TikTok has risen from its humble beginnings in 2016 to become the second most downloaded iPhone app in Q1 2022, with an expected 84.9 million users by the end of 2022.
Therefore, it is justified to say that online businesses have ample opportunities to enhance brand awareness and sales from TikTok. Especially considering that even a brand-new account with zero followers can go viral on this burgeoning social media community.
So, if you want to know how to go viral on TikTok, please keep reading.
Table of Contents
- What is considered “viral” on TikTok?
- How do TikTok algorithms work in 2022?
- How to go viral on TikTok?
- Consider viral-friendly TikTok video formats
- Keep up with TikTok trends
- Feature real people in your TikTok video
- Apply the 3-second rule
- Use trending and relevant TikTok hashtags
- Focus on a Niche
- Post consistently and at the right time
- Include strong CTAs
- Add subtitles to your TikTok video
- Engage with your TikTok followers and other creators
- Cross-promote your TikTok video
- Start making viral videos to sell better on TikTok now
First things first, let’s see what it means to be “viral” on TikTok.
Going viral on TikTok is an online phenomenon in which a TikTok video becomes popular by rapidly getting millions of views from users.
A viral video is spread by users who share and like it, thus bringing in more views and helping it extend its reach beyond the initial target audience.
The idea of viral status is highly flexible and dynamic, much like the constantly evolving online world. The number of views required to claim a viral TikTok video is not strictly defined.
While there is no exact threshold for a video to become viral, on average, a video will enter the mildly viral category after receiving about 250,000 views. It is regarded as medium viral if a video gets one million views. And if a video has five million views in a span of three to seven days, the creator will be a viral TikTok sensation.
Apart from the number of views, you should also look into the level of engagement to determine a viral video.
How do TikTok algorithms work in 2022?
The TikTok algorithm is a complicated system designed to provide users with content via its homepage – the For You page (FYP).
As TikTok shares, the “For You” page is a stream of videos carefully selected to suit your preferences, making it simple to find videos and creators you enjoy.
So, what is the algorithm of this page in 2022? Well, there are five main factors that affect how your TikTok’s algorithm delivers content to users.
User Activity
A TikTok video is more likely to be displayed to wider audiences if it receives more interaction and views. Likes, comments, shares, completions, re-watches, account followers, etc. are examples of positive indicators.
Plus, another crucial data is users’ average watch time. The algorithm will display your video to some viewers if they watch it for 3 seconds. But it will push your video to more people if they stay on for 5 seconds. In other words, the longer someone watches your video, the more likely it is to go viral.
Video Information
Video information is essential to maximize your potential on TikTok because TikTok is excellent at categorizing content based on user preferences.
TikTok gathers video information from video transcripts, audio, hashtags, effects, and caption keywords.
Location and language
When determining whether users may be interested in a video, the algorithm takes into account a user’s device settings (including location and language). These consist of the posting location, preferred languages, and the kind of mobile device.
Audio
When a video adds a trending sound or song, the algorithm will use this to classify your content and deliver it to appropriate TikTok users. In order to reach new audiences, you should take advantage of popular audio trends.
“Not interested” feedback
The TikTok algorithm constantly seeks to provide each user with high-interest videos, and it makes this decision based on users’ prior activities.
These include videos you’ve skipped over or labeled “Not Interested” as well as videos from accounts you’ve hidden.
While TikTok is open to any idea or content that its users can come up with and does not provide specific tips on how to make your videos viral, there are still ways that can facilitate your process of producing a viral video on TikTok.
Here are 11 tips that you should take into account to make your TikTok go viral.
Note that some TikTok video formats are more likely to become popular than others. Let’s take a look at 3 types of content formats that you should consider.
“Did you know?” format
People want to learn something new every day, which helps explain why edutainment-style content on TikTok is so popular.
Example: REI
The retailer REI is an excellent example of “Did you know?” content. Here, they are talking about the brand’s frequently mispronounced products. This is the ideal combination for views – pleasant humor that brings knowledge.
“How-to” format
As you can experience for yourself, TikTok is full of how-tos and tutorials, especially among #BeautyTok.
Example: Lashify
Over 8 million people have seen this Lashify video, proving that TikTok viral videos don’t necessarily need super sophisticated production.
“Watch what happens” format
Given TikTok’s goal of keeping users scrolling, anything you can do to keep viewers hooked to your content is a success.
That is why videos that illustrate development or a “before and after” are so well-received. People will watch your video through to the end because they are compelled to know what the final product will be like.
Example: Nespresso
Since using the recipe time lapses has been really popular on TikTok, this Nespresso video garnered more than 5 million views.
Keep up with TikTok trends
TikTok is one of the most trend-driven social media platforms, hence it’s critical to keep up with the most recent trends if you want to learn how to go viral on TikTok. You can get inspired to produce similar content by watching what’s popular with the audience right now, whether it’s a certain dance, audio clip, video style, or topic.
