How To Actually Go Viral on TikTok: Our Top 5 Tips

TikTok’s algorithm has proven to be the best thing to ever happen to social media. It’s ingenious in its simplicity. It has made the phrase “overnight sensation” a cliché — going viral on social media has become the rule, not the exception. 

Do you want to know how to actually go viral on TikTok? Let’s explore five tried and tested strategies that will help launch you into TikTok stardom!

How Long Does It Take To Go Viral on TikTok?

You need to generate thousands of views within a short period of time to gain viral momentum on TikTok. How long it takes a video to go viral typically depends on how popular the creator is. Obviously, a post from a celebrity can easily gain millions of views within a few days and achieve viral status. If you’re fairly successful in your niche, it may take you a few weeks to reach peak viewership. 

Many videos take weeks or months before going viral because sustaining high viewership and engagement is tricky on TikTok’s competitive feeds. 

The size of your following and overall engagement rate play a crucial role in how quickly or slowly your video gains popularity. But if you play your cards right, you can have your time in the spotlight even if you’re relatively unknown on TikTok. 

5 Best Ways To Go Viral on TikTok

Is it true that anyone can learn how to go viral on TikTok and actually become famous overnight? Yes, and countless TikTok stars are living proof. You can be a virtual nobody on the popular video-hosting app and find yourself a celebrity in the blink of an eye! 

Forget everything you know about social media. Making TikTok’s unique and powerful algorithm work for you is all you need. If you know how to create content that lands you on TikTok’s wildly popular For You page (FYP), you’re already halfway there! 

Here are five proven tactics that will give you your best shot at going viral on TikTok!

1. Trends Offer You a Straight Shot to Viral Status

TikTok’s FYP (also known as For You feed/FYF) is a personalized content delivery system. The algorithm recommends videos to a user’s feed based primarily on their interests. However, TikTok users are also always looking for hot content. The app is probably the most trend-driven among all social platforms, and viral videos often arise from TikTok trends. 

Keeping up with what’s hot on the platform is a proven strategy for how to get viral on TikTok. You can participate in a trending dance or lip sync challenge. Or you can create content on a hot topic or featuring a popular song or filter. 

Here are the best ways to identify trending videos, songs, hashtags, creators, and topics on the platform:

• TikTok Creative Center. This is a one-stop creative solution for every TikTok user. You can find keyword insights, creative resources, and all types of trending content for any industry. 
• Creator Search Insights. Search Insights is a relatively new discovery tool that allows you to identify popular search topics in any category/industry. You can find out what people in your community are currently searching for and create content around it! 
• TikTok’s Search Tool. Just type in any keyword, hashtag, or song into the search bar. TikTok will deliver the most relevant results based on popularity. Explore the different result categories to find inspiration for your viral content. 

2. Focus on Optimization 

Content optimization on any social media platform means achieving the maximum level of content effectiveness. This “effectiveness,” in turn, typically involves effective messaging and targeting so that your content generates your desired results. With spot-on optimization, you can reach the highest number of viewers who are most likely to interact with your post. 

Optimization plays a crucial role in maximizing the visibility and engagement you need to go viral. Here are the most effective optimization tools you should always be using:

• Relevant hashtags and keywords. Hashtags are crucial to ranking high on feeds and search results. It’s important to know the right ones to use to help the algorithm properly categorize your content and boost visibility at the same time. Know how to properly identify the best hashtags based on popularity and relevance to your content and target audience. 
• An optimized posting schedule. TikTok also looks at how much activity a video generates when it decides whether or not to recommend it to more users. Develop an optimized posting schedule based on when your followers are active on TikTok to receive maximum engagement each time. 
• Content accessibility. Going viral also means reaching and engaging as many types of viewers as possible. These include viewers who may have hearing or viewing difficulties. Don’t forget to add captions, subtitles, voiceovers, and other accessibility features to your videos. 

3. Add Popular Sounds

Don’t ignore that Add sound button! How can an audio component help you go viral? Adding sound to your video offers a number of advantages, such as:

• It creates the appropriate mood for your video. 
• It lets you take advantage of trending sounds and instantly facilitates wider reach. 
• It makes your content more engaging as it helps provide a complete viewing experience. 

According to Social Media Today, 88% of TikTok users believe that sound is essential to the TikTok experience. Viewers are more likely to watch your content for longer and interact with it when you use a popular song or catchy beat. 

Utilize the search and discovery tools listed above to find the perfect tune for your content. Check out videos using a piece of music you’re interested in. Visit a sound’s dedicated page to see how popular it is. Explore catchy TikTok songs that most people are listening to right now. 

Any time you discover music you want to use in your content, just tap the sound tag on the post. You can immediately create a video that features the sound. 

4. Offer Real Value

If you’ve done your research, you’ll see that viral content is not limited to funny videos, dance challenges, or similar entertaining posts. Videos that offer authenticity and value to audiences can also generate massive viewership and tons of likes and go viral. 

Sticking to what you know best is a good strategy if you want to gain and sustain relevance in your niche community. Remember that catering to the interests of your target community is crucial to achieving high visibility and engagement. This means creating content that trends in your niche is a step in the right direction when you want to go viral. 

Offer educational, inspiring, or behind-the-scenes content that’s relatable and can add value to people’s lives. It can be a special recipe that’s been in your family for generations or a life hack that’s share-worthy. Share a nugget of wisdom or a noteworthy anecdote that may offer hope or joy. Offer product tips/recommendations in the most creative way you can think of. 

Explore different types of content that become viral. You can take advantage of the increasing popularity or massive exposure of a trend to go viral. Or you can pave your own path and offer unique and authentic content that immediately stands out and attracts a wider audience. 

5. Learn From the Best

Check out some of TikTok’s most popular creators and content. Get to know famous TikTokers. Look at the most viewed TikTok videos and the most liked posts to get a better grasp of how to make a viral TikTok. Use the Creative Center to identify popular videos and creators right now. Analyze and learn from their content and style.     

If emulating certified TikTok celebrities is too big a step for you, start small and find successful creators in your niche. See what they’re up to. Identify their most popular posts to get a sense of what your shared audiences enjoy and find interesting. 

How To Make Your TikTok Video Go Viral After Posting: High Social Can Help

You may get extremely lucky, have a celebrity or mega-influencer share your post, and go viral overnight. For most creators, however, achieving the “viral dream” takes a lot of time and effort. 

Understanding your target audience AND the TikTok algorithm are ace cards, and you need to have a winning hand. Once you pin down a content strategy that delivers great results, you can up your game and aim for a viral post!

Knowing how to actually go viral on TikTok and reaching this milestone are two different things. The first is all about learning the best strategies that will give you the best odds. The second involves applying and fine-tuning these strategies to suit your identity and help you maximize your exposure. 

Give your targeting strategy the momentum it needs by signing up for a High Social plan! Like TikTok’s algorithm, High Social’s advanced, proprietary AI technology will help you find the most suitable audiences. Double your targeting advantage and reach your milestones more quickly. 

Grow your TikTok audience with High Social now!

How To Make a TikTok Go Viral: Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to go viral on TikTok immediately after posting? Let’s answer a few more FAQs to sum up everything you need to know about how to become the next hot thing on TikTok!

TikTok Tips