How to go viral on TikTok: Insider techniques

Going viral on TikTok's video platform can boost your brand visibility and connect you with a global audience. Whether you're a content creator or an international ecommerce entity, leveraging insider techniques can push your videos into the spotlight using viral content.

This article delves into actionable strategies to enhance your TikTok game, from timing your posts perfectly to creating engaging, high-quality content.

Ready to unlock the secrets to TikTok's viral video success in 2024? Let's get started!

• Understand the TikTok algorithm to enhance your content's reach and engagement for good TikTok marketing of your TikTok account.

• Participate in trending challenges and use popular sounds to create videos that capitalize on TikTok's viral potential. 

• Create a high-quality and consistent content strategy and leverage effective hashtags for increased visibility.

• Engage actively with your target audience and other TikTok users, collaborate with other creators, and maximize your video length and thumbnails. 

• To maximize exposure and create viral videos, utilize analytics to discover TikTok trends while sharing your content across other platforms.

The TikTok algorithm tailors content recommendations based on user interactions, video information (captions, hashtags), and device/account settings. High engagement rates, such as likes, shares, and comments, enhance visibility. Frequent content updates and participation in trends help signal the algorithm to promote your videos, boosting chances of virality.

Ready to create a viral video? Here are 16 proven strategies to help you create content that stands out, gains traction, and goes viral. From trending challenges to storytelling techniques, you'll find everything you need to captivate your audience.

1. Participate in trending challenges

Jumping on trending challenges is a great way to increase TikTok's visibility. Here's how:

• Identify the right challenges: Focus on trending content challenges that align with your brand and marketing strategies. This ensures that your TikTok followers find your content relevant and engaging.

• Be creative: Add your unique twist to the challenge. Creativity can set you apart from others doing the same challenge.

• Join early: The earlier you join a trending challenge, the better. Early participation often gets more traction as it gains momentum.

• Monitor engagement: Monitor your challenge videos' performance and adjust your strategy accordingly to improve outcomes.

2. Use popular sounds

Using popular sounds and trending music is a powerful way to enhance your TikTok content. Here are some tips to effectively utilize popular sounds:

• Stay updated: Check the Discover page to see which sounds are trending. Incorporate these sounds into your content to capitalize on popular trends.

• Match the vibe: Choose sounds that align with your video’s mood and message. This ensures that the sound enhances rather than distracts from your content.

• Experiment: Don’t be afraid to try different popular sounds to see which resonates most with your audience.

• Create original soundtracks: While using trending sounds is crucial, occasionally creating your own can set you apart and become a trendsetter yourself.

3. Create high-quality content

Creating high-quality content is essential for capturing the attention of TikTok's vast audience. To maximize your content’s potential, focus on these key elements: 

• Engaging visuals: Use vibrant colors and well-framed shots to make your videos stand out.

• Professional editing: Utilize available editing tools to polish your videos, adding effects, transitions, and text overlays to enhance the viewer's experience.

• Sound quality: Ensure your audio is clear and crisp; poor sound quality can turn viewers away quickly.

• Lighting: Good lighting can dramatically improve the perceived quality of your video. Natural light or ring lights work well.

• Consistency: Maintain a cohesive style and theme across your videos to build a recognizable brand presence.

• Content value: Provide content that is either entertaining, educational, or inspiring to keep your audience coming back for more.

4. Post consistently

Consistency is key in building a following on TikTok, so post videos frequently. Here's why:

• Build rapport with the algorithm: The TikTok algorithm favors content from active users. Posting consistently helps you stay relevant.

• Maintain audience interest: Frequent posts keep your followers coming back for more. Aim for 3 to 5 videos per week.

• Scheduled posting: Use TikTok’s scheduling feature to maintain a steady flow of content, even when you’re busy.

• Create a series: Developing a series of videos can keep your audience hooked and looking forward to your next post.

• Experiment and iterate: Regular posting allows you to test different content types and see what resonates best with your audience.

