What started as an app for teens to goof around has turned into a massive marketing machine.
The best part is it works for businesses (both B2B and B2C), new and aspiring bloggers and content creators, and anything in between.
Yes. I’m talking about TikTok.
With more than 800 million active users, TikTok has enjoyed phenomenal growth since its launch in 2017. This makes it one of the most popular social media sites on the planet. It also makes it the fastest-growing.
And that’s why you need to get in on the action.
That’s why you should arm yourself with the best tips for creating viral videos on TikTok.
But first, let’s learn a little bit about the platform.
TikTok stats every marketer needs to know
To better get a grasp on the power of TikTok, let’s take a look at a few TikTok statistics you must know.
- TikTok is the 7th most popular social media platform. That’s right behind Instagram and ahead of veterans like Reddit, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
- TikTok is the no.1 most downloaded app of 2020. Amassing a staggering 738 million downloads in 2019, it was ahead of Zoom, which came in second (probably due to the pandemic).
- The average TikTok user spends about 46 minutes per day on the platform. That’s longer than the 37 minutes spent on Facebook.
- 64% of TikTok users have tried using filters. Brands can partner with TikTok to make branded filters.
- More than 14 million educational videos were published on TikTok in 2019.
Statistics like these prove that TikTok is not just a playground for Gen-Zers. It’s a platform that’s becoming popular with all demographics.
More importantly, it’s a platform that can give you access to an audience you may not have been able to reach yet.
Not to mention, thanks to the recent pandemic, the massive rise of remote work, and people staying home more than usual, TikTok has become a favorite amongst all demographics.
And tapping into this audience can undoubtedly lead to you generating more leads and thus boosting your bottom line.
So, let’s look at some tips and strategies you can use to break onto this platform and create viral videos.
12 Tips for creating viral TikTok videos
Every social media platform has an algorithm that determines what kind of content to promote to specific demographics.
While other platforms, like Instagram, are candid about how their algorithm works, TikTok keeps it a secret.
This makes it tricky for marketers to know exactly what to do to get their videos to go viral.
However, there are certain tips that can help you get on your way to creating viral videos on TikTok.
Here are the top twelve:
1. Optimize your TikTok profile
Your TikTok profile is the first place you must focus attention on if you’re to improve the chances of your videos going viral. Your bio is your opportunity to sell yourself. It’s your chance to tell people who you are and why they should follow you.
An optimized TikTok profile is the first step in helping you grow your followers.
A few tips for creating a bio that’s a follower magnet include:
- Use emojis. Emojis are great for adding color and personality to your profile.
- Include a call-to-action. This could be to your other digital assets or asking people to click the follow button.
- Get to the point. You only have 80 characters in your bio. This means you should only include essential information.
- Include a link to your website. If your TikTok profile is interesting, people will want to know more about you. Make it easy for them by including a link to your website in your bio.
- Don’t be boring. TikTok is a lighthearted platform where people go to have fun (mostly). Make sure your profile shows users that your brand is fun.
With your TikTok bio optimized, you can now move on to creating viral videos on TikTok.
2. Understand your audience
Like every digital platform, the key to mastery lies in understanding your target audience.
And no, not everyone on TikTok is your audience.
Understanding your audience will help you know what kind of content they prefer. This is everything from themes to stories to the music they like.
Remember, a video is made up of many different elements working together. And for your video to go viral, you must combine the right ones. These are elements your audience love.
3. Niche down
Once you understand your audience and the kind of content they like, the next step to creating viral videos on TikTok is to pick a niche.
No, TikTok is not just about dance moves and lip-syncing.
There are many different types of TikTok videos you can create from marketing videos to makeup tutorials.
But you don’t have to dabble in all of them.
To increase your chances of virality, pick a niche that you’ll dominate.
Yes, just as you have to find a niche in business, you must also find a niche on TikTok. And one of the best ways to do that is to spy on your competitors.
By checking out what your competitors are doing, you get to see the kind of niche content they’re creating. More than that, it helps you spot content gaps in that particular niche.
4. Don’t be afraid of being different
Creativity isn’t found in following the herd. It’s found in being bold enough to try out new things.
That’s why most viral videos on TikTok are made by creators who like experimenting with new things.
People are tired of seeing the same kind of content every day. Unleash your creative juices and give your audience something new.
Even if it bombs, you still get to learn from it.
5. Watch your video quality
Sure, most videos on TikTok are made using smartphones and the bare minimum equipment needed to create a video.
But that doesn’t mean your video quality should be mediocre.
You must create high-quality, shareable videos. That’s one of the keys to grab attention on the For You Page.
No, you don’t need to buy the most expensive video equipment or different video editing tools for this. Most modern smartphones are capable of taking amazing high definition videos. So there’s your camera.
However, you must also put effort into getting your video production basics right. This means using TikTok’s editing tools or some other video-makers to ensure you give your audience high-quality videos.
