That little video you posted to your semi-anonymous TikTok account, accompanied by a few hopeful hashtags? Yeah, it blew up. You went to sleep a virtual nobody, and awoke to hundreds of thousands of likes, tags, comments, and new followers on your account. Your TikTok video somehow went totally viral, but don’t let it go to your head. You’re not the next Charli D’Amelio just yet! Here’s how to ride out your newfound fame, and avoid joining the ever-growing ranks of TikTok one-hit-wonders.
Most people who go viral on TikTok probably did it completely by accident. If that’s you, you’ve come to the right place. The ability to blow up a video with minimal effort is both a blessing and a curse of the platform. Other social platforms, such as Instagram, require a calculated amount of effort to define and grow your social brand. But, TikTok’s algorithm is set up to push anonymous videos onto the pages of its apps users. Therefore, an account with even just one follower can explode in popularity without even having to try.
One one hand, this is a good thing. It gives you as a TikTok user a much higher percentage of getting your content noticed. On the other hand, a lot of this is based on the luck of the algorithm. Plenty of TikTok users have a singular video blow up, only to see their next few posts pull in disappointing numbers. However, with a little effort, you can use your singular viral video as a jumping-off point to your ultimate TikTok fame.
Step 1: Don’t Wait a Second.
The TikTok algorithm will push a viral video out to its users for around 2-3 days. Then, the hype begins to slow down. So, this 48-ish hour window is your moment to cement yourself as a regular, active user on the app. Post often. Don’t completely overwhelm your new follower crowd with pointless videos every five minutes. But, 5-10 posts a day is definitely fair game in the days post-viral status. Once the TikTok algorithm catches wind of an account that’s gone viral, it tends to push that user’s videos out to the users who have liked, commented on, or followed the account and its content. So, if your video had a recent burst of popularity, it’s likely that your new posts will appear on the FYPs of your new fans.
Step 2: Discover Your TikTok Niche.
If you’ve already put in the work to curate your TikTok brand and presence, go ahead and skip to step three. But, viral videos on the app are often totally random posts, such as rants or comedic videos that are difficult to replicate and build upon. So, if you blew up for a totally random reason, but you want to maintain your newfound fame, you’ll have to do a bit of critical thinking. For example, is there a way for you to spin the content of your viral video into an ongoing joke or conversation?
However, try and avoid capitalizing too heavily on the single video that made you popular. Many newly viral stars lean towards this approach, hoping to ride the coattails of their single most-viewed video, but it can get a little obvious, and a little overdone.
Step 3: Interact With Your Followers.
The best part about TikTok’s platform is the genuine human interaction it provides. You know why a random video like yours went viral overnight? Because, TikTok’s algorithm loves to promote the everyday user, instead of just heavily pushing the content creators with the highest follower count. It’s good to come across as a “real person” on TikTok, rather than just a user posting content into the viral void. Take some time to check out your viral video and interact with those who commented on it. Like their comments, respond, answer any questions that they may have. Starting a conversation with your followers shows that you’re a present and active member of the app, and users on TikTok love a viral star that they can actually connect with.
There’s obviously no guarantee that your singular viral video will lead to anything more than momentary fame. However, if you follow these steps successfully, you’re pretty much guaranteed to at least solidify a relatively solid following on your platform. TikTok fame is difficult to achieve, and the app’s algorithm is ever-confusing to decipher. But, if you play your cards right, you’ll be sure to boost your presence on the app.
Featured Image from Josh Rose on Unsplash
