Would you believe it if I tell you that TikTok is not about influencers anymore? Yep, you heard that right. Now, Tiktok is all about community.

If you are like me who doomscroll on Tiktok every free time she gets, you must be aware how every corner of this app has its own culture. It has BookTok, SkinTok, FoodTok, WellnessTok, and many more tok going around. Currently, these Toks aren’t random hashtags. They are now your built-in crowd where people in it share tips, recommendations, and advice like they’re coming from a close friend. And when a product takes off inside one of these circles? Sales spikes overnight.

Small voices, tighter knit

If you are a brand and you still follow the old formula of chasing one influencer with millions of followers, then you are missing out. On TikTok 2025, “microinfluencers” or creators that are under the 100k-follower bracket, have more engagement with their followers. Why? Because their people identify with them. The followers actually relate with them and it feels personal, not paid.

Trust is the new Publicity

We all know the phrase “TikTok made me buy it.”/ “TikTok creator made me buy it.” But what’s really driving that isn’t just hype, it’s actually trust. When your favorite niche creator shows something they genuinely love, it spreads like wildfire inside that community. And unlike a traditional ad, it doesn’t feel forced. It feels like a recommendation you can’t ignore.

The magic is that TikTok doesn’t just build buzz, it closes the sale. With TikTok Shop integrated, discovery and purchase happen in one flow. Communities create the hype, and TikTok makes buying effortless. That’s community commerce in action.

Digging the Goldmine

For brands, the opportunity isn’t about being everywhere, it is about being in the right community. The win isn’t reach, it’s relevance. When you show up where people already gather and talk, you’re not interrupting, you’re part of the conversation.

And in 2025, that’s the kind of influence that actually sells.