A new roundup from Startups.co.uk, published October 1, picks out six social media trends that brands and creators are using this month. Several of them are already built for small business owners who want attention without a hard sell. Better still, none of them need a big budget.
If you run marketing for a young company, trends like these are cheap experiments. The point is to borrow a format that audiences already understand, then drop your offer inside it. Here is how to read the list, and how to test each one without wasting a week.
The Six Trends Worth Knowing This Month
The roundup describes six formats spreading across TikTok and Instagram. Some are pure entertainment, while others slide naturally into a promotional post. The table summarizes each one in plain terms.
| Trend | What creators do | Where it shows up |
|---|---|---|
| Turning my mum into me | Dress a family member in their own wardrobe and reveal the change | TikTok |
| Some people call me… | Use a nickname as the setup for a service pitch | Social video |
| One question, one word | Ask ChatGPT or friends a personality question and layer the answer over visuals | Social video |
| Rock, paper, scissors | Show wins and losses with hand signs to contrast a solution and a pain point | Carousel or video |
| That’s so you | Build a photo collage of someone’s quirks | |
| The “A” trend | Act out funny texts from an anonymous character | Social video |
According to the roundup, the first one has already drawn an audience in the hundreds of millions on TikTok. That scale is a reminder of how quickly a simple idea can travel.
Which Social Media Trends Fit a Small Business
Not every trend deserves your time. A good filter is whether the format lets you show a customer problem and a fix in under 15 seconds. By that test, two of the six stand out.
The nickname trend works for service providers because it opens with a hook and ends with an offer. The rock, paper, scissors format works for product companies, since the winning and losing hands make a clean before and after. For the other four, treat them as light brand content, not core marketing.
Keep your brand voice steady even when the format is silly. A playful tone can still carry a clear offer, and consistency helps people recognize you across posts.
How to Test a Trend in One Afternoon
Speed matters because trends fade fast. Plan the test the way you would plan any growth experiment, with one goal and one number to track. Follow these steps:
- Pick one trend and write one sentence about the customer problem it will address.
- Film two versions of the same idea, each with a different opening line.
- Post both on the same day, then compare views, saves and clicks after 48 hours.
Write down the result before you forget it. A simple note with the trend, the hook and the numbers becomes a playbook your team can reuse next month.
Next, connect those results to revenue. Our piece on customer acquisition tracking explains why firms that measure acquisition tend to grow faster than those that guess.
What Real Reach Looks Like for Founders
A single viral clip rarely builds a business on its own. The story behind TikTok side hustle success shows how far one video can carry a product. Even so, the product itself still has to deliver once the views arrive.
Treat comments and messages as part of the campaign. Replying quickly can turn a casual viewer into a lead, and it shows the platform that your post deserves more reach.
It also helps to know where your buyers spend time. The Pew Research Center keeps a running fact sheet on social media use that shows which platforms Americans actually use, so check it before you pick a channel.
Social Media Trends Questions Founders Ask
How often should I jump on a trend?
Once or twice a month is plenty for most small teams. More than that, and your feed starts to feel scattered.
Do I need to hire a creator?
Not at first. Start with your own phone, a clear hook and an honest offer, then bring in help once a format proves it works.
Where Short-Form Marketing Goes Next
Expect brands to keep using AI tools as part of these formats, especially the one-word question trend. Also watch the way search and ads are changing. Our look at ChatGPT ads for brands shows that new placements are opening for small companies.
Finally, keep an eye on platform rules and changes, since a format that works today may be limited tomorrow.
This month’s takeaway is simple. Pick one trend, test it fast, and measure what happens. Then keep the formats that bring customers and drop the rest.
