Ever find yourself scrolling through TikTok, amazed at the range of content from funny dog videos to insightful life hacks, and wonder, “How do I go viral on this platform?” You’re not alone.
TikTok isn’t just for dance challenges or lip-syncing anymore. It’s evolved into a diverse social media platform where anyone, from pop stars to healthcare workers, can share content that resonates with a wide audience.
The beauty of TikTok lies in its inclusivity and the vast array of viral videos it hosts – anything from the humorous to the profound can find its place and audience here.
By incorporating TikTok into your marketing strategy and understanding the TikTok algorithm, you have the chance to make your content fly off the charts.
Here’s how you can go viral on tiktok:
Start your video with a compelling hook.
Make your videos as short as feasible.
Add powerful CTAs.
Post at the proper time.
Use trendy music.
Master the art of storytelling.
Use relevant hashtags.
Cross-promote to other social sites.
Encourage user participation
Create rewatchable content.
Follow trends, Ride the early wave.
Engage with other creators.
Be consistent.
Whether you’re looking to promote yourself or your brand, mastering how to create engaging TikTok videos that connect with your target audience can lead you to viral success.
This guide will walk you through the concept of Tiktok Algorithm, steps and strategies to make your content stand out, leveraging trending music, relevant hashtags, and the power of the TikTok community to go viral on TikTok.
How to Get Verified on TikTok in 2024
Why Should Tiktok be your Go-to Platform for your Business or Brand?
TikTok has over 1 billion monthly active users. (Source: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/150-m-us-users)
It has been downloaded more than 4.1 billion times globally. (Source: https://sensortower.com/blog/tiktok-downloads-3-billion)
TikTok shows a staggering user growth rate, with a 1157.76% increase in its global user base from Jan 2018 to July 2020. (Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/24/tiktok-reveals-us-global-user-growth-numbers-for-first-time.html)
In the U.S., TikTok users surpassed 150 million, nearly half of America’s population. (Source: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/150-m-us-users)
On average, U.S. adults spend 55.8 minutes per day on TikTok. (Source: https://www.insiderintelligence.com/content/tiktok-will-pass-facebook-use)
TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, achieved a valuation of $223.5 billion in 2023. (Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-06-23/tiktok-becomes-cash-machine-with-revenue-tripling-to-12-billion)
What is the TikTok algorithm, and how it works?
At the heart of TikTok lies its complex and closely guarded algorithm, a dynamic formula that crafts a personalized experience for each user by pinpointing videos to populate their For You Page (FYP).
The uniqueness of every user’s FYP is fundamental to TikTok, ensuring a tailored feed that adapts to the evolving tastes and preferences of its diverse audience.
According to TikTok, the FYP is essentially a custom-fit selection of videos aligned with the viewer’s interests, seamlessly connecting users with the content and creators that captivate them the most. This is facilitated by a sophisticated recommendation system designed to present users with videos that are most likely to intrigue them.
While the inner workings of the TikTok algorithm remain largely under wraps to safeguard against misuse, which could potentially compromise the quality of content and user experience across the platform, TikTok has, in a move towards greater transparency, shared insights into some of the pivotal signals influencing video recommendations back in 2020.
Although it’s reasonable to assume advancements have been made since then, specifics beyond those initial revelations are scarce, leaving creators and marketers to navigate these waters with the information available.
What’s certain is the algorithm’s focus on fostering a compelling and uniquely tailored viewing experience for TikTok users, emphasizing the importance of understanding and leveraging key elements such as trending sounds, relevant hashtags, and engaging content to achieve viral success on this vibrant social media platform.
TikTok algorithm ranking signals
Nobody actually knows how the algorithm works but below are the few most important factors that influence ranking signals:
Video Quality: Achieving viral success on TikTok often starts with the clarity and quality of your video content. Videos that boast superior visuals and production are more likely to be favored by the TikTok algorithm.
Viewer Retention: For your content to stand out, it’s crucial to create videos that captivate your audience from the beginning to the very end. TikTok places significant value on viewer retention, propelling content that’s watched in its entirety to more For You Pages.
