Do you dream of creating a viral video that sends you to influencer status on TikTok? Let’s make it a reality.
TikTok is the world’s fastest-growing social media platform. In a few years, we’ll see it usurp IG as the biggest social app. Going viral on TikTok can change your career and your life. With millions of people watching your video, you’ll see a flood of new followers to your account.
According to social media experts, one of the reasons why users prefer TikTok to Instagram is that it’s easier to go viral on the platform than it is on IG. Viral videos on TikTok started as dances and lip-synced songs but progressed to many genres over the last two years.
Today, you can go viral on TikTok for everything from makeup tips to comedy sketches. All content has a chance of going viral on TikTok, but there’s a strategy to pull it off. One of the reasons why it’s so easy to go viral on TikTok comes from the “For You Page” (FYP).
The FYP page hosts content produced by all creators on the platform, even if they have zero followers. You could go viral in a heartbeat if you understand how to leverage the FYP effectively.
If users see your post and share it with their followers, the algorithm recognizes the activity, promoting your video to a broader audience. You’ll know within a few hours if your video has the chance of going viral.
We curated this list of our top 15 tips on how to go viral on TikTok to help you reach influencer status. Are you ready? Let’s dive in!
Tip 1 – Don’t Commit to a Niche Right Away
Something as simple as cutting a piece of fruit has the potential to go viral on TikTok. If you pigeonhole yourself into a niche at the start of your TikTok career, you could be shortchanging your ability to go viral on the platform.
When you kick off your career in TikTok, start by experimenting with different types of content formats and topics. When you experience traction, you can start narrowing your focus to a specific niche.
Tip 2 – Post Controversial Content
Controversy sells. The more controversial your video, the better the chance of going viral. People like watching engaging videos, and controversial topics pull eyeballs to your videos. TikTok users like commenting and liking controversial videos. Engagement is the core driving force behind viral videos on the platform.
Being controversial doesn’t mean you have to do something bad or illegal or hurt people’s feelings. It means you present a video topic people will enjoy commenting on after watching it. Everyone online likes giving their two cents about a controversial video where the audience is divided on their opinions.
Don’t try to please people with your content or think posting something controversial might hurt your reputation. Avoiding the ‘haters’ is a mistake. The more emotion you create with your video, the better.
Haters are just as important as your fans, and you must learn to love them. Assess the reaction your video creates in the audience. Is it inspirational, relatable, or “hateable?” If it’s in one of those three categories, you have a good chance of going viral on TikTok.
Tip 3 – Keep Videos Short and Sweet
Some of the biggest viral videos on TikTok are only a few seconds long. You don’t need to post a 1-minute video to see it gain traction. Attention spans are short on TikTok. People will keep scrolling past your video if you don’t get right to the point. You have only seconds to catch the user’s attention, or they’ll move on.
The TikTok algorithm looks at average watch time and compares it to video length when evaluating it for quality and appeal. It’s easier to have people watch seven seconds of a ten-second video than to hold their attention for 30-seconds of a 1-minute video.
Tip 4 – Hook the Viewer’s Attention from the Start
You have just three seconds to create an impact on your audience. If you start slow out of the gates, you’re not going to capture the attention and eyeballs of users. They’ll simply scroll over your video, even if the fourth second is engaging and entertaining.
Leaving the action to the final seconds of the video is a mistake. No one will get that far into the video to see it. Get off the blocks fast and make your point as soon as possible. Create as much value for your audience as possible in the first few seconds, and watch your video go viral.
Tip 5 – Record Audio Using Trending Music
The TikTok algorithm is complex. It uses several parameters when assessing the value of your video. It relies on the information in the video to push your content to the right audience. Using a voiceover on your video effectively provides the algorithm with the information it needs to categorize your video properly.
Trending music is another fantastic method of giving the algorithm the information it needs to assess and promote your video. TikTok rose to fame off the backs of users creating videos lip-syncing or dancing to trending music.
Check the “For You” page, and you’ll find what tracks are trending on the platform. Incorporating this music into your videos helps the algorithm push your content to users viewing videos featuring the song. Even if you’re using a voiceover, play a trending track in the background, and the algorithm will pick it up.
Tip 6 – Become a Storyteller
If you can’t dance, you have other content options for going viral on TikTok. You don’t have to shake your booty to a dance song to go viral, but it helps. Still, if you have two left feet, you can gain traction with your video if you’re a natural storyteller.
“Mr. Ballen” is a YouTuber covering dark and mysterious stories, with his primary channel on YouTube. He uses TikTok to promote his content, pushing his audience to his YouTube channel. Mr. Ballen is a phenomenal storyteller with millions of followers, proving you don’t have to be a dancer to go viral on TikTok.
