TikTok has quickly become a game-changer for businesses looking to capture the attention of a global audience. With its unique blend of short-form videos and highly engaged community, brands on TikTok are not just participating; they’re looking to make a splash and stand out.
Brands like NoGood and Chipotle have seen such viral success, killing it on TikTok.
Going viral on TikTok isn’t just about luck; it’s about understanding what makes content catch fire. From catchy music to creative challenges and beyond, the viral factor largely depends on creating content that resonates and encourages shares. A single viral video can quickly elevate a brand from being unknown to trending status overnight, dramatically boosting visibility and follower count.
For businesses, this means a chance to accelerate growth and solidify their presence in a competitive market. But how exactly can your brand craft content that’s primed for viral success? Well, it’s not rocket science at all.
In this blog post, we list strategic tips and practical advice on how to go viral on TikTok.
How Does Content Go Viral on Tiktok?
TikTok works like most social media platforms, delivering content to users based on their previous interactions. Whether it’s your “Following” feed or your “For You” page (FYP), TikTok decides which videos to cut.
But here’s the million-dollar question: How does TikTok determine what happens in our FYPs? The truth is, achieving viral fame on TikTok can sometimes feel like winning the lottery. The TikTok algorithm is a tough nut to crack, but keeping up with the platform and understanding what videos go viral can give you an edge.
According to TikTok, the algorithm suggests content based on your interactions (views, likes, shares, comments), the accounts you follow, the content you create, and your account demographics. It also considers the video, including captions, sounds, and hashtags. TikTok then serves up a mix of similar content from familiar and unfamiliar accounts.
To go viral, your video must pass an unofficial “test.” The app presents your video to a small group of users chosen by TikTok as a representative sample based on its content (title, hashtags, captions, sound). If it performs well in terms of views and engagement with that sample, TikTok may unleash it on a larger audience.
You can’t predict how long this testing phase will last—it could be hours, days, or even weeks after you hit that publish button. It’s a waiting game with uncertain timing.
15 Actionable Tips to Go Viral on TikTok
- Participate in Trends
- Use Trending and Relevant Hashtags
- Hop On Trending Sounds and Music
- Record Your Own Audio
- Tell a Story
- Interact With Your Followers
- Always Have a Solid Call To Action
- Post At The Right Time
- Keep Your Videos Short
- Post Consistently
- Include Random Details For People To Comment on
- Become Good At Editing
- Be A Little Controversial
- Collaborate with other Content Creators
- Promote Your TikTok Content On Other Platforms
1. Participate in Trends
Keeping up with the newest trends is essential for becoming famous on TikTok. Knowing what’s popular allows you to develop content that consumers will connect with, whether it’s a dance, audio clip, video style, or topic.
Fortunately, discovering trendy content on TikTok is simple. Simply go to the For You tab to see a selected video feed. Browse through them, look for a trend that matches your specialty, and if it does, produce your video to join the trend.
Remember that TikTok trends shift fast, typically lasting only a few days. If you have an idea that has the potential to go viral, feel free to move quickly.
2. Use Trending and Relevant Hashtags
Using hashtags and participating in challenges are critical elements of TikTok that can boost your content’s visibility. Here are some tips:
- Mix it up: Include both popular and niche hashtags for better reach.
- Avoid generic hashtags: Common tags like #FYP or #foryou might not help much.
- Limit to 3-5 hashtags: Too many can make sure your post is clear.
3. Hop on Trending Sounds and Music
TikTok is all about the sounds you use. So many music and sound clips show how vital audio is in TikTok videos. The videos that become popular often use trending sounds or popular music.
Watch the music and sounds in the videos when scrolling through your For You page to see what’s popular. Using them in your own TikTok videos will help you gain more viewers. That’s because TikTok’s technology promotes videos with popular music to other users who have interacted with similar material, allowing you to reach a larger audience.
TikTok makes it easy to incorporate popular audio snippets. Find a TikTok video containing the sounds you want, touch on the clip’s name, and then pick “Use this sound.”
4. Record Your Own Audio
Make your own audio if you want your TikTok videos to be noticed. You don’t have to be a music pro to do this. You can create your audio by tinkering with sounds already on TikTok or recording your voice for a video. When you create your audio, TikTok’s algorithm notices and might show your video to more people.
You don’t have to make music from nothing. You can make your audio by changing sounds on TikTok or recording your voice for a video. This helps TikTok know what your video is about and who might like it.
5. Tell a Story
Sometimes, dance videos can get famous, but stories are more likely to. Unless you’re a fantastic dancer or funny when you’re not so great, your dance videos won’t become super popular on TikTok.