User Engagement: The level of interaction your content garners, from likes and shares to comments and saves, signals to the TikTok algorithm that you’re producing engaging videos. Incorporating calls-to-action within your videos can boost viewer interaction, enhancing your chances of viral video success.
Content Descriptors: The additional details you provide when uploading—through captions, trending hashtags, and concise descriptions—assist the algorithm in categorizing and recommending your video to the appropriate TikTok audience.
Community Interaction: Engaging with the broader TikTok community, by following influencers within your domain and interacting with their posts, can increase your visibility on users’ For You Pages. The algorithm rewards creators who actively participate in the community, reflecting the platform’s social nature.
App Usage Insights: Understanding when your target audience is most active on TikTok can guide you in scheduling your posts for optimal engagement. The algorithm factors in both the timing and frequency of your posts, recommending your content more broadly when shared during peak TikTok usage times.
Trend Participation: Stay abreast of the latest trends and incorporate them into your video content. The algorithm favors fresh, trending content, offering an opportunity to reach a wider audience by aligning with the current TikTok trends and sounds.
Preference Analysis: The algorithm personalizes user feeds by analyzing individual content preferences. Engage consistently with content that mirrors your own to refine the algorithm’s understanding of your interests, facilitating better recommendations for your account.
Technical Settings: While less impactful than content quality and user engagement, settings such as language preference, country, and device type can influence algorithm recommendations, albeit to a smaller degree.
By mastering these pivotal elements and integrating them into your TikTok marketing strategy, you can significantly enhance your content’s visibility, driving engagement and increasing your chances of viral success on this dynamic video platform.
Go Viral On Tiktok With These 13 Easy Tips
Use these simple steps to go viral on tiktok.
Start your video with a compelling hook
In the dynamic realm of TikTok, capturing your audience’s attention within the initial 3 seconds is crucial for your video’s success and virality; create content with a creative hook is the first initial step to a viral content to keep audience engaged which makes them stop to watch more.
With users quickly swiping through content, ensuring your video immediately engages viewers is fundamental to preventing it from getting lost in the endless stream. A compelling start to your video, or a hook, is vital for retaining viewer interest and encouraging them to watch until the end.
@brooke.susan DO IT FOR SUMMER! i have my “no sugar sweet treats” video pinned if you want ideas! #nosugar #sweettreats #skinnyyyy #weightloss ♬ original sound – Brooke.Bryant
This initial engagement not only boosts the likelihood of your video becoming a viral hit but also increases the chance of TikTok featuring your content to a wider audience, including showcasing it on the coveted “For You” page.
To achieve this, experimenting with different methods to quickly capture your audience’s interest is key. Whether it’s leveraging trending sounds, creating engaging content, or initiating with a captivating question, finding the right strategy will vary depending on your target audience and the unique style of your TikTok content.
Implementing these tactics effectively can accelerate your path to viral success on TikTok, making your content a standout among millions of other videos on this bustling social media platform.
Make your videos as short as feasible.
TikTok thrives on brevity, with its audience preferring concise, compelling clips that get straight to the point. Long-winded videos that fail to add value will likely be skipped.
On this bustling video platform, a concise 15-second video stands a higher chance of being watched through to the end compared to longer ones. The key is optimizing video length to ensure your content is consumable without losing viewer interest.
@spacemanedu Still think its flat? #space #foryou #fyp #fypシ #viralvideo ♬ Wii Shop Channel Trap – OSRSBeatz
For stories that require more time, consider splitting your narrative across multiple posts, encouraging viewers to follow or like for subsequent parts. This approach can also pave the way for a series, allowing you to explore topics more thoroughly while keeping your audience tuned in for more.
To maximize watch time and drive viral success on TikTok, it’s crucial to captivate your audience from the get-go.
Add effective and strong CTAs
Creating content is the first step, but it’s crucial to think about your audience’s next move after they’ve enjoyed your TikTok videos.
