9 Undeniable Reasons Why You Aren't Going Viral
“How can I go viral?” This is by far one of the most frequently asked questions I get about TikTok. Going viral is the ultimate dream for most users on the app and no doubt it is thrilling and fun to go viral.
However, I will say it’s also not everything it’s cracked up to be. The key is to go viral with intention. If you go viral for the right reasons you will attract your ideal followers who will continue to engage with your content every time you post.
I watch a ton of viral videos with millions of views and on the flip side, I watch lots of videos that have less than 500 views. From watching a lot of these types of content I have discovered some interesting and more importantly common patterns in these viral videos. If you want to discover what I’ve learned and 9 reasons why you aren’t going viral then continue reading my blog post below. I will also be giving you pointers and tips on how you can create viral videos.
1. You’re trying too hard
I often hear people say that the videos that go viral are the ones that take no effort, or even much thought. However, I do still recommend planning and putting some thought into a video before posting because there is some truth to this. If you are feeling desperate to “go viral” and if all you can think about is “going viral” that could actually be a big reason for whats holding you back from a mindset perspective. The best thing to do when growing a TikTok account is to simply have fun with it. As soon as you put pressure on yourself to get more views or followers and focus on the vanity metrics, the faster your path to frustration and burnout is. Release all your expectations of how your videos will perform. If they perform great, that’s awesome, but if they perform less than desired, take that as an opportunity to learn why that happened and improve upon it.
2. You’re relying on strategies
The hashtags you choose to use in your TikTok posts, the music you put in your video and the time that you post are all strategies. They DO NOT determine virality. They are strategies that can help improve your views and chances of getting seen. Content is king on TikTok. That means whatever is contained in the video and how people respond to it is what gets you more views.
3. Your video is low quality
Now you don’t need to make highly produced videos to have TikTok success but you do need to follow some filming basics in your videos. Firstly, you need adequate lighting. Poorly lit videos rarely stay on the FYP. There are lots of budget lighting sources you can purchase or you can face a window in direct sunlight for natural light. Make sure you clean off your camera lens before hitting the record button to reduce any chance of haziness or smudges on your screen. Also, make sure we can hear you! Check the volume of your voice and tone and your music when editing videos.
4. You’re not asking for engagement
If there is one thing viral videos have in common it’s lots of engagement. Experiment with engagement based call-to-actions. You could suggest people share the video or comment on your post to remind users to interact with your content.
5. You’re using FYP HASHTAGS
Refer to point #2. Hashtags don’t determine virality. FYP related hashtags actually don’t help you at all. They are a waste of caption space and you only have 150 characters! Hashtags work in two ways. Number one - they help to tell the algorithm who to show your content to. So, you want to use ones relevant to your content and niche to increase the chance that it gets seen by people interested in those hashtags. Number two - they categorize your content. Just like Instagram, you can search hashtags and see all the videos using that specific hashtag.
6. You’re not participating in trends
Trends are a great way to go viral and grow your following. I know this because I’ve received messages from hundreds of people who have gone viral from my trend alerts. The most important part about participating in trends is adapting them to your niche and hoping on them before they become too saturated. Make sure you put your own unique spin on it and don’t forget to have fun!
7. You’re speaking to everyone not someone
People want to feel seen and heard, they want to feel like they are connecting with you. When you speak to everyone it doesn’t resonate as much as it does when you are speaking to one person. Whether it’s, “Hey guys!” or “Hey everyone” nix those opening lines in your TikTok videos. When you speak to your audience use the word “you” and forget the introduction.
8. You're repurposing content from other platforms
That YouTube clip or Instagram story is not going to work so well on TikTok. There is a specific culture on the TikTok app unlike any other platform and you need to make videos that go with the culture. Videos that follow a format, and look native to the platform always perform better.
9. You’re taking yourself too seriously
TikTok is an app that’s mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. Get creative, experiment with effects, editing and music. You must have personality and be entertaining to attract an audience. You don’t need to be the most extroverted person on the planet, but you do need to smile and have fun with it.
