Wondering how to go viral on TikTok? This can feel like a roll of the dice, but cracking the algorithm isn’t impossible. Staying updated on the platform’s vibe can help you craft videos that truly pop! While reaching your audience and boosting your brand might be the ultimate goal, remember this: authenticity always wins!
In the ever-evolving world of social media, TikTok has emerged as a powerhouse platform for creatives. With over 1.677 billion users globally, out of which 1.1 billion are monthly active users, getting noticed is no joke. If you’re aspiring to capture the attention of millions and make your mark on TikTok, here are 15 tips to skyrocket your chances of going viral.
Table of Contents
Unlocking TikTok Fame - 15 Tips to Go Viral & Dominate the Feed
In order to go viral, your video goes through a test in which a small group of users that TikTok believes is a representative sample based on your video’s contents (title, hashtags, captions, sound) is shown your video. If it performs well with that sample of users in views and engagement, TikTok may show it to a larger audience.
🔥 TikTok for Business 101: A Guide to Growing Your Brand
1. Understand TikTok Algorithm
Familiarize yourself with TikTok’s algorithm. Create content that aligns with popular trends and engages viewers within the first few seconds.
TikTok’s recommendation system is the magic behind the For You page, curating a personalized feed for every user based on their content preferences. By analyzing user activity, TikTok connects viewers with videos similar to those they’ve enjoyed before. Here’s a breakdown of the three key factors TikTok considers when deciding what to show:
- User Engagement
This includes actions like likes, comments, shares, and following creators. Every interaction signals to the algorithm what content resonates with viewers. - User Interest
Watch time is critical. If viewers stick around until the end of your video, it tells TikTok your content grabs and holds attention—earning it a bigger push to more users. - Content Creation
Leveraging trending sounds, relevant hashtags, and creative editing (like adding captions) can significantly boost your video’s reach and visibility.
Use This to Your Advantage
Focus on creating engaging, interactive content. Keep your videos short and snappy to maximize average watch time, and tap into trending challenges, sounds, and hashtags to ride the wave of popular content.
Remember, your follower count alone won’t guarantee virality. While it might give your content a head start, the key to wider exposure lies in generating genuine engagement—likes, comments, and shares.
TikTok favors user engagement and video watch time, which makes it vital for you to constantly check your video analytics to understand what is performing better.
Check out how to get verified on TikTok
2. Engage With Trends
Show your brand’s fun side by participating in trends. This is a fantastic way to humanize your brand and build stronger connections with your audience. It’s your chance to showcase personality, humor, and creativity.
🔥 Pro Tip: Timing is everything—get involved while the trend is still hot. Otherwise, you risk appearing out of touch, and the algorithm won’t give your content a boost.
Using Viral Songs & Sounds
Almost every sound on TikTok is tied to a trend—whether it’s a glow-up transition or a dance. Staying on top of these trends can help you expand your audience, connect, and even go viral!
Here’s how to stay ahead:
- Pay attention to the music and sounds used in your For You feed.
- Use TikTok’s Creative Center to explore trending audio by region or industry.
By incorporating viral sounds, you increase the chances of the algorithm recommending your video to others who have engaged with similar audio.
Participate in TikTok Challenges
TikTok challenges are another key to virality. Search “challenge” on the Discover page to find what’s trending, and choose challenges that align with your brand.
TikTok thrives on trends, and success often depends on how quickly you adapt. Whether it’s a dance, a meme, or a trending format, trends don’t last long—usually just a few days. Use TikTok’s Creative Center or your For You page to spot what’s popular and assess whether it fits your niche.
💡Keep in mind trends are temporary so they may work only for a limited time.
@placeitapp Holiday campaign efforts pay off like 🔥 🔥 🔥 😎 😎 😎 #fireball #fireballchallenge #dance #tiktokdance #pitbull #christmas #funny ♬ Fireball Challenge - 🕺🏼Hoodie fam🌏
3. High-Quality Content
Invest time in creating high-quality, visually appealing content. Making share-worthy content is critical in going viral.
- • Put time and energy into planning and creating content
• Draw inspo from the most popular creators
• Invest in the right tools and equipment
💡 Don’t Miss: Placeit’s Ultimate Guide to Social Media Image Sizes
Keep It Authentic!
Authenticity can drive engamente to your videos. Show yourself as you are and show real content. Have fun with it and enjoy the process. It’s always very obvious when something is staged, or and act.
What Types of Content are People Most Likely to Share?
- • Funny, entertaining, & memes
- • Educational. #LearnOnTikTok is a popular hashtag for a reason.