For those who aren’t naturally gifted dancers, sharing an interesting story has a better chance of getting many views. The story can be about anything at all. It could be something cool that happened to you, a funny moment from your day, a project you worked on—anything! Just share a story and make sure it keeps moving quickly.
6. Interact with Your Followers
If you want your video to go viral on TikTok, you must interact and engage with your audience. Posting videos is just the start!
You should also talk with your followers and get them involved. Answering their comments can make them feel like they’re part of a group, which can help your videos become more popular. TikTok likes it when people interact!
You can get more people involved by asking them to do something in your videos. For example, ask them to leave a comment, share their thoughts, share your video, follow your account, or even make their own video using your video. You can use features like Stitch or Duet for this!
7. Always Have a Solid Call To Action
Creating a strategy to grow your business on TikTok can be exciting and rewarding. One key element is encouraging engagement with your videos, which helps them go viral on TikTok and boosts your follower count. Here are some tips:
- Call to Action (CTA): Include a clear CTA in your video caption or at the end of your video. For example, you can say, “Like for part 2,” “Follow for more,” or “Don’t let this flop.” This encourages viewers to engage with your content and can lead to more followers.
- Engaging Content: Make sure your video is compelling and exciting. People are likelier to engage with entertaining, informative, or inspiring videos.
- Timing of CTA: Place your CTA strategically within your video. It should be long enough for viewers to see and act on it but not too long that it disrupts the flow of your content.
8. Post at the Right Time
Going viral your video on TikTok requires more than regular posts; timing is also essential. To increase views and interaction, post when the majority of your target audience is online on the site.
According to research, specific periods, such as Tuesdays at 9 a.m., Thursdays at noon, and Fridays at 5 a.m., can increase engagement rates. These are considered the optimal times to publish on TikTok.
However, your best publishing time may vary according to your specialized market, audience geography, and TikTok surfing patterns.
9. Keep Your Videos Short
Keep your TikTok videos brief to increase their popularity. People today have shorter attention spans. When TikTok first launched, users could only create films up to 15 seconds long. Since then, the app has included choices for 60-second, three-minute, and ten-minute recordings.
Despite these expanded possibilities, TikTok consumers still prefer short videos. Experts suggest making nine to fifteen-second videos for the best results and to match how long users usually watch videos. Finding the right length is vital to making your videos popular on TikTok. You can look at other people’s popular videos for ideas.
10. Post Consistently
To build your business with TikTok, you must first grasp how the platform’s algorithm works. TikTok prioritizes video interaction (comments, likes, shares, etc.) over the creator’s historical success. This implies that every video has the same probability of becoming viral.
Posting frequently boosts your chances of becoming viral while providing additional possibilities to develop your video-making talents. TikTok trends often last three to five days, so being active throughout this period might help you get attention.
Consistency is essential. Aim for a consistent publishing schedule rather than a specified amount of posts. For example, posting two videos daily for a week and taking an extended break isn’t practical. Instead, aim to post consistently over time to keep your audience engaged.
11. Include Random Details for People to Comment on
Have you ever noticed that people love discussing unexpected things in videos? For example, in a video about crossing the US/Canadian border, a simple mention of bagels sparked many comments about cream cheese, bagel quality, and their origins.
People enjoy discussing these little details, but they are not the video’s primary focus. More comments mean more chances of your video going viral, so add fun, quirky details to encourage comments. Wearing something unique is an easy way to start conversations, but there are many other creative ways.
12. Become Good at Editing
Videos edited with skill may significantly impact TikTok since everything is based on what you see. Editing is modifying your videos, such as adding text or images or ensuring they transition seamlessly from one item to another. It’s like being a film director, except for short videos on your phone.
You may utilize TikTok’s editing features or try other video editing programs. Look at what other renowned TikTok users do in their videos. Check out how they transition from one topic to another in their videos. It may appear complex at first, but you will become more proficient with practice.
Consider how L’Oreal and Pepsi employ quick transitions between images, perspectives, and zooms to keep viewers interested.
13. Be A Little Controversial
Controversy may be an effective tactic for expanding your brand, particularly on sites like TikTok. When used correctly, it may catapult your videos to viral status. This method is not limited to TikTok; it has been successful on various platforms.
Controversial material increases engagement since it elicits strong emotions and reactions from viewers. However, it is critical to address contentious issues with caution and respect. The goal should be to communicate your viewpoint and stimulate serious conversation, not to offend.
When picking a controversial issue, choose one relevant to your niche. For example, if you’re in the plant niche, you may discuss your preferred watering method. In the tech niche, you could compare two popular devices or gaming consoles.
Remember, the goal is to spark meaningful conversations and connections with your audience.