You can tell stories from any genre. It could be something that occurred in your life or a fictitious story. As long as it’s interesting and engaging, you get traction with it.
Tip 7 – Add Value to Your Audience
Learning is another massively popular content category on TikTok. If you have expertise in something, take to the platform and drop informational videos on the subject. Bullet-point-style videos are a great format for this genre. Incorporating voiceover instructions into the video help to guide the viewer along a step-by-step process they find engaging.
Unboxing videos are another popular category. You can unbox the latest tech products and give a brief review for your audience. If you’re a makeup expert, tutorials teaching people about the latest products and how to use them are another excellent way to add value to viewers and go viral on TikTok.
Tip 8 – Set the Stage for Engagement
Engagement is everything on social media, including TikTok videos. Viewers enjoy interacting and engaging with the creator and the other viewers in the comments. You’ll find viewers like commenting on details that aren’t the primary subject of the video.
The more likes and comments you receive, the better the chances of going viral. The TikTok algorithm notices engagement. It assumes that the likes and comments mean people enjoy your video, pushing your content out to a broader audience.
Create videos asking your audience questions, and you’ll find the comment. Don’t give the answer to your question. Invite the viewers to comment instead.
Tip 9 – Create Content that’s Shareable and Rewatchable
TikTok assesses the watch time on your videos when deciding if they can go viral. Using text that moves slightly too quick for people to read or voiceovers that the viewer finds interesting means they’re likely to rewatch your video.
TikTok users like to share content they enjoy with their network. If your video is sharable, you have a better chance of going viral. Sharing TikTok content is similar to engagement; the algorithm notices this activity, pushing your video out to other users.
Tip 10 – Use Text in the Opening
Start your video with text over the opening slide. People viewing your video in the FYP will glance at it as they scroll through their video selections.
They may stay on the video for a few seconds longer than they would if it had no text. That’s all you need to capture attention and drive a viral video on the platform.
Tip 11 – Avoid Using Generic Hashtags
Hashtags are a huge component of social media. They assist the algorithm with categorizing content and improve search results for users looking for specific videos. Some hashtags are better than others, and you’ll find your videos get more traction if you use specific hashtags for your niche that attract attention.
Don’t fall into the trap of assuming using the #FYP. Generic hashtags like this won’t do anything to boost your chances of going viral. Hashtags can be hit and miss. If you use them, you risk pigeonholing your content to a specific audience, and you may miss out on the chance of going viral.
Tip 12 – Create a Frequent Posting Schedule
Going viral on TikTok requires luck, patience, and persistence. The more content you post, the better your chances of going viral. Create a posting schedule and stick to it. Note the best times to release your video, depending on your audience’s location.
For instance, posting at 3 am in the morning on the East coast of the United States is a mistake. At that time of day, there’s hardly anyone online to see your post. Stick to a time when people will see your video. According to the social media company Hootsuite, the best time to post on TikTok is Thursdays at 10 pm EST.
Tip 13 – Check Out Trends Using the FYP
The ‘For You page is useful for identifying current trends on TikTok. Spend five to ten minutes daily going through the FYP page for content ideas and inspiration.
Tip 14 – Use a Compelling CTA
Going viral on TikTok is an awesome feeling, but it’s frustrating when you only receive 3,000 new followers from a video with millions of views. Ensure your content strategy includes a ‘Call-to-Action’ asking the viewer to follow, like, and comment on your videos.
Direct CTAs asking your viewers to like and comment aren’t as effective as those that inspire emotion and action in your viewers. For instance, CTAs like ‘follow me for more,’ ‘smash the like for Pt. 2,’ or ‘don’t let this video flop’ are excellent examples of CTAs that inspire action in your viewers.
Adding a CTA to your video can mean the difference between receiving 200k views or 2 million. Keep your CTA a few seconds in length to give the viewer time to follow before they move on to the next video in their feed.
Tip 15 – Stay Relentless, and You’ll go Viral
While it’s easier to go viral on TikTok than on Instagram, that doesn’t guarantee it will happen. Don’t get discouraged if your first few videos don’t gain any traction. The key to any good content strategy is patience and persistence.
Stay relentless in your pursuit of going viral. Analyze the results you get from your videos, and look for ways to improve your content strategy. As long as you keep producing high-value content, eventually, you’ll see that view count go viral.
In Closing
Going viral on TikTok is a gateway to influencer stardom. If you have the right strategy, you position yourself for success on the platform. Follow these tips on how to go viral on TikTok, and watch your engagement, watch time, and follower count go through the roof. It’s only a matter of time.