Achieving viral status is only part of the equation. Your ultimate aim should be to motivate your audience to dig deeper into your content, follow your TikTok profile, or visit your website. Calls to action (CTAs) are instrumental in inspiring your audience to take immediate action after consuming your content.
They set clear expectations for what your audience can discover in your other videos, ensuring they don’t miss out on future uploads.
@digitallauraanderson these feel so naughty! #ai #chatgpt #chatgpthack #aihacks #artificialintelligence #sogood #obsessed #technology #omg #chatgptprompts #ideas #midjourney ♬ original sound – Laura Anderson Antiworkaholic
A clear, straightforward call to action, such as “Follow for daily finance insights!” can significantly increase your engagement.
Furthermore, incorporating a clickable link in your bio to your website or other landing pages is essential. This strategy not only helps in diverting your TikTok traffic to these sites but can also transform your TikTok followers into leads and eventually, into sales, unlocking endless possibilities.
Post videos at the proper time
The key to maximizing engagement on your TikTok videos lies in pinpointing when your target audience is most active on this social platform. It’s well-documented that capturing your audience’s attention during the first few hours after posting can significantly sway the TikTok algorithm in your favor, signaling that your content resonates with viewers.
Identifying the best time to post for maximal engagement involves understanding when your followers are most likely to be scrolling through their feed, eager for fresh content. For those utilizing TikTok for marketing purposes or aiming to go viral on TikTok, leveraging a TikTok Pro or Business account becomes invaluable.
These accounts provide access to in-depth analytics, including the ‘Follower Activity’ report within the Follower tab, offering precious insights into your audience’s behavior on the platform. This data is crucial not only for scheduling posts to achieve viral video success but also for refining your overall content strategy on TikTok and other social media channels.
Integrating this approach with trending content, relevant hashtags, and consistent posting schedules can amplify your visibility, engaging a wider audience effectively and boosting your chances of viral success on TikTok.
Use Trending/Viral music
Music on TikTok functions similarly to hashtags in enhancing your content’s visibility and potential to go viral. Using a trending track at the opportune moment can significantly elevate your video’s chances of virality and align with the TikTok algorithm’s preferences.
To discover what tunes are currently capturing the TikTok community’s attention, dedicate time to exploring the “For You” page, identifying which sounds are gaining momentum. Paying close attention to popular creators and the music choices that resonate with viewers is essential.
@vanessa_lorelle95x There is going ALL out, then theres Jojo..🥲 #fyp #jojosiwa #karma #foryou #foryoupage ♬ Karma – JoJo Siwa
Additionally, TikTok’s video editor offers a ‘Sounds’ feature, located prominently at the top, where the ‘Discover’ segment provides a curated selection of trending music. It’s important to remember that even when your content includes a voiceover, incorporating trending sounds can still play a pivotal role in your video’s success.
This approach not only boosts your potential for viral success but also strengthens your connection with both current followers and a broader TikTok audience, making your content a vibrant part of the expansive social media platform.
Master the art of storytelling
A crucial element that propels videos to viral fame on TikTok, and really, across any social platform, is the mastery of storytelling. Storytelling is a fundamental aspect of our existence, deeply embedded in the human experience.
Videos that resonate emotionally with viewers tend to be shared more frequently. Introducing authentic human emotions such as joy, surprise, anticipation, and motivation can significantly enhance your video’s appeal.
These emotions make your content relatable, fostering a strong connection with your story. A clever method to captivate your TikTok audience is through the strategic use of text overlays. Consider immediately addressing a common concern, then progressively unveiling the resolution.
@donald_walton_iii Reply to @ethanlong8655 #viral #riseofgru #fyp #whip #tutorial ♬ Rich Minion – Yeat
Alternatively, crafting a narrative with carefully placed cliffhangers can spark viewer engagement and lead to increased comments on your TikTok video. The stories you opt to share can range widely—from snippets of your everyday life to profound reflections on life, peppered with genuine human emotions, or intriguing topics that pique the curiosity of the audience.
