What types of AFOL content attract the largest audiences on YouTube and TikTok?

1. Trend formats drive reach: replicate what TikTok already boosts

TikTok’s algorithm heavily favors content that plugs into current audios, templates, and meme formats; trend roundups advise creators to use trending sounds, CapCut templates, and seasonal memes to expand reach ^{[2] [3] [4]}. For AFOL creators that means LEGO builds repurposed into existing formats — quick “before/after” transitions to a trending sound, mini tutorials using a popular CapCut edit, or humorous meme remixes — will more readily trigger discovery than isolated long-form reviews ^{[2] [4] [3]}.

2. Personality + humour = audience retention

Marketing and agency writeups emphasize “humour-led, personality-driven storytelling” and behind‑the‑scenes authenticity as top performers on TikTok in late 2025 ^[1]. AFOL channels that foreground creator voice — a playful narrator assembling a quirky MOC, a build-fail montage with self‑deprecating captions, or collaborative banter with other builders — align with those high-engagement formats and therefore have higher audience potential ^[1].

3. Short, snackable storytelling outperforms long monologues

Trend lists repeatedly recommend short, fast-to-produce formats (lip-syncs, duet chains, carousel slides) and note that people engage with quick, surprising edits ^{[5] [6] [7]}. AFOL audiences respond well to concise reveals (e.g., “watch me turn 1000 pieces into X”) and comedic micro-narratives that match popular audios and punchlines rather than multi‑minute lectures — especially on TikTok where meme timing counts ^{[5] [6]}.

4. Seasonal and nostalgia hooks amplify reach

November trend coverage highlights strong seasonality (holiday memes like the Mariah “defrosting” meme) and nostalgia-driven revivals as predictable spikes in attention ^{[7] [8]}. AFOL creators can exploit this by aligning builds with holiday themes, vintage sets, or pop-culture nostalgias (e.g., re-creating a childhood set to a nostalgic audio) to plug into larger cultural moments and ride discovery waves ^{[7] [8]}.

5. Use of music and audio is essential — pick trending sounds early

Multiple trend trackers stress that being “on the cusp” of a trending song or audio yields algorithmic advantage; lists of top songs and advice on how to use them are core to content strategy ^{[9] [3]}. For AFOL videos, pairing a satisfying build reveal with a currently rising track or meme sound increases the chance TikTok will surface the clip in feeds ^{[9] [3]}.

6. Collaboration, duets, and community challenges scale discovery

Reports emphasize collaboration formats and community-driven trends as high performers ^{[1] [6]}. AFOL creators can leverage duets, build challenges, and chain reactions (e.g., “I pass a random part to @nextbuilder”) to tap networks of fans and creators, accelerating reach through cross‑exposure rather than single‑channel pushes ^{[1] [6]}.

7. Platform differences — TikTok favors trends; YouTube favors depth and series

Available sources focus on TikTok trends and note that trend-driven, short, authentic clips perform best there ^{[4] [1]}. They also reference YouTube in passing but do not supply detailed YouTube AFOL-specific data; therefore, conclusions about YouTube must be limited: sources hint that longer-form, tutorial, and series content still matter on YouTube ^[4], but specific AFOL audience-size comparisons between platforms are not provided (not found in current reporting).

8. Practical takeaway for AFOL creators

Prioritize: 1) quick, personality-driven clips that use trending sounds/templates; 2) seasonal or nostalgia hooks; 3) humour and short narratives; 4) collaborations/duets; and 5) timely adoption of emerging audios to capture algorithmic boosts ^{[2] [4] [3] [1]}. Remember: these are inferences from general TikTok guidance — the sources do not measure AFOL-specific performance, so creators should A/B test formats to see what their niche audience prefers (not found in current reporting).

Limitations and dissent: trend reports agree on the tactics above but do not analyze AFOL performance directly; they emphasize platform-wide patterns ^{[2] [4] [1]}. If you want AFOL-specific viewership metrics or YouTube comparatives, available sources do not mention those numbers — you will need niche analytics or platform data not included here (not found in current reporting).