5. Leverage hashtags

Hashtags play a crucial role in increasing the visibility of your TikTok videos. Here’s how to maximize the power of hashtags:

• Incorporate relevant hashtags: Use hashtags that resonate with your content to attract viewers who are interested in similar topics.

• Keep an eye on trending hashtags: Monitor the Discover page regularly to identify trending hashtags and strategically incorporate them into your videos.

• Participate in sponsored hashtag challenges: Engage with these challenges to increase your chances of getting featured and boost your content’s reach.

• Create branded hashtags: Develop unique hashtags for your brand or campaign to promote brand awareness, identity, and engagement.

• Align with your style: Use trending hashtags that fit your unique style to maintain authenticity.

6. Engage with your TikTok audience

Engaging with your TikTok audience is important for building a loyal following within your TikTok community and increasing your chances of going viral. 

Here are some effective ways to engage with your audience:

• Reply to comments: Respond to comments on your videos. This not only shows you care but also encourages more people to engage. You can even respond to comments with a response video for a more personalized touch. 

• Host Q&A sessions: Use TikTok's live features to hold Q&A sessions. It's a great way to interact in real time and answer your audience's burning questions.

• Encourage duets and stitches: Ask your followers to create duets or stitches with your content. This type of collaboration can significantly boost engagement.

• Run contests and giveaways: Organize fun challenges, contests, or giveaways to incentivize engagement and make your content more shareable.

7. Collaborate with other creators

Collaborating with other creators can significantly boost your visibility and introduce your content to new audiences. Here's how you can do this:

• Find complementary creators: Work with creators whose content complements yours. This ensures that both of your audiences will be interested in the collaboration.

• Set clear goals: Define what you want to achieve with the collaboration, such as increased followers, engagement, or sales.

• Share responsibilities: Divide tasks fairly, whether scriptwriting, filming, or editing, to ensure a seamless partnership.

• Cross-promote: Share the collaborative content on both of your profiles to maximize exposure and engagement.

• Engage with the new audience: Actively engage with comments and messages from the new viewers you attract through the collaboration. Building relationships can turn casual viewers into loyal followers.

8. Optimize video length

One of the key factors that can influence your video’s performance on TikTok is its length. Here are some tips to help you get it right: 

• Sweet spot duration: Aim for videos between 21 and 34 seconds, as they are more likely to be viewed entirely, especially for business content.

• Keep it concise: Make sure every second of your video adds value to the viewer. Avoid unnecessary fillers that might cause viewers to lose interest.

• Test and analyze: Use TikTok analytics to determine the best video length for your specific audience. Track metrics like average watch time and completion rate.

• Consider the content type: Slightly longer videos might be necessary for tutorials or educational content, but ensure they remain engaging throughout.

9. Use eye-catching thumbnails

The thumbnail of your TikTok video is the first impression your audience will get. Use these tips to create thumbnails that stand out and compel viewers to engage: 

• Choose vibrant colors: Thumbnails with bright and contrasting colors catch the eye much faster than dull or monochrome images.

• Include clear images: Ensure the thumbnail image is crisp and clear, avoiding any confusion about what the video is about.

• Use text overlays: Adding a short, catchy text overlay can give viewers an immediate idea of what to expect, piquing their curiosity.

• Show expressive faces: Thumbnails featuring people with expressive reactions or emotions can attract more clicks as they evoke curiosity.

• Match content: Ensure your thumbnail accurately represents the video's content to avoid disappointing viewers.

10. Tell a story

Storytelling is a powerful way to captivate your TikTok audience and increase your chances of going viral. Here are some tips to help you leverage storytelling effectively: 

• Begin with a hook: Capture attention within the first few seconds with a captivating intro or surprising fact.

• Develop a clear structure: To maintain a coherent and compelling story, ensure your video has a beginning, middle, and end.

• Use relatable content: Share experiences or scenarios with which your audience can connect emotionally, especially behind-the-scenes content. 

• Incorporate visuals and text: Enhance your narrative with eye-catching visuals and informative text overlays.

• Engage your audience: Ask questions or prompt viewers to share their thoughts in the comments to create a dialogue.

• End with a CTA: Encourage viewers to like, comment, share, or follow to boost engagement and reach.

