TikTok has published its fifth annual ‘Year on TikTok’ report, which provides an overview of all the creators, moments and trends that resonated the most in the app throughout the past 12 months.

As explained by TikTok:

“In 2022, we lived, we laughed, and we collectively agreed on our love of corn. Our global community entertained and inspired each other, elevating and celebrating self-expression by discovering, creating and sharing content that captured our imaginations.”

TikTok’s Year in Review is separated into nine categories:

• FYFaves – The most popular video clips of the year overall
• TikTok Taught Me – Which highlights educational lessons, life hacks and how-to’s people have learned from the TikTok community
• The Playlist – The most popular songs on the app in 2022
• Only on TikTok – Key TikTok trends, powered by creative effects, sounds and other product features
• Breakthrough Stars – The rising creators and celebrities who had big moments on TikTok this year
• The Hitmakers – The most popular artists in the app
• Uncovered Communities – A celebration of subcultures and niche communities that are thriving on TikTok
• Eats on Repeat – Key food and recipe trends
• Loved by TikTok – Some of the most popular products and SMBs presented in the app

That provides a range of angles and aspects, which could better inform your understanding of the app, and the key trends in various niches and elements.

So what were the top TikTok clips of the year?

The top performer, with more than 300 million views, was this clip from chocolatier @amauryguichon of the creation of a chocolate giraffe.

The full list of the most popular US clips is:

1. @amauryguichon – Constructing a very large chocolate giraffe
2. @chipmunksoftiktok – Squishy’s back after hibernation!
3. @rosalia – You can say a lot with the way you chew gum
4. @blondebrunetteredhead – A deadpan take on “Jiggle Jiggle” by the leads of Riverdale
5. @little.blooming.women – “I’m just a baby!”
6. @schmoyoho – The beloved Corn Kid gets remixed
7. @lizzo – Lizzo helps us learn the choreo for “About Damn Time”
8. @itsmrfinn – A teacher’s elaborate yearly school musical reveal
9. @jimmydarts – Helping Tom get back on his feet
10. @meltandpour – The ultimate showdown: lava vs. ice

As you can see, there are quite a few celebrity clips in there, which underlines the rising cultural influence of the app, particularly for musicians, who are now increasingly leaning on TikTok for promotion and awareness.

TikTok’s also listed the top five most popular clips of the year globally, which is topped by this video from @ox_zung.

The video, at least for me, feels somewhat similar to Kaby Lame’s approach, in responding to viral trends.

The top five global TikToks of 2022 were:

1. @ox_zung – The Stitch expert shares tricks that made us gasp!
2. @rosalia – Rosalía shows us all how to slay
3. @lav_sings – Wows us with her #DesiTok singing skills
4. @robertirwin – The Aussie conservationist rescues a baby blue-tongued lizard in the outback
5. @thammachad – An iconic Thai creator receives an award in all their glory

There’s a range of insights into TikTok usage, and what’s popular in the app, that can be gleaned from these clips, though the top trends element may provide even more insight.

Top trends for the US were:

1. Jiggle Jiggle
2. It’s Corn!
3. One Thing About Me
4. That’s Not My Name
5. OK I Like it, Picasso
6. Core Memories
7. Things That Just Make Sense
8. Horace
9. Rotoscope
10. Renaissance Eyes

These were the things that got TikTokers participating, and sharing their own variations of the same trends in their clips.

Which is the key to TikTok’s viral success. Before TikTok, memes and trends were more of a passive consumption element, but TikTok has added a participatory aspect, so you’re not only being entertained by other people’s clips, but the ecosystem also invites you into the process, to share your own take.

If you want to learn more about TikTok and how it works, these are the trends that you need to take note of, and dig into in your own research.

Also worth noting from a marketing perspective – the top products on TikTok this year:

1. Food Chopper
2. MAC STACK Mascara
3. Glossier You Perfume
4. L.L. Bean Boat & Tote
5. Birkenstock Boston Clogs

Need TikTok marketing tips? Worth checking out these promotions, and the related hashtags, to see how each product has facilitated engagement in the app.

There’s a heap of great insight here to provide some valuable perspective on how TikTok works, what resonates in the app, and what you should be doing to align with key trends and opportunities.

It’s definitely worth a look – you can check out TikTok’s full ‘2022 Year on TikTok’ overview here.