TikTok Challenges to Generate Engagement: New Ideas

Do you want to use TikTok challenges to boost your engagement rates? You’re in the right place. Generating TikTok audience engagement is no easy feat. After all, you’re competing with countless other brands and creators for your target audience’s attention, making it that much harder to catch their eye. 

The secret sauce? Use TikTok challenges. A fresh TikTok challenge can be just the ticket to get audiences to interact with your content and brand, boosting everything from your views to your follower count.

Let’s dive into new TikTok challenge ideas that can get audiences engaging with your content and brand in no time. 

What are TikTok challenges?

TikTok challenges allow creators to throw down and encourage other users to hop on an epic discussion or activity. Essentially, a TikTok challenge is a video that entices viewers to do something interesting or fun based on a theme or activity, such as:

• Showing a talent
• Showcasing how to use a service or product
• Using filters
• Lip-syncing with a trending audio or music
• Dancing and performing skits

Popular TikTok challenges can also be recreations or interpretations of the original video. Brands and business-focused users often use TikTok challenges as interactive campaigns that entice audiences to participate and engage.

The goal is pretty simple: Leverage TikTok’s unique features and creative content to create a ripple effect among viewers, ultimately driving more profile and video views, including sales.

5 TikTok challenges to boost engagement

Ready to get the lowdown on the TikTok challenges that can level up your audience engagement game? Start with these top five engagement-boosting TikTok challenges.

1. Branded hashtag challenges

Branded hashtags can do wonders for your brand’s discoverability and visibility, and they can do more when used with TikTok challenges.

Create branded hashtag challenges that can skyrocket your client’s TikTok popularity and engagement by using catchy branded hashtags (Think the Beyoncé of hashtags) that are impossible to ignore. 

Keep your branded hashtags short and to the point. For instance, you can use #canvatips if the TikTok challenge is for creators to share videos of them sharing Canva tips and tricks or lesser-known features that every user should know.

You can also ask your TikTok challenge participants to use the branded hashtags in their videos. It’s the perfect opportunity for your content to reach more people’s For You Pages (FYPs), boosting their reach and engagement opportunities. 

Need help coming up with catchy branded hashtags? Use Vista Social’s free AI hashtag generator. Share some details, and the tool will instantly generate hashtags for you.

2. Interactive challenges

Create interactive TikTok challenges that entice audiences into participating, boosting engagement. For instance, encourage TikTok users to stitch onto your video using the hashtag #DIYfail and keep the narrative going, such as stitching your DIY project fail video with their own.  

Besides Stitches, you can also start TikTok challenges where other users can duet with your videos. For example, you can challenge audiences to duet your workout routine, turning your content into interactive fitness fun. 

Don’t forget to announce your challenge or contest. You can even briefly mention your contest in your TikTok bio.

3. Contest challenges

TikTok contest challenges allow participants a chance to win a prize.

Run TikTok challenges doubling as contests to encourage audience interaction and engagement. For example, get your audiences involved in creating video captions or TikTok quotes for your content.

You can turn it into a fun challenge and expand the reach of your client’s content while enticing your target audience to interact with the post. 

Another fun TikTok challenge idea is to do a product feature showdown. If you have a new product to flaunt, challenge users to showcase the item most creatively. Many users do product features by doing TikTok finds or using the #tiktokmademebuyit hashtag in their videos. 

The most creative content, from funny demos to a fun and creative slideshow, wins and gets a prize. It’s a great way to showcase your product and engage audiences. 

4. Collaboration challenges 

Spice up your TikTok challenges by bringing in influencers. Influencers have established followers and reputations. You can tap into the influencers’ clout to get more eyeballs and engagement on your content and TikTok challenges.

Double your engagement opportunities by running tag team challenges with TikTok influencers. For example, influencers create a TikTok video of the best ways to use your product to kick off the challenge. 

The #shakewithdalba video challenge below showcases the four ways to use the brand’s spray serum.

Another idea is to combine challenges by doing a mash-up of your TikTok challenge with influencers’. For example, influencers known for making TikTok challenges about silly songs can start the challenge of creating or rewriting short jingles of your brand’s tagline, like the creator’s video below.

5. Trend riding challenges

Ride the trend wave by creating a version of a popular TikTok challenge. Popular challenges are familiar and fun, making audiences, especially young people, more likely to watch and engage with your videos.

You can create videos that entice viewers to jump onto the nostalgia train. For example, your challenge can be posting a video showcasing how your product grew and developed, from the initial prototype to the current version. 