By integrating these narrative techniques with trending content, trending music, and relevant hashtags, you can craft engaging TikTok videos that not only keep the audience hooked but also work favorably with the TikTok algorithm. This not only sets the stage for your video to go viral on TikTok but also strengthens your brand’s presence across other social media platforms.
Remember, whether you’re aiming for viral video success or looking to deepen engagement with your TikTok followers, storytelling remains an indispensable tool in your content strategy toolbox.
Use relevant hashtags
In the landscape of TikTok, hashtags serve as vital navigational beacons for the TikTok algorithm, directly influencing the visibility of your content to the aptly interested audience. Rather than leaning on broad hashtags such as #FYP, specifying your niche can markedly reduce competition.
This specificity ensures your content stands out among fewer counterparts, making it easier for your target audience to discover your TikTok videos. This strategy is not merely about leveraging #hashtags but about wisely selecting them to enhance your video’s exposure.
Engage with trending hashtags and challenges, especially those with trending effects, to amplify your chances of viral success. Popular hashtags, crucial for viral video success, can be readily found under the ‘Discover’ tab, showcasing what the TikTok community is currently gravitating toward.
When it comes to quantity, a sweet spot exists—employing three to five hashtags per post is typically sufficient to garner attention from TikTok’s recommendation system. This method is instrumental in navigating how to go viral on TikTok. We’ll explore specific hashtags that could catapult your content to viral heights later in our discussion.
Cross-promote to other social sites
Short-format video content has skyrocketed in popularity across virtually all social platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. This widespread appeal allows you to repurpose your TikTok videos for use on different social media sites.
By adopting this strategy, you can engage your audience across multiple platforms with a single piece of content, eliminating the need for platform-specific creations. Utilizing a social media scheduler like RecurPost enables you to efficiently plan and distribute your content across major networks, establishing a consistent content calendar.
Cross-promoting your TikTok content across other social media platforms is a savvy strategy to redirect traffic from one platform to another, simplifying the process of expanding your follower base.
This technique is an integral part of how to go viral on TikTok by leveraging your existing TikTok content to captivate a wider audience, enhance your TikTok account’s visibility, and drive viral success through effective TikTok marketing strategies.
Encourage engagement from users
Engagement transcends mere video posting on TikTok; it lies at the heart of a thriving community interaction that separates a mere video platform from a dynamic social network. TikTok does more than allow its users to share videos; it opens up a world of engagement through its comments section that’s just waiting for lively discussions.
The platform’s unique Duet and Stitch features are testament to its commitment to fostering collaboration, enabling you to partner up with fellow creators or even those across the globe regardless of the miles between you. The TikTok algorithm favors this kind of community engagement, rewarding videos that prompt user interaction.
Encourage your viewers to express their thoughts in the comments, or inspire them to create a response video through Stitch or Duet. Craft content so compelling that sharing it across social media platforms like Instagram becomes second nature to your viewers. This approach not only aids in making your videos more attractive to the TikTok algorithm but also plays a pivotal role in achieving viral status on TikTok.
When you spur your audience to interact—with prompts for comments, collaborative opportunities via Duet and Stitch, or even just by producing share-worthy content—you further solidify your presence within the TikTok community and boost your chances of achieving greater visibility on this and other social media platforms.
Create rewatchable content
If there’s one key takeaway from this guide, it’s the crucial role the video completion rate plays in the TikTok algorithm’s preferences. Though it might seem somewhat unintuitive at first glance, employing a strategy that encourages multiple viewings can actually work in your favor.
Imagine incorporating crucial elements like key statements, addresses, or a quick list of recommendations, and displaying them for merely a second. This tactic nudges the viewer to replay the video to catch all the details, maybe even pausing multiple times to fully absorb the information.
Such actions increase the time spent on your video, sending positive signals to the algorithm that your content is engaging. As a result, sustained high performance boosts your video’s presence on the “For You” page, significantly enhancing its visibility to a broader TikTok audience and paving the path for viral marketing success.