6. Be quick to ride the trend wave
One of the easiest ways to give your videos the chance of going viral is to learn how to spot trends before everyone else does.
A good way to stay ahead of the trend wave is to use TikTok’s Discovery and For You pages. These give you insight into the kind of videos that are currently trending.
Find trending videos in your niche and emulate them.
No, don’t copy, but learn from them and put your own twist on them.
And if you’ve been active on TikTok, you’ve probably noticed that some trends are spontaneous while others are seasonal. The key is to learn how to spot trends that will impact your niche and be quick to leverage them before they fade.
7. Know which hashtags to use
As with most social media channels, hashtags play an important role in how your content will perform.
Know which hashtags are trending in your niche and see how you can incorporate them into your TikTok strategy.
While some hashtags may only trend for a short time, others have a chance of trending longer.
Pick trending hashtags that a good way of finding trending topics is to
8. Leverage the allure of hashtag challenges
Hashtag challenges are a great way to increase engagement and boost brand awareness.
Here’s one from Colgate that went viral:
With hashtag challenges, you encourage users to create and share videos with a specific custom hashtag. As a brand, you can also pay for branded hashtag challenges, which are part of TikTok’s advertising packages.
To start a TikTok hashtag challenge, create an introductory video where you explain and demonstrate the challenge. This initial video should also encourage viewers to participate in the challenge.
For your challenge to be successful, make it easy to imitate as well as enjoyable to participate in.
The more people participate in your challenge, the greater your introductory video’s chances of going viral, thanks to the hashtag.
9. Master the art of storytelling
Stories are an important part of humanity. And no matter what platform you use, they’re a vital ingredient to virality.
Sure, TikTok is a short video format platform, but you can still leverage the power of storytelling to create viral videos on TikTok.
One clever way to do that is to use by using the video description to tell your audience what the video is about.
Another way to tell a story is through the use of text overlays. Use the text to give a background to your story and fill in gaps the video may not cover.
Not only will the use of text overlays help you tell a story, but it will also make your TikTok video more accessible to those with hearing impairments.
Storytelling is a great way to get people to buy into your business ideas, resulting in you attracting the right audience for your brand. So, use it to create viral videos on TikTok and watch your business grow.
10. Pay careful attention to your soundtrack
Music plays a huge role in TikTok videos.
TikTok has made legal arrangements with most music companies to use copyrighted music extracts in users’ 15-minute video clips. Options are fewer for the longer 60-second videos, but you can still find great music for them.
This access to popular songs has enhanced the platform’s popularity with users as they can use their favorite songs in their videos.
That’s also something you should capitalize on.
However, you must pay careful attention to the music you use in your TikTok videos. Of special note, pay attention to:
- Sound quality. Ensure your soundtrack is clear and crisp as it plays a significant role in the experience your audience will have with your videos.
- Type of music. Favor catchy beats and songs with lyrics that are memorable as well as augment your message.
Viral videos on TikTok are usually the result of the perfect marriage between sound and visuals. So make sure to choose your soundtrack very well.
11. Tug at people’s emotions
The biggest motivator behind sharing a TikTok video is emotions.
This is where cat (and baby) videos come in handy.
People are quick to share videos that tug at their emotions. This is why, if you want to create viral videos on TikTok, you must add an emotional element.
Some emotions you must elicit to go viral include:
- Joy (using humor)
- Excitement
- Inspiration
- Fear
By appealing to raw human emotions, you stand a better chance of grabbing your audience’s attention. Appealing to emotions also helps your audience identify with and connect to your video.
Because they want their friends and network to share the experience they’ve had with your video, they’ll help promote your video. Of course, the result is virality.
12. Post regularly
Regular posting is another great tip for creating viral videos on TikTok. This is because the more videos you post, the higher the chances of you being noticed.
Another reason to post content regularly is that when people like one of your videos, they’ll visit your profile for more.
If your profile is sparse, they’re not likely to follow you. However, if they find more great content, the chances of following and sharing your profile with their network increases.
One way to keep a consistent posting schedule is by using an agile tool like Monday or Asana to plan and schedule your content.
After all, it goes without saying, if you fail to plan, you can plan to fail.
Creating viral TikTok videos – Anyone can do it
The beauty of TikTok is that anyone can create viral videos.
Virality is not dependent on the number of followers you have (although that can help) but depends on how people engage with your videos.
That’s why you should put in the effort to ensure that your videos are appealing to your audience and that they’ll generate good engagement.
Armed with these tips for creating viral videos on TikTok, virality is certainly within your reach.
Tip: Hire a TikTok expert or freelancer on Fiverr.com.
Guest author: Hailey Lucas is a freelance content marketer and full-time digital nomad blogging about all things digital marketing, freelancing, and the digital nomad lifestyle at haileylucas.com. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter.