Resources

How To Go Viral on TikTok

Are you trying to figure out how to go viral on TikTok?

TikTok is a video-sharing social networking service that has been downloaded 80 million times in the US and 800 million times worldwide. For those who have invested in it, they are finding it is a good way to drive traffic to their website or another social media platform.

Users can create 3 to 60 second videos with various effects or music. This is an app that lends well to copying trends, so if Instagram stumps you because you feel like you’re always having to come with new ideas, try TikTok.

Don’t let the idea of video scare you. While there are slick and edited videos, there is still an element of being unpolished and not Instagram-perfect on TikTok.

Let’s Tok

Before you get started creating on TikTok you need to know a couple of things:

TikTok uses artificial intelligence to analyze users’ interests and preferences so your videos, captions, hashtags, videos you watch, and videos you interact with help the AI know your account and how to share you with others
If your video resonates with your followers, it will get pushed out to a bigger audience and that’s how more will see it on their For You page
You probably won’t go viral on your first video or even first 12 videos – don’t give up!

How To Go Viral on TikTok

If you’re interested in starting an account and want to know how to go viral on TikTok, follow these tips.

Phase One – Start Account

Download the app and claim your username
Turn on account analytics (in settings)
Decide on one niche, for example dogs or comedy or comedy involving dogs, but not wedding planning, hair braiding, and favorite books

Phase Two – Warm it Up

For at least the first 72 hours of your account DO NOT add any videos
During your 72 hour wait time, scroll the for you page liking videos in your niche and clicking not interested for videos not in your niche
For the first two weeks after your 72 waiting period, plan to post 2-4 times a day spread out so you can learn when followers are most active
Research and make note of videos you can create, opt for ones that are at least 18 seconds long
Create and edit well-lit videos using trending music and save as draft
Use text to add a strong call to action to encourage viewers to like, comment, share, follow

Phase Three – Posting

Before posting one of your draft videos, pick a cover image
Create a caption that describes your video and use hashtags relevant to your video
Avoid using hashtags like #foryou #fyp they do nothing but take up character space in your caption
Post 2-4 times spread out throughout the day to attract a following
Check your analytics for follower activity to learn when they’re most active (this can take some time); keep in mind time is in UTC and needs to be converted to your time zone

Phase Four – Maintenance

Continue to interact with accounts in your niche
- Especially before posting, go through your For You page and interact – like, comment, share, follow
- Reply to comments left on your previous videos
Private, don’t delete, poor performing videos – you don’t want to look like you’re spam
If a video has no sound (yellow dot looks like a vinyl record) private that video

I hope these easy tips help you go viral on TikTok and grow an audience that crosses over to other platforms.