The beginning of 2024 saw a new trend coming to the forefront of TikTok- the silent review.
Hailed as the alternative version to a ‘Get Ready with Me’ video, this corner of the internet has grown rapidly in the last few months with #silentreviews amassing a current total of 228.7M views.
So, what exactly is it? And how did it all start? Keep reading to find out all the shiny details of this latest TikTok trend!
What is a silent review?
As reported by ITP Live, “silent reviews provide a talk-free appraisal of items or trends, often accompanied by ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) triggers.”
Content creators will use over-exaggerated facial expressions, hand gestures, and other non-verbal reactions to rate products without saying a word (although sometimes a small whisper can be uttered).
How did it all start?
Even though the trend recently has been associated with the makeup, beauty, and fashion industries, silent reviews originated from BookTok.
Creator @stephreadsalot posted her first silent review in 2023, after a user’s comment prompted the creation. In the TikTok video (featured below) she can be seen picking up books and rating them using only her facial expressions and movements to capture how she feels about her collection.
These proved popular with her fanbase who appreciated her unique content format. So popular in fact that the trend took off and at the beginning of 2024 many creators were jumping to make a silent review applicable to their niche.
Why are silent reviews so popular?
One reason could be that the trend links up with the popularity of ASMR content.
As explained by Grazia, this means “videos that create a deeply relaxing sensation that trigger your autonomous sensory meridian response through non-verbal sounds and tics”.
Another reason could be simply that it is a fun and unique way of getting to the rating of a product quickly.
‘Get Ready with Me’ videos can be vibrant and chatty but sometimes take a while to reveal whether a product is worth using or not.
The silent reviews format is quicker and to the point, and an opportunity for creators to expressively connect with their audience in a different way.
However, for original trend starter Stephanie, the sudden popularity of silent reviews has made her reluctant to share more of her own.
She released a video telling fans that she would only be posting one silent review video a month as she had started to lose enthusiasm for the content format and wanted to be able to express her creativity in other ways.
Check it out below:
Silent Review Examples
Want to see how this TikTok trend can be applied to different industries?
Take a look at some popular examples below:
Beauty influencer Mei (@meitham) reviews the lipsticks that she likes and doesn’t like:
Influencer Cassie Thorpe (@itscassiethorpe) rates her collection of designer mini bags:
Finally, influencer Grace Mary Williams (@gracemarywilliams) reviews water bottles for her followers:
Summary
Overall silent reviews have been a unique way for influencers to change up their content on TikTok, and it seems to have become very popular with fans.
However, the rate of creation may be starting to slow down and it remains to be seen whether this format will stay in the forefront of creators concept plans or if it will go off the radar.
Want to learn more about social media trends? Check out Escapade’s post on the TikTok trend Loud Budgeting or our blog on How Social Media Behaviour is Changing!
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Sources
https://itp.live/news/social-media/tiktok-silent-review-trend
https://graziadaily.co.uk/beauty-hair/makeup/silent-beauty-reviews-tiktok/
Blog Cover Photo: Aigul Garaeva/istockphoto.com