- • Inspirational & how-tos
- • Controversial videos
@guinnessworldrecords Most viewed video on @tiktok - 2.2 billion by @zachking ✨ #harrypotter #zachking #illusion #gwr2023 ♬ original sound - Guinness World Records
@ohanryaraujo Os vídeos mais assistidos de 2023! #viral #viraltiktok #top10 #rendaextra #300k ♬ original sound - ohanryaraujo
🚀😊 Searching for the perfect way to spice up your videos? Look no further! Dive into the easiest and most complete How to Edit TikTok Videos guide. 🌟
Tailor Your Content for Your Target Audience
Connect with your specific audience by crafting content that aligns with their interests and preferences.
Focus on understanding what resonates with your viewers by:
- Experimenting with different content styles.
- Posting at optimal times for maximum reach.
- Using niche and relevant hashtags that your audience actively follows.
4. Grab Attention With a Strong Hook
To go viral on TikTok, you need to capture your audience’s attention within the first 2-3 seconds. In TikTok’s fast-paced world, an engaging opening is key to keeping viewers watching until the end.
The more time people spend on your video, the better it performs in the algorithm. While TikTok videos can run up to ten minutes, the sweet spot for 2025 is a snappy 15 seconds. Keep it short, captivating, and impactful!
5. Keep It Short, Snappy & Engaging
TikTok’s roots are in short-form video, originally allowing just 15-second uploads. While the platform now supports videos up to three minutes, shorter content still dominates.
To maximize your video’s reach, aim to keep viewers watching until the end. When users stick around, TikTok’s algorithm interprets it as a sign of quality and shares your content with more people—boosting its success.
Mix Up Your Video Lengths
Experimenting with different video lengths can help optimize engagement and make your brand stand out:
- Short Videos (under 15 seconds): Ideal for quick, impactful content that’s easy to consume, share, and perfect for fast-scrollers.
- Medium Videos (30 seconds to 1 minute): Great for storytelling, tutorials, or delivering slightly more detailed messages.
- Longer Videos (up to 3 minutes): Perfect for diving deep into topics, sharing valuable insights, or building trust with your audience.
Attention spans are short on TikTok. The longer a viewer spends on your video, the better it performs.
Create Duet Challenges
Encourage users to duet your videos, this collaboration enhances engagement and widens your reach.
6. Post Consistently & Strategically
By diversifying your content and maintaining a regular posting schedule, you’ll keep your audience engaged and increase your chances of success.
Consistency beats volume when it comes to TikTok. Aim for a predictable posting rhythm that keeps your followers engaged and coming back for more.
The best times to post will depend on your audience’s habits, location, and niche. Use TikTok Insights to identify when your specific audience is most active and tailor your posting schedule accordingly.
Timing Matters
Post during peak hours when your target audience is most active. Experiment with different posting times to find your sweet spot.
Engagement is heavily influenced by when you post. Use TikTok’s ‘Follower Activity’ report under Creator Center → Analytics → Follower tab to find out when your audience is most active. The first few hours after posting are critical—if your video garners quick interactions like likes, shares, and comments, the algorithm takes notice and promotes it to more users.
The algorithm doesn’t favor past performance, so every video has a fresh chance to go viral. This means the more consistently you post, the higher your chances of creating a hit. Plus, frequent posting lets you refine your content and improve your TikTok skills over time.
7. Hashtag Strategy
Hashtags are a powerful way to signal to TikTok what your content is about. To find trending hashtags, simply visit the Discover tab, where you’ll see a curated list of what’s currently popular on the platform.
Leveraging trending hashtags can boost your visibility, increasing the chances of your content appearing on your audience’s For You page and reaching more potential customers.
Strike a balance between trending and niche hashtags.
DO NOT overload your post with hashtags. Three to five hashtags per post is enough for the algorithm.
8. Use Storytelling to Connect
Storytelling remains one of the most effective ways to draw in followers and customers. Authentic, relatable stories create trust and foster a genuine connection with your audience—especially on TikTok, where engaging content takes precedence over polished production.
You don’t need fancy equipment or editing skills to tell a compelling story.
9. Interact with Your Audience
Engaging directly with your TikTok audience is a surefire way to grow your reach. TikTok views user interaction—likes, comments, and shares—as a mark of high-quality content, making it essential for success.
Go Live and Connect
Going live is a great way to interact in real-time. Here are a few ideas to keep your audience tuned in:
- Answer FAQs with response videos.
- Host Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions.
- Share product tutorials or demos.
- Conduct interviews with team members or influencers.
Live sessions also get featured on the For You page, giving users a chance to join with just a swipe. Those who engage with your live content are likely to see more of your posts in the future, helping you build a loyal community.
10. Embrace Tasteful Humor
While it started as a platform for lip-syncing clips, TikTok is full of diverse content—from news and funny stories to tutorials and educational posts.
Instead of focusing on promoting your brand, create content that genuinely entertains your audience. This strategy is crucial for increasing reach and driving engagement.
Don’t hesitate to add humor and a playful tone to your videos. Entertaining content naturally attracts likes, comments, and shares—key indicators that TikTok’s algorithm uses to push your videos to a wider audience.
