TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in the world and has quickly become a go-to social media platform for brands and businesses. With over 1.5 billion users and an algorithm that seems to favor new creators, there's a huge potential for users to reach new audiences. 

One of the quickest ways to tap into TikTok's massive audience is by going viral. In this article, we'll discuss the benefits of going viral and share a few proven strategies for achieving virality in this extremely competitive online space.

The Benefits of Going Viral on TikTok

Before we get into some of our favorite strategies for going viral on TikTok, let's take a moment to discuss the benefits of going viral.

Increased Visibility

TikTok has become a must-have platform for brands, businesses, and solopreneurs because it offers visibility currently unrivaled by other social media platforms. A million views are nothing to sneeze at, and as a business owner, the more people who see your content, the better. That's why virality is so essential. More viewers equal more engagement, more followers, and more business.

Brand Exposure

Research shows that it takes an average of 5 to 7 impressions before someone remembers a brand. And if there's one thing you want to accomplish with your social presence, it's building brand awareness and, best case scenario, becoming a household name. TikTok offers businesses the opportunity to showcase their brand and increase their brand exposure in ways other social platforms can't beat.

Higher Engagement

Engagement is another crucial metric for businesses. It can lead to new customers, higher follower counts, and more business. But, of course, when you're looking at engagement on TikTok, you aren't just talking about likes and comments. You also have to prioritize shares, favorites, and follows. When your video goes viral, your engagement skyrockets and all those metrics play an important role.

Gaining Followers (and Traction)

When you have a high level of engagement, you also get more followers, which increases your engagement on future videos. After all, your goal isn't to go viral one time. Your goal is to leverage the virality of one video to gain traction and build an active audience so that you can go viral repeatedly. 

12 Strategies to Go Viral on TikTok With No Followers

Experts agree that to go viral on TikTok, your video needs 250 thousand to one million views or more. But that's not an easy thing to achieve. In fact, the TikTok algorithm is pretty elusive, so no one knows why some videos go viral while others of similar quality do not. 

Thankfully, there are some strategies that can help a video go viral and, at the very least, boost engagement. Here are twelve of them. 

1. Post Consistently

You must post consistently if you want the best chance of going viral. If you'd like an actual number, TikTok recommends posting between one and four times per day. And we recommend sticking right in the middle with an average of three posts per day, all at different times (depending on your audience's most active hours). Almost every brand or influencer who's gone viral posts several times a day because you never know which video will take off. 

2. Start with a Hook

The first few seconds of your video are the most important. The truth: is TikTok is contributing to a drastic reduction in its users' memory and attention spans. That's just what happens when people spend hours every day watching super short videos. 

As a result, most users can decide whether they like a particular video in less than two seconds of watching it. So, to catch your audience's attention, you have to start with a hook that is exciting, funny, or intriguing enough to grab their attention and keep them engaged.

3. Find Your Niche

Finding your niche is crucial to going viral on TikTok. TikTok viewers are split into several sub-categories – what we in the social media marketing biz like to call "niches." So, before you post anything, identify your specific niche and the niches closely related to your industry. Then post content specifically for that niche. TikTok favors accounts with a clear topic area and target audience, so find your niche before you post. 

4. Work on Your Hashtag Game

Once you've found your niche, it's time to work on your hashtag game. Relevant hashtags can help the people in your niche discover your content. It tells the ever-elusive algorithm exactly what you're offering and helps it show your videos to the right people. Even though there's a 2,200-character limit and no limit on hashtags, try to stick to under five hashtags per post. 

5. Engage!

Speaking of engagement, if you want to go viral on TikTok, you must engage with your followers and fans. Now, that can mean many different things, so let's stick to the basics: 

• Comment back
• Like comments 
• Start conversations
• Talk to your followers
• Engage with other TIktokers, too 

Not only will this double your actual comment count, but it also helps your followers get to know you, which can lead to more engagement and, eventually, more business.

