6 Key Steps For Getting Your TikTok Video To Blow Up

It’s natural for content creators to get jealous when they see someone else’s TikTok post go viral and become a huge deal. Even users with small TikTok accounts dream of seeing one of their videos “blow up” on the social media platform.

It ain’t easy to make that happen, though.

The scales are heavily weighted against any TikTok user trying to create content so popular that it’s the talk of the app and even beyond. It’s difficult enough to accumulate a decent-sized TikTok follower base that lets your posts be seen by more than just your family and friends, let alone put your video in front of hundreds of thousands or even millions of people.

It has happened, though, even for those with the small accounts we’ve mentioned. For those who hope that lightning will strike — and for creators who’ve already started growing their TikTok presence — here’s a guide that might help you make an outstanding video that will blow up on the platform.

1. Trending Content Is Most Likely to Become Popular

An enormous number of TikTok users search for videos on trending topics, and the app gives larger audiences to trending posts.

That gives videos focusing on the platform’s most recent trending subjects the fastest path to popularity. Track TikTok trends regularly to stay on top of the hottest topics. If there’s a trending challenge or TikTok dance you can piggyback on, for example, that’s a shortcut to getting your post seen widely.

A video doesn’t have to capitalize on trends to blow up, of course. It’s still smart, however, to use trending sounds, effects, and filters while editing your material. Believe it or not, people search for trending material, particularly songs that have become hits on TikTok.

Pro tip: The TikTok Creative Center has a wide variety of tools that let you follow trending videos, songs, creators, hashtags, and more. It’s a great starting point when you’re brainstorming.

2. Plan Before Shooting

An idea isn’t enough; it’s virtually impossible to create a viral video when you’re recording something on the fly. Turning on your camera and speaking off the top of your head, unless you’re a world-class comedian or storyteller, isn’t going to produce a video that will grab everyone’s attention and make them feel that they have to share your TikTok post with everyone they know.

When you have an idea for TikTok content that you think can become a sensation, sit down and plan it out. If it’s a direct-to-camera video, write a script and practice it. If it involves actors, find them and then rehearse until it’s perfect. If it’s a more complicated production, assemble all of the audio and video elements you’ll need and do some dry runs to make sure it all works.

Be sure that it’s a concept that will appeal to a large audience. “Niche” videos can succeed with a smaller target audience — but if your goal is blowing up on TikTok, it has to have widespread appeal. Your video doesn’t have to be funny, either, but humorous content is more likely to go viral on the app.

Pro tip: Shorter is almost always better. Long vids are much more likely to see surfers move on before they can be impressed with the content.

3. Quality Doesn’t Just Matter; It’s Imperative

Viewers also won’t stick around if there’s shaky camera work, blurry picture quality, or hard-to-understand audio. Use the best equipment you can find or afford if you want to create a compelling, high-quality video that has a chance of blowing up — and make sure you know how to use that equipment before shooting.

Pro tip: For most TikTok videos, a phone’s camera is just as good as expensive pro-level equipment. Having the latest model, and being able to use it properly, are the keys to creating high-quality content.

4. Great Editing Makes a Great Video Even Better

TikTok has the best editing tools available on any app, and you can do almost as much with them as you can with a standalone video editor — as long as you know how to use them. Practice, practice, practice before you settle in to edit the vid that you think may go viral.

That means knowing how and when to: transition between scenes; use filters and effects to make video look better; add captions, voiceovers, and narration; and edit out extraneous material. 

Using the right editing techniques and effects, including transitions and filters, can help make your video look professional and a treat to watch.

Pro tip: Use filters, video effects, and audio effects only when they make content better. Overdoing effects turns a good video into a silly one that will quickly see viewers moving on.

5. Convince People to Watch

It’s certainly possible for a relatively-inexperienced creator to post a video, sit back, and watch it blow up on TikTok. It’s also possible for a sandlot baseball player to step in against Shohei Otani and hit a home run. Just don’t expect either of those far-fetched events to happen.

If you want your video to get a large audience, it’s important to do everything you can to help. It’s even more important if you want your creation to go viral.

Getting Surfers to Stop and Watch

You only have half-a-second or so to get people to stop scrolling and check out your video before they swipe past it. Anything you can do to capture their attention is worth doing:

• Cover photo: The first thing they see before scrolling past your video is your first best chance to grab them. Don’t rely on TikTok to select the picture that represents your content; choose the very best moment in your video as a cover photo. Adding a compelling caption can also help.
• Description: Many users underestimate the importance of their post’s description. Use concise descriptions with strong, active language that convinces them that they’ll be “missing out” if they don’t stop to watch. Add a call-to-action (CTA) telling them to watch, too.

Bringing in TikTok Users

• Search Optimization: Lots of potential viewers won’t see your video in their feeds, but they may find you if you’ve done “TikTok SEO” to make your post show up when they use the in-app search function. Include important keywords in your description, and use both relevant hashtags and trending hashtags as well.
• TikTok Shorts: Taking the best clips and turning them into TikTok Shorts can find you a new audience that prefers watching videos in that section of the app rather than scrolling their feeds.
• Collaborations: If you know influencers or popular content creators who might be willing to work with you on projects in return for giving your potentially-popular video a boost, go for it. Don’t ignore any avenue that can earn your post extra exposure.

Bringing in Users from Other Apps

If you’re active on other social platforms, post clips from your video there. You may be able to “drag” your followers on those apps over to your TikTok profile or video, and the extra visibility may help you find new fans who don’t spend time on TikTok.

6. Don’t Get Discouraged

The chances of any video blowing up, even one posted by a TikTok celebrity with a huge fan base, are slim. The celebrity will have a much better chance than other users, naturally, but don’t throw everything you have into creating the “perfect” video and then walk away if it doesn’t go viral.

Keep refining your thought process, your planning, and your skills — and watch lots of other trending videos to see what types of posts do blow up on TikTok — as you continue to create great content. Following the steps we’ve outlined will turn you into a better and better creator as you gain experience, and increase the possibility that you’ll end up blowing up on TikTok.

And in the meantime, you’ll be adding the TikTok followers and engagement that will make you more popular, influential, and important on the app.