11. Collaborate With Others
Collaborate with other TikTok creators to increase your reach. Cross-promotion introduces your content to new audiences and it’s a win-win for both accounts’ exposure!
However, don’t just go crazy on partnerships; you need to choose a great fit for your followers’ interests and your brands values (whether it’s a personal brand or a business).
Collaborate With Influencers
Partnering with popular TikTok creators through influencer marketing can significantly boost your visibility and credibility. Influencers are seen as relatable and authentic by TikTok’s audience.
When choosing creators to work with, focus on those relevant to your niche to ensure your partnership attracts the right audience.
12. Consistent Branding
Maintain a consistent aesthetic and theme. Establishing a recognizable brand helps build a dedicated following.
13. Keep an Eye on Your Competitors
The idea isn’t to replicate your competitors content, but to draw inspiration from their top-performing videos. If they have a viral hit, use it as a benchmark to brainstorm ideas you can adapt and improve upon. Learn from their success to identify what resonates most in your industry, then take it a step further by adding your unique twist.
Don’t forget to observe the sounds and hashtags they’re using—it can give you insight into trends and strategies that might work for your own content.
11. Cross-Promote Your TikTok Content Across Platforms
Sharing your TikTok videos on other social media platforms can be a game-changer for expanding your reach and boosting your online presence. By posting TikTok content on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, you can connect with a broader audience and grow your TikTok following.
⚡ Read how to convert Twitch clips to TikTok videos!
Repurposing TikTok videos for different formats is a clever way to integrate them into your marketing strategy.
Cross-promotion is not only cost-effective but also a powerful way to raise brand awareness, increase visibility, and tap into new audiences. With short, engaging videos becoming the standard across platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, sharing your TikTok content aligns perfectly with this trend.
12. Compelling Captions
Craft attention-grabbing captions. Pose questions or create intrigue to encourage viewers to comment and share. You can also use your captions to open conversations. Here are some ideas:
- • Have a strong call-to-action at the end like “hit the plus button for more content like this,” “comment with what I should show in my next video,” etc.
- • Leave some questions unanswered so that questions will be posted on your video.
@boss No words needed: @khaby.lame is back on the BOSS runway #BeYourOwnBOSS ♬ original sound - BOSS
@charlidamelio movie night @Takis #takispartner ♬ original sound - charli d’amelio
🚀🌟 Want to create TikTok merch to make extra money? Here we spill all the details to become a TikTok superstar.
13. Leverage Analytics
Use TikTok analytics to understand what works and refine your content strategy accordingly.
14. Keywords Play a Role Here Too
SEO works for TikTok too! You can give information about your video from your titles, descriptions, and captions. The more organically placed keywords (without the hashtag), the better!
Ensure your profile is complete with a catchy username, profile picture, and a compelling bio. First impressions matter.
15. Editing Skill Have a Say in It
It’s no surprise that a good video edit is way more attractive to users! Working on your editing skill is a great way to invest into your video quality! Adding captions, stickers, special effects, etc.
And Last but Not Least, Patience Is Key
Virality doesn’t happen overnight. Be patient and consistent in your efforts. Analyze, adapt, and keep creating. Keep experimenting; when something is not working well, shake things up and try a new format.
Remember, there is no magic number of views or likes to guarantee virality. It’s a combination of creativity, strategy, and engagement that will elevate your TikTok presence. Following these tips will help increase your chances of creating share-worthy content and going viral on TikTok.
Save Time Using Placeit Templates
Placeit by Envato provides templates that can be a game-changer, offering a seamless solution to save time and elevate the quality of your TikTok videos.
You can skip the creative block and dive straight into customizing visually appealing videos tailored for TikTok.
Tailor templates to your unique style effortlessly. Placeit’s user-friendly interface allows you to tweak colors, fonts, and layouts with just a few clicks, ensuring your video stands out from the crowd.
Also, exporting your videos is a breeze. Save time on formatting and resizing – Placeit delivers your TikTok video in the perfect dimensions for quick and hassle-free uploading.
Loving this? You might also want to check out 8 Tactics to Make Your Video Viral on YouTube.
FAQ
Interacting with your audience is key to building your following. Respond to comments, messages and engage with others in similar niches.
There isn’t a specific number of views that guarantees a video will go viral on TikTok. TikTok’s algorithm considers factors like views, engagement, comments, shares, and the speed at which the interactions occur.
The key is to focus on creating engaging, high-quality content that resonates with the TikTok community. Utilize popular trends, engage with your audience, and experiment with different content strategies. Analyzing your TikTok analytics can also provide insights into what works and help you refine your approach to increase the likelihood of your videos going viral. Remember, patience and consistency are crucial in the unpredictable landscape of social media virality.
The number of likes required for a TikTok video to go viral is not fixed, while likes are an important metric, TikTok’s algorithm considers a combination of engagement metrics, including views, comments, shares, and the speed at which these interactions occur.
