If you are someone who spends their time scrolling endlessly on TikTok for entertainment or using the app as a way to showcase your life and creativity, you probably understand the basics of the TikTok algorithm and how it works. Trends are created by people who share those ideas using the same sounds, audio, dances, editing techniques etc…, and they become more and more popular as they get shared more. If you are an equestrian on TikTok, I am sure you have seen some of the recent trends circulating throughout the app specifically tailored to the equestrian community. The GRWM (get ready with me) videos, the badass slow-mo jumping and barrel racing edits, and the DIML (day in my life) videos have all been recently trending on the equestrian side of TikTok. Whether you are on the app for a personal brand or an equine brand, you can utilize these trends to increase your following and the activity on your page. 

• The GRWM videos have surfaced as a way to share story-times and showcase products or clothes. These types of videos are very popular among non-equestrian influencers but have found their way into the equestrian audience. Many of these videos show the user getting dressed for a show by putting on their boots, helmets, show jackets etc, as well as people getting ready to simply go ride their horse on a regular day at the barn. These videos would specifically be useful for equestrian clothing brands, those looking to build a personal brand, or for companies showcasing certain events. The intimacy of these types of videos allows for the audience to get to know who they are watching. Many users like to use these videos as a way to show off their color-coordinated riding outfits or the new pair of breeches they got. GRWM videos have become an extremely popular way for the user to interact with their audience and are a great way to get the audience caring about you and your content. 
• If you follow any equestrian accounts that post videos of them riding or showing, you have surely seen the slow-mo videos that they edit to make them and their horse look like the coolest people on the planet. Accounts with thousands of followers and even equestrian celebrities will create these types of high-quality videos to show just how cool this sport really is. These videos are mainly seen in the hunter/jumper and eventing worlds, but many different disciplines have used these types of videos to show off as well. TikTok audiences love a high-quality video with some cool music behind it, and the equestrian community on TikTok has definitely utilized this trend. By using a trending audio and a clear, well-shot video, you can create a TikTok that has people mesmerized and wanting more. it doesn’t have to be some super well-edited short-film either, it can simply be a raw video from your lesson that you slowed down and added an audio to. These types of videos are especially great for recapping shows or showing off you and your horse’s skills. They not only increase credibility, but they offer a way to show the excitement of our sport in action. I know that when I personally see these types of videos I am mesmerized by them (especially if they are using a song that I like).
• DIML videos have also risen to the surface to be one of the best ways to get your audience involved with your content. People like to see other people being real and showing how they truly live their lives. By filming little snippets of your day at the barn or at a horse show, you can put together a small vlog of a day in your equestrian life. DIML videos are specifically great for filming events and big horse shows. By creating a short video that is not only entertaining and relatable, but informational and educational, it can attract an even wider audience and inspire your viewers. Many users will narrate these videos after they edit them to explain what they are doing in their videos and add their own personality to it. The narration can add humor, inspiration, creativity, or knowledge that all make the video unique. Similarly to the last two types of TikToks, DIML videos are quite easy to make and post. Simply film snippets of your day and edit them together to create the “day in your life”. You can spice it up with narration or keep it simple with music and captions. Again, whether you are a sole equestrian Tik-Toker who wants to put your name out there or an equine business, these videos can engage your viewers and offer a newer level of intimacy and education.

While there are thousands of trends that can increase your engagement or following on TikTok, these are just a few that we have seen circulating around the app by both big and small creators. Each type of video offers a different level of intimacy and relatability and can be used in a variety of creative ways. Similarly, these videos can be used for educational purposes if your goal is to educate rather than entertain. As equestrians, one of our collective goals is to integrate the uniqueness and inspiration of our sport into the world around us, and TikTok actively makes that more accessible to us because of their creative platform and interactive algorithm.