Going viral on TikTok is no easy task. But here are some tips that could increase your chances …
TikTok is everyone’s new favorite app, and we often find ourselves spending hours browsing endless trends, skits, and memes. The majority of TikTok accounts are simply created for viewing and observing.
But if you’re reading this article, there’s a good chance you’re a creator looking to appear on people’s For You page.
There are several tips and tricks you can implement to increase your chances of going viral on TikTok. Read on to find out what they are …
Captivate your audience
It goes without saying that you need to captivate an audience to keep them from scrolling past three seconds. But how do you do this exactly?
Here are some things you can do …
Identify trends
Keep up to date with trends. You don’t need to focus all of your content on trending, but going viral following a trending will draw viewers to your account and give the rest of your content more visibility.
Keep in mind that trends can be subjective depending on your location. For example, if you are in South Africa, American trends might not be so familiar to your audience. Go to the Discover page to view the type of trending content in your region.
Stand out
Trends are temporary and viewers will eventually get bored. So if you want to focus your content on what’s popular, you need to add your own twist to it. Find a way to distinguish your version of a trend from all the other designers who have done the same.
It can be from the way you speak, dress, or edit your content. Make sure your brand is eye-catching so that the viewer feels more inclined to stick around and see what you’re doing. But don’t force it, people will feel if it’s not genuine.
Be fun
One of the most defining aspects of Gen Z (the top consumers of TikTok content) is their love of memes. It’s like a unifying language that everyone understands. So if you really want to capture an audience, create a meme.
Perform a fun skit on a popular song, using the lyrics as a punchline. Or search for popular audios with dialogue and insert your own story (to tell) with captions. You can also add a fun twist to trends, which can lead to a new trend – the comic version of the original trend.
For those who speak well and are naturally entertaining, record TikToks of yourself doing daily chores, such as shopping. Then record a TikTok voiceover to describe the events in a humorous way.
The possibilities for memes are endless, and when people understand your sense of humor, they’re more likely to keep watching.
Stick to what you know
One of the best ways to build a long-term audience is to find a niche and stick to it. TikTok will serve your content on the For You page of people interested in that specific thing. It will also decrease your competition by placing you in the algorithmic pool of other creators with similar content.
If you are knowledgeable or familiar with a particular topic, show it. You will catch the attention of people who want to know more or who are just curious. The same goes for artistic avenues like dance or the violin.
Create content that showcases your talents and build a brand around it. Viewers are comforted when they visit your profile knowing what to expect.
Use hashtags
Hashtags are the means used by social media to link content to specific topics or themes. Now, it’s not impossible to go viral without using tags, but they increase the chances of your content being shown to the audience you want.
Avoid using generic tags such as #ForYouPage or #fyp. As stated in the point above, your goal is to catch an audience that wants to see your TikToks – so use tags that relate to your content. For example, if you are a skateboarder giving skating advice, use #skater and #skateboarding.
Sometimes there are hidden tags that don’t make sense, but for some reason they collect views. Not so long ago that was the case with #xyzbca. These beacons come and go, so keep an eye out for them on the Discover page .
Finally, you need to use the right amount of tags. If you use too little, not much will happen. And if you use too much, it might mess up the algorithm. Try to hit a sweet spot of three to five tags and make sure they all relate to each other. This makes it easier to sort the algorithm.
Choose a trendy sound
One of the key things that make TikTok so popular is the involvement of audio, whether it’s a song or a clip of a movie dialogue. It allows you to download video with its own audio, but if you want to increase your chances of going viral, choose trending audio in the app.
However, that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the audio from your original video.
You can adjust the volume of the trending audio you use so that it doesn’t completely replace the audio in your own video. Here’s how:
- After creating your TikTok with its original audio, in the edit window, tap Sounds . You will be taken to a page where you can choose from trending audios in the discovery bar . Choose one and tap the red checkmark to add it to your video.
- From the editing window, expand the editing tools by pressing the small arrow on the right and select Volume .
- Turn down the volume of the added sound and tap the red check mark .
This way, you can still have the original sound of your video, while having the added benefit of appearing in the trending collections compiled by TikTok. Just make sure you choose the audio that suits the theme of your video.
Post regularly
Social media platforms always prioritize content from creators who post consistently – this drives more traffic to the app. However, that doesn’t mean you have to post every hour. Instead, find a sweet spot that ranges from a maximum of twice a day to a minimum of twice a week.
Posting regularly will give your followers something to look forward to, and it will also give potential new followers a sense of engagement when they scroll down your profile.
Encourage interactions
Opinions are the most important thing to go viral, but that’s not all that matters. Engagement through likes, comments, and shares lets TikTok know that viewers are interested in you, which will drive more views.
You can go the old fashioned way and ask your viewers to Like, Follow, and Share. But something that works much better asks a question in the caption of your post. It doesn’t have to be related to the content of your video, as long as people have to leave a comment.
For example, ask “Do you have any pets?” in the legend. People appreciate that creators are interested in them. Watch the comments pour in. You should also like or respond to all of your comments, or as many as you can. This will make your viewers feel connected to you, ensuring long term follow-up.
Exit the application after publishing
One hack that isn’t mentioned often enough is quitting the app right after posting. TikTok wants you to use the app, and when it notices that you’ve been gone for a while, it will try to get your attention by sending you notifications.
This can increase the chances of your content showing on the For You page to more people to drive traffic to the app and keep you coming back and using it again.
So the next time you post, don’t wait and keep refreshing your notifications. Close the app and come back after a few hours.