11. Add text overlays

Text overlays are powerful tools for enhancing the clarity and engagement of your videos. Here's how you can implement this:

• Highlight important information: Use text overlays to draw attention to the most critical parts of your video, ensuring viewers don't miss your main message.

• Add context: Provide context or additional information that supports the visual content. This can help make your videos more informative and engaging.

• Encourage interaction: Pose questions or calls to action using text overlays to spark conversation and increase engagement in the comments section.

• Use eye-catching fonts and colors: Experiment with different fonts and color schemes to make your text stand out and complement the visuals of your video.

12. Focus on high-quality production

High-quality production can make a significant difference in your TikTok video's performance. Here's why:

• Invest in good lighting: Proper lighting can dramatically improve the look of your videos. Consider using ring lights or natural sunlight to brighten up your content.

• Use a stable setup: Shaky footage can be distracting. Utilize tripods or smartphone stabilizers to achieve smooth shots.

• Edit meticulously: Take the time to refine your videos. Use editing apps to add effects, transitions, and music that complement your content.

• Ensure clear audio: Good audio quality is crucial. If necessary, use external microphones to capture clear and crisp sound.

• Attention to detail: Make sure every frame looks intentional. Pay attention to background elements and framing to ensure they enhance rather than detract from your message.

13. Utilize TikTok analytics

Unlocking the full potential of your TikTok content means paying close attention to the platform’s analytics. Here's how to leverage these tools for maximum impact: 

• Engagement rate: Monitor likes, comments, shares, and follows to understand what catches your audience's interest.

• Reach: Identify the number of unique viewers to gauge the overall exposure of your content.

• Video performance: Track which videos have the highest watch time and completion rates to learn what keeps viewers hooked.

• Audience demographics: Understand who your viewers are by monitoring metrics such as age, gender, and location.

• Optimal posting times: Use analytics to pinpoint when your audience is most active to maximize engagement.

14. Jump on new features

Staying up-to-date with new updates can help you stay ahead of the curve and provide fresh, engaging content. Here are some tips: 

• Explore new editing tools: Utilize TikTok's latest editing features to make your videos stand out. These could be special effects, filters, or transitions that have been introduced.

• Test live streaming: If live streaming is new in your region, use it to engage with your audience in real time, answer questions, and build a stronger community.

• Use new formats: To encourage more user interaction and engagement, participate in new video formats or interactive features like Q&A stickers or polls.

• Stay informed: Follow TikTok's official announcements and blog updates to ensure you're among the first to experiment with and perfect the latest features.

15. Create a hook in the first few seconds

Capturing the viewer's attention within the first few seconds is crucial on TikTok. Here's how you can do this:

• Start with a question: Asking an intriguing question can immediately engage viewers and make them curious to see the answer.

• Use eye-catching visuals: Begin with something visually striking to grab the audience’s attention immediately.

• Highlight a surprise element: Tease a surprising twist or fact to keep viewers watching.

• Show high energy: Being energetic at the start can create excitement and keep people watching.

• Include text overlays: Use bold, concise text to highlight key points or questions at the beginning of your video.

16. Share TikTok videos on other social media platforms

To maximize the reach of your TikTok videos, sharing them on another social media platform is crucial. Here's how you can effectively share your TikTok videos:

• Cross-post to Instagram Reels: Re-upload your TikTok videos to Instagram Reels to tap into a different yet equally engaged audience.

• Share on Facebook: Post your TikTok videos directly on Facebook to reach friends, family, and Facebook followers.

• Tweet your videos: Use Twitter to share your TikTok links, ensuring they reach a broader audience, including those who may not be on TikTok.

• LinkedIn for professionals: If your content is business-related, sharing on LinkedIn can provide immense value and reach a professional audience.

• Embed on blogs and websites: Use TikTok’s embed feature to integrate your videos into your blogs or website for additional exposure.

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With Gelato’s seamless global production network, you can effortlessly promote and deliver your merchandise. Enhance your TikTok presence with high-quality, custom merchandise that leaves a lasting impression.

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