This approach is vital in learning how to go viral on TikTok, increasing the visibility of your TikTok videos, and engaging the TikTok community effectively.
Follow trends, Ride the early wave
Seeking viral success on TikTok? An excellent strategy is identifying trends early. Getting ahead of the trend curve ensures your content remains fresh and exciting.
This involves periodically monitoring TikTok’s Discovery page for trending videos within your niche and then injecting your personal flair to align with these trends. Not only does this approach leverage the TikTok algorithm in favor of your content, but it also places you squarely in the view of your target TikTok audience.
Remember, trends can emerge spontaneously or follow a seasonal pattern; identifying those relevant to your expertise and acting fast can make all the difference in your TikTok marketing efforts.
By hopping on trending content early, and incorporating the right mix of viral video elements, quality content creation, and engagement with trending hashtags, you stand a better chance to captivate your audience, boost your video’s performance, and ultimately, go viral on TikTok.
Engage with other creators
Engaging in the TikTok community goes beyond merely producing your own videos; after all, we’re talking about a social platform here. TikTok is a vibrant community where mutual support can significantly benefit both you and others.
It’s essential to like and comment on content from fellow creators, as engagement stands as a driving force behind the TikTok algorithm. This participation not only nurtures community ties but also increases your visibility among other TikTok users, potentially leading to reciprocal engagement on your posts.
The algorithm prioritizes interaction, suggesting that your efforts to engage with content from other TikTok creators can elevate your chances for viral success on the platform. By engaging actively with trending content, employing relevant hashtags, and keeping your TikTok audience captivated, you raise your profile not just on TikTok, but across other social media platforms as well, thanks to the interconnected nature of social media today.
This strategy forms a crucial part of a successful content strategy, encouraging a cycle of mutual support that can boost your visibility and impact, pushing your TikTok account toward that coveted viral video status.
Stay consistent
Achieving growth on any social media platform hinges on consistency. The TikTok algorithm, like those of other platforms, tends to favor content from creators who maintain a consistent posting schedule, contributing to more activity and user engagement on the app.
This does not imply the need for incessant posting; instead, identifying an optimal posting frequency—ranging from twice daily to twice weekly—can be beneficial. Implementing the best social media bulk scheduling techniques ensures you hit this sweet spot effectively.
Regular posting nurtures follower anticipation for new content, attracting potential followers with your evident dedication as they peruse your TikTok profile.
By finding and adhering to a consistent posting timetable, you increase your visibility to the TikTok audience, enhance engagement on your TikTok videos, and boost your potential to go viral on TikTok and across other social media platforms.
More Tiktok Resources
- How to Remove TikTok Watermark? (3 Easy Methods)
- How to make a slideshow on TikTok (3 Easy Taps)
- How to Undo a Repost on TikTok? (2 Easy Taps)
- How to Find and Delete TikTok History in a Few Steps
Conclusion
Navigating the path to viral success on TikTok includes a multifaceted strategy that combines creativity, community engagement, and a deep understanding of the TikTok algorithm. By focusing on creating quality content that resonates with your target audience, engaging actively with the TikTok community and other creators, and leveraging the latest trending sounds and music, you can significantly increase your chances of creating viral videos.
Additionally, employing relevant hashtags, keeping up with trending content, and maintaining a consistent posting schedule are all key factors in ensuring your content reaches the widest possible audience.
Understanding the intricacies of how the TikTok algorithm works and responding to your audience’s behavior with tailored content can set you apart in the vast library of TikTok videos. Remember, the goal isn’t just to go viral on TikTok but to build a sustainable presence that keeps viewers engaged and entertained across all your social media channels.
Whether it’s behind-the-scenes content, funny videos, dance videos, or short videos that offer valuable insights, the essence of your TikTok marketing efforts should always be aimed at creating engaging videos that keep your audience hooked and eager for more.
In essence, the key to viral success on this dynamic video platform lies not only in the video performance of a particular video but in building a solid content strategy that values consistent engagement, quality video production, and a keen eye for what’s next on the horizon of TikTok trends.
