” whether it be their art, products, services, or, like in our sample, your pet-fluencer’s adorable airplane ears.
Audio: austin.pep – 28.2k Posts
Sample: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_tzFdCt70e/
What makes it so viral: This one is simple yet effective. The video is shot from what appears to be your phone’s point of view, and it depicts you either coming to a realization or Googling something. The video is funny in a boomer-esque way, but it’s relatable, as we’ve all been out of the loop on something before. You could easily use this to fill your audience in on your brand or whatever you’d like to teach them.
Audio: Original sound – kacia.ghetmiri – 10k Posts
What makes it so viral: Another simple concept with a viral song to pair with it. This video follows the format “If I won the lottery, I wouldn’t tell anyone, but there would be signs.” The poster then proceeds to show the audience what they would spend that money on. Of course, if you’re looking to sell something, you could show an abundance of products, but if you’re looking to use this just for simple brand awareness, you could choose something a little more vague or silly.
Audio: Djo: End of Beginning – 1.2M Posts
What makes it so viral: Our last example is viral because everyone loves a sassy introduction. A viral clip of “The Clique,” a performance group on the competition show The X-Factor, won over thousands with its sass and replicability. Influencers use this sound to show off their teammates or anything else they offer that goes together as a “clique.”
Audio: The_clique.daily – 5.1k Posts
While the Hello Sharks, Typing, and Adding a Tip trends may be great engagement boosters, it’s key to ensure you’re putting an authentic twist on them. If you copy content too closely to bait people, your audience will see through it quickly. Being yourself and sticking to your or your company’s values will help you build a viewership that’s more likely to stick around for the long haul.
Download the Simple Affiliate app for free on the Shopify app store for the most effective way to manage your affiliates and influencers you partner with.