6. Hone Your Video and Editing Skills

Tiktok prioritizes high-quality videos. This doesn't mean you need to rush out and buy a 4K camera, but it does mean you need to make sure you film in good lighting and that what you're focused on is clear. You should also ensure your sound quality is good. Bad videos have a much harder time making it to the FYP (for you page). 

Additionally, we can't overstate the importance of high-quality editing. TikTok is a highly visual platform, and poorly edited videos simply won't cut it. But you don't need to be a professional video editor to create engaging videos. 

If you want to edit like a pro, pay close attention to your transitions, cuts, angles, lighting, and sounds. And be sure to cut out unnecessary pauses and filler. Go through your video several times until you're sure you have the best cut. Good editing creates a sense of rhythm and pacing that keeps people engaged, and, fortunately, it's one of those things that you get better at the more you do it.

7. Jump on Trends

Jumping on trends is a proven effective way to go viral on TikTok, but you have to do it right. Try to be strategic about the trends you choose to participate in and how you participate in them. You can even create your own spin on a trend or use it as a jumping-off point for your own unique content.

Timing is also important. If you're one of the first accounts to participate in a trend, you have a higher chance of going viral. So, take a second to analyze every trend you come across as a user, and as soon as you find one that fits your brand and inspires creativity, jump on it!

8. Keep it Short and Sweet

TikTok users value brevity. As we already mentioned above, attention spans are shrinking, so if you want to go viral, keep your videos short and sweet. Some experts actually recommend keeping your videos between 7 and 15 seconds. But at the very least, you should try to keep them under a minute and, if possible, under 30 seconds.

While the algorithm seems to be moving towards favoring longer videos – be sure to play around with different lengths. Try some short ones, and try some longer ones. The main thing is that you get to the point in the shortest amount of time possible. 

9. Create Comment Bait

Comment bait is a technique that involves creating content that encourages your viewers to engage with you in the comments section. This can include:

• Asking questions
• Seeking opinions
• Using intentionally misspelled words 
• Incorrectly pronouncing words to prompt viewers to correct you
• And more

Comment baiting is an effective way to boost engagement and could help you achieve TikTok virality. 

10. Make Relatable (and Sharable) Content

Perhaps the most important strategy for going viral on TikTok is to create relatable content. People want to connect with someone genuine, informative, funny, and/or easy to listen to. So, by creating content that speaks to your viewers on a personal level, you'll be able to build a loyal following that'll be more likely to share your content with others.

11. Use SEO 

Yep. SEO (search engine optimization) is important on TikTok, too. If you want to show up when people search your niche, you'll need to incorporate keywords into your TikTok videos. You can put your keywords into the following places:

• On-Screen Text 
• The Caption Below the Video
• Hashtags 
• The Words You Speak
• The Comment Section 
• The Subtitles/Caption 

Be sure not to overstuff keywords because then you'll appear spammy to the algorithm and viewers.  

12. Try Some of the "Hacks"

There are lots of TikTok experts who swear by certain virality hacks. Here are a few of them that may be worth trying: 

• Do something in your video – don't just talk into the camera. Do an action as well to hold viewers' attention. 
• Start at the end – try clipping the last part of your video to the first of the video. This causes the viewers to stop and want to understand. 
• Sit in your parked car – anecdotally, TikToks filmed in cars tend to perform better than those that aren't. 
• Use new features – if TikTok releases a new feature, don't wait to use it. Instead, be an early adopter and reap the rewards.  
• Do something unexpected – make a wild face, movement, or noise to stop viewers in their tracks. 
• Use the word "stop" – try saying "stop" at the beginning of your video. 

Use These Strategies to Blow Up Your Business on TikTok

By implementing the 12 strategies outlined above, you'll be well on your way to blowing up your business on TikTok. As long as you remember to consistently post high-quality and relatable videos with stellar hooks and solid editing, you should be in good shape.

Be sure to try a bunch of things to find what works for you. Dive into TikTok's analytics to get insight into what's working and what isn't. Look for drop-off points to see if you can find where you lose people and keep honing your skills.  

Remember: going viral isn't the goal; the goal is to grow your business and boost your brand awareness. Going viral is just one of the most effective ways to do that. 

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