You have seen relatively unknown content creators and brands gain massive exposure on TikTok because their videos went viral on the platform.
You saw how they obtained overnight celebrity status, and for business accounts, brand exposure.
You tried to recreate the same magic but you soon discovered that going viral on the platform is far from easy.
So, you are researching how to master viral content.
You are in luck because I wrote this article just for you.
Here, I will show you how to go viral on TikTok and help you discover the tools that can make the process much easier for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the questions people are asking about viral video marketing on Google:
How Many Likes Does It Take To Go Viral On TikTok?
There is no set number but a video that reaches 1 million views within three days is generally considered viral.
If that video crosses the five million views mark, you are well on your way to becoming a TikTok sensation.
How Long Does It Take To Go Viral On TikTok?
No one really knows the confluence of factors that could prompt thousands of viewers to simultaneously start sharing a video, and all you can do is make to post videos with different formats until you nail what resonates with your target audience.
What Is Needed To Go Viral On TikTok
Here are the tools you will need for a successful viral video marketing campaign on TikTok:
- TikTok Business Account — the account comes with a dashboard where you can access data on the performance of your videos.
- Social Listening Tool — you will need a tool like Sprout Social to analyze social data across your media profiles, so you can identify the right audience to target on TikTok.
- TikTok Analytics Tool — a purpose-built tool like TrendTok lets you analyze TikTok trends. Exolyt is another tool that helps you gain insights that can be used to shape your strategy.
- Social Media Scheduler — a tool like SocialBee will help you set up a posting schedule for your videos.
How To Go Viral On TikTok: Step-By-Step Instructions
The steps I will explain below do not guarantee instant success and you will have to be committed and persistent to ensure your efforts are fruitful.
- Know your audience
- Study the competition
- Cultivate your brand voice
- Source content ideas with viral potential
- Create your content
- Post videos at the right time
- Engage your followers
- Follow a predictable posting schedule
Step 1: Know Your Audience
A viral video that attracts the wrong people won’t be of any use to your marketing goals.
If it doesn’t provide any value to your target audience, they will skip it. This is why building a profile of your audience is the crucial first step.
Here are ways you can identify who to target on TikTok:
- TikTok Analytics: open a business account or switch your current account, then from your profile’s menu, click Creator tools to access the analytics section. The data will show you the demographics of the people following your account and engaging with your videos.
- Social listening Tools: use your analytics tool to monitor online conversations to help identify the segment of the public that is interacting with your brand or other major players in your niche.
- Survey Tools: use a platform like SurveyMonkey to conduct online surveys. Then use the data to build user personas for each unique individual that could be interested in your videos.
Step 2: Study The Competition
Creating viral content doesn’t require reinventing the wheel.
Once you have used the tools listed above to identify your audience, seek out the TikTok accounts they follow and study them to see what works.
A tool like Exolyt is perfect for analyzing multiple TikTok accounts. The information you will be looking for includes:
- Their best-performing posts and content formats
- Their brand voice
- Their posting schedule
- Their audience engagement strategies (challenges, replies, duets, etc.)
Step 3: Cultivate Your Brand Voice
The only way a content creator or business can stand out on TikTok is to be creative and authentic.
What this means is that you must have a distinct personality that makes your videos instantly recognizable.
That personality is your brand voice.
Your competitor research data will give you ideas on what resonates with your audience.
Study the brand voice of each competitor, then try to come up with something unique that still possesses the best qualities of what already works for them.
You should also study how your audience talks on social media channels.
Go through as many conversations as possible until you learn how to speak their language. Then create a style guide for yourself and your team to ensure consistency.
For example, videos on Mailchimp’s TikTok account are instantly recognizable for their quirky sense of humor.
Also, that brand personality is consistent across all of the company’s marketing channels.
That’s another point I will like to make.
If you are using TikTok to promote your business, and your brand already has a unique voice, make sure you are replicating the same personality on TikTok.
Step 4: Source Content Ideas With Viral Potential
The platform itself will help you find ideas, and I will show you how.