14. Collaborate with other Content Creators
Teaming up with popular TikTok users might help you get more people to watch your content on the platform. Working together increases the amount of people who see your videos. First, think about what kind of TikToks you make. Then, find content creators who make similar stuff. Their followers might like your stuff, too!
Finding someone to collaborate with might be difficult if you’re new to TikTok and have few followers. Begin by leaving comments on the videos of the TikTokers you enjoy and following them. Once you get more followers, ask them to collaborate with you.
15. Promote Your TikTok Content on Other Platforms
While TikTok is great for viral content, you should try other platforms. Sharing your TikTok videos on different social media sites will help you build a following and attract new followers. Consider how sharing screenshots on Twitter has become popular on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Bonus Tips 👇
- Prompt Viewer Queries: Leave out some details in your videos to spark curiosity and encourage comments, boosting engagement.
- Encourage Rewatches: Design parts of your video to move quickly, such as fleeting text, encouraging viewers to rewatch and engage more deeply.
- Share Expertise and Recommendations: Use your knowledge in areas like Math, Animals, cooking, technology, or anything else you think you are an expert in to create informative, quick-tip videos and showcase your favorite products to attract followers and potentially earn revenue.
So, What Doesn’t Work?
While it’s essential to focus on strategies that can boost your TikTok presence, it’s equally important to be aware of tactics that tend to fall flat or could even harm your efforts.
❌ While hashtags are crucial for discovery, cramming too many into a single post can look spammy and desperate. Stick to a few relevant hashtags to keep your content clean and focused.
❌ Low-resolution videos or poor audio quality can be a turn-off for viewers. Even the most creative content won’t save a video that can’t be enjoyed because of technical shortcomings.
❌ Posting sporadically sends mixed signals to both the algorithm and your followers. Consistency in posting schedules helps maintain viewer interest and algorithm favorability.
❌ Simply jumping on every trend without adding a unique twist doesn’t differentiate your content. Viewers look for creativity; give them a reason to choose your videos over others.
❌ Not engaging with comments or ignoring user feedback can make your audience feel undervalued, and they’re less likely to interact with your content in the future.
❌ Lastly, don’t worry about getting everything perfect in your voiceovers or dance moves. Just go for it! People on TikTok worldwide will love what you do, even if you make a mistake.
Simply remove these common pitfalls to refine your TikTok strategy so that it better aligns with practices that enhance engagement and audience growth.
What is HEATING on TikTok?
On TikTok, the “Heating” button is a feature designed to highlight content that is quickly gaining traction among users, signaling that it’s becoming popular. When a video starts receiving a lot of views, likes, or comments in a short period, it may appear under the “Heating” label on the discovery page. This feature helps users catch trending content early on, providing an opportunity to see what’s capturing the interest of the TikTok community in real time.
Engaging with content under the “Heating” section can not only keep you updated on the latest trends but also inspire your own content creation by showing what types of videos are currently resonating with the audience. Whether you’re looking to stay on top of popular trends or find inspiration for your next video, the Heating button is a useful tool to explore the dynamic and ever-changing landscape of TikTok.
FAQs
Are 10,000 views on TikTok viral?
TikTok excels at popularizing videos, making them viral on other platforms. If your video receives 10,000 views within the first few hours, it can go viral and reach millions of views in a few days.
What types of content are most likely to go viral on TikTok?
Content that uses current trends features creative and original ideas, includes popular music, and engages the audience through challenges, humor, or emotional impact tends to perform best.
Can using TikTok’s promotional tools help my video go viral?
While organic reach is ideal, TikTok’s promotional tools can amplify your visibility to a broader audience and increase your chances of going viral, especially if you’re targeting a specific demographic or pushing a timely piece of content.
How many likes or views does it take to go viral on TikTok?
People must learn how many shares or views a video needs to go viral. However, four likes for every 1000 views is a healthy engagement rate. Your material has a stronger chance of going viral if it has a 4% ratio, which indicates that it is interesting and worth reading.
Can you go viral on TikTok with no followers?
Yes. TikTok’s algorithm does not consider an account’s number of followers when deciding which videos to distribute, meaning that even accounts with a few followers have a shot at going viral.
It’s Time to Go Viral!
We’ve covered some key strategies that can help your content catch fire on TikTok, from understanding the platform’s algorithm to engaging actively with your audience. Remember, the secret to viral success often lies in creativity and adaptability. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of content and techniques to see what resonates with viewers.
Remember, each video is an opportunity to learn and improve. Start applying these strategies today, keep an eye on what works and what doesn’t, and refine your approach as you go. With persistence and a bit of flair, you’re well on your way to making a splash on TikTok.
Feel free to share your own experiences with going viral on TikTok in the comments below. We’d love to hear your stories and learn from your successes!
