5 days Ago
Like most millennials, I hopped on the TikTok train during the COVID-19 pandemic as a source of entertainment. Most of my videos hovered around 200 views and only got comments from my friends. However, that all changed in October 2022 when a few of my videos “went viral”: I now have nearly 30,000 followers and 4.
7 million likes across my videos. This led to acceptance into the Creator Fund (now Creator Rewards Program) and learning a lot about how to go viral on TikTok and gain followers. If you ask some of the platform’s biggest names how to go viral on TikTok, many will say posting controversial content is a quick way to gain views and attract comments.
I can attest to this firsthand, as one of the first videos I posted in 2020 fell into this category. The video gained over 80,000 views within a week of posting, and I eventually turned the comments off, as it quickly gained a lot of traffic. Seriously, guys.
#mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealth #mentalillness #bpdtiktok #anxiety #therapy #mentalhealthawareness You can cover popular “controversial topics,” like politics, gun control, abortion, or cannabis legalization. However, you can also offer your “hot takes” on popular television shows or movies, dating and relationships, or anything else that encourages people to debate in the comments. The more views, comments, and shares your video gets, the more likely you will be to go TikTok viral.
Whether you realize it or not, much of today’s most popular music got its start as TikTok viral songs. Artists like Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo, and Chappell Roan can contribute some (or all) of their success to their songs going viral on TikTok. What’s more, using these trending audio clips is one of the top recommendations if you want to go TikTok viral.
To find TikTok viral songs and sound clips: Additionally, it helps to follow stylized trends attached to these sounds to gain more viewers. Trending audio isn’t the only way to extend your reach. Viral TikTok hashtags in your posts can also help.
The general hashtags people use in their quest to go TikTok viral include: Based on my experience, I recommend using highly circulated hashtags that match your content. Since I create a lot of content about my deceased partner and navigating life as a widow, I use hashtags like #widowsoftiktok and #griefjourney. Meanwhile, creators who sell products may use hashtags like #giftguide or #giftsforher.
Curious about which viral TikTok hashtags may work for your videos? Visit the TikTok Creative Center , and select Trends > Hashtags to view the top-performing hashtags. You can also sort them based on industry to target specific people. Most people use TikTok as a source of entertainment.
It’s a place to escape reality and laugh, so it’s no surprise that most people who figure out how to go viral on TikTok do so with funny videos. There are many ways to be funny, so it’s just a matter of finding what works for you and resonates with your intended audience. Humorous takes on parenting, workplace drama, and dating are all popular.
One of my favorite creators, Hayley Morris , makes hilarious videos about the human body, especially the reproductive system. For me, dark humor has worked well. Seriously, though, why? #CapCut #proposal #grief #darkhumor #loss #widowtok #missingher Unlike most of the other social media platforms, TikTok was created for people to share raw, unedited videos of themselves.
It isn’t meant to be polished or professional, and many people enjoy the platform because they find others’ videos relatable and authentic. One of the first videos I made that ended up “going viral” was me sharing my devastation over my partner’s death . I didn’t expect people to watch it, let alone comment on it or message me about it.
Grief can be a complex topic to discuss, and I think many more people relate to those painful emotions than we realize. We all have a story to tell, and if you’re willing to be vulnerable and share yours, it can help you gain a following on TikTok. If you find a niche that works for you, you may even want to change your TikTok username to make it more related to the topic of your content.
My final piece of advice for anyone who wants to post on TikTok is this: connect with your followers. Reply to their comments, watch their videos, read their direct messages, and acknowledge their existence. Once your account gains enough followers, you can go live on TikTok and interact with your followers in real-time.
In a world that often feels divisive and isolating, the connections we build with others can save us on the worst of days. Moreover, connecting with your followers shows you aren’t just in it for the views or TikTok fame – you genuinely want to make the world a better place and help others with your content. I never intended to gain a following on TikTok, but I am incredibly thankful for every one of my followers.
The encouragement, support, and love I have received over my videos have helped me realize people need people, and we all go through things. If you are just getting started on TikTok and want more advice, I recommend you try other popular methods to gain followers, like making TikTok duets with other popular videos. You can also see who viewed your TikTok profile to learn more about your audience.
Image credit: Canva. All screenshots and videos by Megan Glosson. Our latest tutorials delivered straight to your inbox Megan Glosson is a freelance technology writer based in Nashville, TN.
She has extensive experience working with everything from printers to smart home systems, and serves as the go-to “tech guru” for a small business that sells digital products. Megan has created thousands of articles for online publications and company blogs, including How-To Geek, Clean Email, and Review Geek. When she’s not writing, you will probably find Megan playing board games with her partner and two children or swimming in the pool.
You can check out Megan’s entire portfolio on her website, https://www.meganglosson.com/.
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