Here’s another fun idea: Incorporate memes into your TikTok challenges to throw in some humor and make them relatable. For instance, you can share office drama memes and encourage viewers to share their own versions.

While it’s great to jump into the latest TikTok challenges, like the Cha Cha Slide challenge, remember to stick to the rules. Never promote dangerous TikTok challenges, such as the Benadryl challenge. Keep your challenges and content compliant with the community guidelines.

Trust us: Failing to comply can land your account in hot water and get your accounts banned. Getting unbanned on TikTok can get tricky, so make sure you follow the rules.

Seamless TikTok content management and publishing with Vista Social

Effectively generating audience engagement means regularly posting content, including TikTok challenges. Plan and schedule your TikTok and other social media content while managing multiple profiles efficiently with Vista Social.

The social media management platform’s main TikTok management features can help you manage everything, from scheduling posts to generating reports on content performance. 

To schedule your TikTok posts for auto-publishing, you can:

• Link your profile
• Upload the video
• Customize the post
• Set an optimal posting schedule

Plan and manage your social media posts, including TikTok drafts, with a centralized content calendar.

Organize your scheduled posts based on how you want them to look on your feed using the drag-and-drop TikTok visual planner. 

Vista Social’s social media analytics feature can track and analyze your TikTok performance based on key metrics. This helps you gain strategic audience engagement insights.

Vista Social has more features to offer, such as:

• A unified social inbox for seamless engagement management 
• Automated workflows for efficient content review and final video or post approval
• A multimedia library for storing your videos and other assets that you can use in your TikTok content

If you accidentally delete your post, you can find the deleted TikTok video via Vista Social.

Increase engagement with TikTok challenges

TikTok challenges can be total game-changers for your audience engagement. Know the best TikTok challenges to get more eyeballs on your content and generate tons of views and even sales. Take your TikTok content and profile management workflows up a notch with Vista Social.

Create your Vista Social account to explore more of the modern SMM platform’s robust features.

TikTok challenges FAQs

Why do brands use TikTok challenges?

Brands use TikTok challenges to boost engagement and spark user-generated content. It can also expand your brand’s reach through authentic, fun participation by other creators and users. 

When done right, a challenge turns participants into content creators for your brand, extending your message organically and showing up in feeds beyond paid ads.

How do you create a successful TikTok challenge?

Generally, a successful TikTok challenge starts with a clear, simple concept that’s easy to understand and participate in. The key is to make your challenge video short (under 60 seconds) and visually engaging. 

It should also be adaptable for users to add their own spin. Then pair it with a catchy hashtag and a recognizable sound. 

Are TikTok challenges safe?

While many TikTok challenges are harmless fun, some can carry risks, especially those that involve dangerous stunts or risky behavior.

TikTok users and creators alike need awareness, so research what the challenge involves and avoid encouraging harm. Make sure that participating in your challenge won’t be dangerous to anyone.

What metrics should you track to determine a successful TikTok challenge?

To measure your TikTok challenge’s performance, track metrics like:

• Participation count (how many users joined)
• Hashtag use
• Total videos created
• Engagement rate

You can also look at sentiment and whether your content boosted brand awareness or conversions. This helps you see beyond “viral” and into actual value.

How do you pick the right challenge type for your audience?

Not all challenges fit every audience. Choose one that is aligned with your brand identity and demographic. It can be a dance challenge for younger users or a transformation task for a lifestyle audience.

The trick is to tailor your content so it connects authentically with your viewers. The challenge should feel like something your community would want to try on their own, not just a forced marketing shtick.

How long do TikTok challenges typically last?

Most TikTok challenges span a few days to a couple of weeks. The window is when the featured sound or visual concept is fresh in users’ minds. Trends fade quickly, so if you’re launching a challenge, aim for maximum participation early instead of dragging it out.

How can you find trending challenges to join on TikTok?

You can discover trending challenges by browsing the “Discover” tab and checking the “Sounds” section. You can also look at the most-used hashtags in your niche. 

Catching on to what similar creators or your competitors are doing helps, too. Being early gives your brand an advantage in reach and engagement.

Can brands start their own TikTok challenge?

Yes, brands can absolutely create their own challenges, but success can hinge on the design and timing. Branded challenges will more likely thrive when the challenge is easy to replicate and tied to a fun hashtag or sound.

For example, your brand can collaborate with creators to get more viewers to tune in and participate in your challenge. 

You can promote the challenge internally and let users add their own spin. Doing so can encourage more participation and creative takes on the challenge, boosting your engagement.