One thing you must keep in mind is that you should only post content that will appeal to the particular demographic you are targeting.
Businesses, especially B2B brands, must also be conscious of industry-specific factors that will determine whether or not a content type is ideal for a brand.
So, how do you develop viral content ideas for TikTok:
Hop On Trends
TikTok is a trend-driven platform and the easiest way to go viral is to get on a trend that is already attracting people’s attention.
When exploring your feed, look for content formats and music that seem to be constant features of recent videos that are getting lots of likes and shares. Then, creatively replicate those features in your video.
Check Out Relevant Hashtags
Use a keyword search to find trending hashtags in your niche.
You will then identify popular videos using those hashtags.
Use them as inspiration for your video.
Don’t duplicate other people’s content, instead copy the essence of their video then add your own twist.
Gain Insights From Analytics
Leverage social media tools to track and identify TikTok trends.
You can also use them to discover content formats that have worked in the past and videos that don’t do well with your audience.
Step 5: Create Your Content
Videos that succeed on TikTok tend to include the following elements:
- A Compelling Hook: something that grabs the attention of the viewer within the first few frames of the video
- An Emotional Element: the content must be something your target audience can relate to.
- Humor: works all the time, whether it is self-deprecating, dark, ironic, observational, or physical.
- Trending Songs: use the sounds and music that are currently trending on the platform.
- A Call-To-Action: tell viewers to like and share your video once they are done watching.
- A Short Clip: try to keep the length of your video below 15 seconds.
- Hashtags: use trending, relevant hashtags to ensure your video is shown to the right audience.
- Keywords: integrate the right keywords within your hashtag, description, and caption.
Step 6: Post Videos At The Right Time
You must post during the best hours for engagement. That is, your videos will only go live when your target audience is most active on the platform.
Research by Influencer Marketing Hub shows that the best times to get as many eyes as possible on your video are Tuesdays (9 AM), Thursdays (12 PM), and Fridays (5 AM).
These global peak engagement times are good indicators, but the best time to post on TikTok for your brand will depend on the location, time zone, and demographics of your audience.
Use your scheduler tool like Socialbee to automate your posting process and ensure your videos land when your audience are most likely to check them out.
Step 7: Follow A Predictable Posting Schedule
Gaining lasting popularity on TikTok requires consistency.
So, in addition to posting your content when your viewers are most active, you must also post daily or at consistent intervals.
That’s the only way you can stay on top of the minds of your audience.
They will come to expect helpful or entertaining content from your profile and they will visit your account daily to avoid missing out.
Soon, you will be able to figure out what resonates with them, and then use that to improve your videos until you arrive at a formula that guarantees virality.
I highly recommend sticking to a predictable posting schedule.
You will find it difficult to get dedicated followers if you are taking long breaks or posting randomly.
Step 8: Engage Your Audience
When you interact with your followers, you build a relationship that can help create a sense of community that keeps them coming back.
You engage by replying to comments, using the Q&A feature, hosting live streams, and responding to constructive feedback.
You should also interact with popular influencers in your niche.
Like their videos and post thoughtful comments that could get you noticed.
If you can successfully build a rapport with trending content creators, you may get the opportunity to collaborate on videos that will expose you to their audience.
Similar Tutorial Types To Check Out
- How To Use TikTok: this article will show you why TikTok has grown into such a popular platform within a short period of time and how you can utilize it to its maximum potential.
- How To Make Money On TikTok: discover the three ways influencers monetize their accounts on the platform and what you need to put in place to start earning big like them.
- How To Get Followers On TikTok: you can’t promote your brand or earn money without followers, learn the tricks you can use to attract them to your profile.
Wrapping Up
With the right strategy and excellent tools, going viral on the platform is well within the realm of possibility.
If you exercise patience and dedication to the rules I outline above, you will be well on your way to becoming a TikTok sensation.
If you have any questions about viral TikTok marketing, please, let me know in the comments section.
Meta Description
Who doesn’t want to become an overnight celebrity with thousands of followers and lucrative endorsements? Here is how to go viral on TikTok.
