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The Best Small Business TikTok Trends for May 2025 (& How To Use Them)

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Published on May 16, 2025
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TikTok is an endless stream of fleeting trends and challenges – blink and you’ll miss them. For your business to join in, you need to keep your finger on the pulse. But if you don’t have time to check your For You Page every day, don’t worry – I’ve done the doomscrolling for you.

Below, I’ve included the top TikTok trends for May, tested by businesses like yours. From audio clips to video execution to captions, I’ve included everything you need to recreate them for yourself.

1. I’m Bored, Tell Me About…

🎵Trending sound for this video: NYES | Fashion

Get your popcorn ready for this TikTok trend… 🍿

Story time videos are always entertaining, even more so when the comments are full of them. In this instance, creators encourage their followers to share their most chaotic, unhinged moments and darkest secrets in the comments, all with the hope of curing their boredom.

By handing the stage over to your video viewers, you have the opportunity to get to know them better and actively interact with them in the comments, boosting engagement and watch time on your video – which the TikTok algorithm loves! The best part is that you have total control over the narrative.

How To Use This Trend

  1. Film a casual video of yourself or a business partner, either working or looking at the camera expectantly
  2. Overlay text “I’m bored, tell me about [topic]”
  3. Add the “NYES | Fashion” sound linked above

This trend can take any direction. Some businesses use it as a chance to gain customer feedback or advice from others in their industry, whereas others bond over funny or embarrassing stories. Source: TikTok users The Yellow Pterodactyl and Revolve

2. The Butterfly Effect

🎵Trending sound for this video: Ribs by Lorde

One small action can cause an unexpected ripple of events, famously referred to as the butterfly effect. In this TikTok trend for May, creators are using this concept to consider how life would have panned out differently if they didn’t take a leap of faith, such as quitting their nine-to-five.

It’s worth noting that videos under this sound have caused some controversy in the comments over what actually classifies as a butterfly effect. Of course, this is a social media trend, not a science exam, but if you want to play it safe, choose a widely unrelated moment that could be traced back to where you are now – think tripping over the pavement five years ago, leading to your sell-out pop-up event.

How To Use This Trend

  1. Film a positive video that shows your business thriving
  2. Overlay the text “The butterfly effect is real because what if [event]?”
  3. Add the sound “Ribs” linked above

Videos under this sound demonstrate gratitude to their customers, and can also show positive work relationships. Source: TikTok users Maison Zee Ltd and Specsavers

3. She Doesn’t Know It Yet, but…

🎵Trending sound for this video: Dim by Yves

Sometimes, life can come at you fast, and looking back, you can barely believe how things have changed so quickly. This TikTok trend for May looks retrospectively at women before that life-pivoting moment, and how they didn’t know what was about to hit them.

This trend is very open-ended, and videos have ranged from unsuspecting injuries to shock pregnancies. For businesses, it’s most popularly used to depict a professional milestone, such as an amount of sales or a viral video that changed everything.

How To Use This Trend

  1. Decide on the pivotal moment you want to use – this could either be a business achievement or a problem you’ve faced
  2. Use a video of yourself before that pivotal moment – either an old social media post or a clip of you working
  3. Overlay the text “she doesn’t know it yet, but [insert event]”
  4. Add the “Dim” sound linked above

These two videos take completely different approaches to this trend. The first attempts to make her video viral (and succeeds!), and the second makes light of a common mistake within its industry, which other professionals relate to in the comments. Source: TikTok users Home By Harri and The Brand Girls

4. Almost Forgot This Was the Whole Point

🎵Trending sound for this video: Take My Hand by Matt Berry

Perhaps one of the most popular TikTok trends right now (and one of the simplest to recreate), “I almost forgot this was the whole point” is all about taking a step back from the daily stresses and pressures of life, and remembering what sparked your drive and passion to begin with.

Businesses are using this trend to shoutout their favorite parts of their job. Another popular angle is showing gratitude for the position they’re in and affirming that the hustle and grind of work is worthwhile when they experience positive reviews or milestones.

How To Use This Trend

  1. Film one clip of what started your love for your job, or the most rewarding, enjoyable, or therapeutic part of your day-to-day
  2. Overlay the text “Almost forgot this was the whole point”
  3. Add the “Take My Hand” sound linked above

Seeing customers shop your products or opening your first brick-and-mortar store are both perfect examples of grounding moments that make the daily grind worthwhile. Source: TikTok users Addies Bookshelf and Your Nail Crush Soho

That’s a wrap! These are the four most popular TikTok trends right now, which small businesses are having a lot of success using. Have you tried any trends this month? And are there any other social media platforms you’d like me to keep tabs on? Let me know in the comments.

Looking for more inspiration? Check out my TikTok trends for April, or learn how to find your own trending TikTok sounds.

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Written by:
Annie Angus is a Writer for Website Builder Expert with a passion for shaping jargon-heavy research into digestible content. She has previously researched and written about industries ranging from tech to fashion, and now, after testing our top website builders such as Wix and Squarespace, she is enthusiastic to share her findings with our readers. With first-hand experience in utilizing social media and online marketplaces to grow a small handmade clothing business, Annie understands the priorities and concerns held by SME owners, and knows precisely what they look for in a website builder. She combines this unique perspective with her knowledge of website builders to produce engaging content spanning all areas of the small business journey, from creating a strong website to growing and maintaining an audience.

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