Just open your For You page and browse through it to find a trend. Try to choose something that is suitable for your niche and start making your own videos right away because TikTok trends don’t typically stay for long.
Example 1: Coach
The first example is one from Coach featuring recently trending audio from Clueless. Earning over 2.5 million views, this clip was an ideal complement to their 90s-themed commercial campaign.
Example 2: Cheez-Its
Here is another popular video of Cheez-Its joining the #ASMR TikTok trend.
Example 3: Duolingo
Humor is of great importance for TikTok’s virality. In order to appeal to today’s consumers, online merchants should learn to infuse humor into their messages. Nearly all of Duolingo’s videos have the potential to go viral due to their extensive use of comedy.
Feature real people in your TikTok video
If you watch enough TikTok videos, you’ll notice that most popular brand-related videos are linked to creator accounts rather than the actual brands since they are more genuine and relatable.
Example: @makeupbytammi
Below is a picture of a viral video of TikToker @makeupbytammi for brand Rimmel London earning more than 18 million views.
Apply the 3-second rule
The average watch time is a crucial parameter for TikTok algorithms, as we’ve previously mentioned. The algorithm will mark your 30-second video as uninteresting or irrelevant if your audience only watches a few seconds before scrolling to another video.
As a result, you should take into account the 3-second rule, which means you should try to capture your viewers’ attention within the first three seconds of your video.
So, what are the best hashtags for TikTok to go viral?
Within TikTok, you can look up which hashtags are trending in your niche. Enter a keyword in the search field (without the hashtag), and once the list of results loads, touch the “hashtag” column to get a list of popular hashtags along with the number of views that videos with these hashtags have received.
Also, try to avoid stuffing your post with too many hashtags. Three to five hashtags per post is ideal. Furthermore, you should avoid choosing hashtags that are too general because there is a lot of competition for them. These include #FYP and #foryou, which have together received 37 trillion views.
Example: Dunkin’
In this video, Dunkin’ is trying to get everyone excited about their seasonal menu as fall approaches. The brand uses a range of hashtags to spread the word in order to reach more people.
The video uses the trending hashtags #fall (15+ billion views), and #pumpkinszn, which is more niche-targeted and has fewer views, reaching a smaller audience (40+ million).
Focus on a Niche
Since TikTok has such a large viewership right now, “generalist” videos are probably going to get overlooked. On the other hand, it’s wise to focus on particular niche communities and produce sensational content for them.
Example: Barnes and Noble
Here is a viral video from Barnes and Noble among #BookTok, featuring real people and giving humorous vibes.
Post consistently and at the right time
Keep in mind that regular posting will increase your chances of going viral. You might also wonder what is the best time to post on TikTok to go viral. The optimal time to post on TikTok will depend on when your audience is using the app the most frequently. You can view reports that show you when your audience is most engaged if you have a TikTok Pro account. This can be found in the “Follower Activity” report of the Follower tab.
If you don’t have a TikTok Pro account, consider posting on Tuesdays at 9 AM, Thursdays at 12 PM, and Fridays at 5 AM, as suggested by Influencer Marketing Hub.
Include strong CTAs
Description and comment are perfect for CTAs. So try to use this space to pose questions, attract followers, or promote your products, website, blog, or other social media accounts (for example, “More items on my website, link in bio!”).
Example: Fenty Beauty
Fenty Beauty demonstrates various uses for one of its products in this TikTok. Also, to boost engagement, they include a relevant question with a brand-specific hashtag in the description (“Which #POUTSICLE look was ya fave?”).
Add subtitles to your TikTok video
TikTok added the feature of automatic captions in 2021, making it more user-friendly. You can use the “Captions” tool or consider adding captions manually to be free to experiment with text colors and fonts. This way you can easily create subtitles for your videos so that viewers can read or listen to your video with just one click.
Example: Formula 1
The use of colorful captions and emojis in Formula 1’s TikTok videos adds extra attraction to viewers. Even if you mute your sound, you won’t miss a beat.
Engage with your TikTok followers and other creators
Once posting videos, you should communicate with your followers and encourage them to do the same. As TikTok’s algorithm favors engagement, responding to comments on your videos can foster a sense of community and increase the chance that your content will go viral.
Additionally, a wonderful approach to boost engagement is by responding to comments and striking up dialogues with other creators in your niche.
Cross-promote your TikTok video
Nowadays, short videos are popular on practically all social media platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. As a result, you can repurpose your TikTok material on other social media channels. By doing this, you will be able to interact with your audience across a number of channels without having to make unique content for each one.
Now that you have all the necessary knowledge on how to go viral on TikTok, the next step is to apply these tips to create your own viral videos. Apart from these secret tips, running TikTok Ad is also another effective way to go viral just in one night. Try out our new product NestAds – TikTok Advertising Management Software to master all the TikTok Ad types.
Becoming viral on TikTok can help you increase brand awareness and turn viewers into paying customers. Thank you for reading our blog and feel free to contact us via live chat or comment below if you have any questions.
