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How to Go Viral on TikTok: A Comprehensive Guide For Dropshippers and TikTok Shop Affiliates
June 18, 2024

In recent years, TikTok has become one of the world’s most popular social media platforms with millions of users sharing short videos daily. Understanding how TikTok virality works is vital for dropshippers and TikTok Shop Affiliates alike. 

For dropshippers, organic TikTok marketing is a cost-effective way to reach millions of new customers. Knowing how to get a massive amount of views and convert viewers into customers is a must-have skill in your repertoire. For TikTok Shop Affiliates, well, TikTok virality is the bread and butter to your income. 

Going viral on TikTok can…

  1. Significantly boost your visibility
  2. Increase followers
  3. Lead to monetization opportunities

But how exactly can you achieve TikTok virality? This guide will walk you through proven strategies to help your content go viral on TikTok.

But First, Who Is This For?

As mentioned above, this is for e-commerce entrepreneurs and TikTok Shop Affiliates. After all, both demographics NEED to know how TikTok virality works to make more money. The TikTok algorithm isn’t an open-source program, which means you need to use the platform for thousands of hours to slowly piece together how it works.

You don’t have time for that. Plus, it can be confusing or even pointless. If the algorithm changes while you’re still studying, then all that hard work goes down the drain.

Fortunately, there are a few things that almost never change. As long as you can keep these factors in mind, you stand a great chance of going viral on a consistent basis. 

What is a TikTok Shop Affiliate?

To be honest, the TikTok Shop Affiliate program is probably the most accessible and reliable way for beginners to earn income online without any risk.

Whether you’re a beginner looking for a less risky business opportunity or an existing seller wanting to spin up new revenue streams– this is the most reliable way for anyone to make money on their phone. 

You don’t need to invest money into product testing, building a store, installing expensive tools, buying inventory, and running ads. Just post TikToks from your phone at no cost. 

If this sounds like something you want to try, check out our TikTok Shop Affiliate Course. Here, we teach you everything you need to know to become a TikTok Shop Affiliate, make viral videos, and get paid. The entire process to get started can be completed in just four simple steps. No complex platforms, no confusing steps, and no time consuming set up. 

The Zendrop TikTok Shop Affiliate program and all of its resources (including coaching, courses, and product suggestions) are hosted on our Discord server.

Click Here For More Information

Once you’re in, access our viral TikTok videos guide where we show you how to create viral TikTok videos that compel people to buy the products you showcase.

Understanding the TikTok Algorithm

The TikTok algorithm plays a crucial role in determining which videos go viral. It considers factors like user interactions, video information, and device/account settings to personalize the 'For You' page. 

To increase your chances of going viral, you have to understand how the algorithm works and optimize your content accordingly.

User Interactions

The algorithm prioritizes content based on how users interact with videos. This includes likes, comments, shares, and watch time. Basically, the more users interact with your video, the more likely it is for the algorithm to push your content to people’s phones.

Here are some quick tips:

  • Encourage Engagement: Ask questions in your captions to encourage comments and prompt viewers to like and share your video. Some people will leverage ‘controversy’ to inflate engagement. This can be stuff like misspelling, mispronunciations, weird things in the background, and more. A thousand people who comment “it’s spelled Mississippi, NOT misisipi” still counts as a thousand comments.
  • Engaging Content: Create content that captures attention in the first few seconds to increase watch time. For e-commerce, you generally want to showcase your product in the first three seconds. Make sure to display it in action or in an engaging scene to really catch people’s attention. This sort of content is more likely to be watched till the end, which signals to the algorithm that your video is worth promoting.
  • Respond to Comments: Interacting with viewers in the comments can boost engagement rates and show the algorithm that your content is engaging. After all, humans like humans. If you can show that there’s an actual person behind the brand who cares about the viewers, you’re much more likely to get followers.

Video Information

TikTok uses information from your video to determine its content and relevance. This includes captions, hashtags, and sounds. That’s why originality is important. Don’t just take someone else’s video and reshare it. Study popular videos, break them down, and recreate them yourself with a personal twist.

Here are some quick tips:

    • Captions: Write clear and engaging captions that describe your video content and encourage viewers to interact. Use keywords that are relevant to your video to help the algorithm categorize your content.
    • Hashtags: Use trending and relevant hashtags to increase the discoverability of your videos. Hashtags help the algorithm understand the context of your video and show it to users interested in that content.
    • Sounds: Using popular sounds and music can boost your video’s visibility. The algorithm often promotes videos that use trending sounds, as these are more likely to engage users.
  • Emulation: Look at what popular videos are doing and try to mimic those techniques. You can even go look at other products to find interesting angles to try out.

Device and Account Settings 

While these factors are less influential than user interactions and video information, they still play a role. TikTok has some very strict restrictions based on geological location, so remember to keep this in mind.

Here are some things to consider:

  • Location: The algorithm may show your content to users in your geographic location. Use this to your advantage by creating content that is relevant to your local audience. This can make it difficult to get viewers from a specific country, but there are ways to work around this limitation.
  • Language: Ensure your content is in the language most appropriate for your target audience. The algorithm considers language settings to match content with users who speak that language. As with any sort of marketing, it’s absolutely critical that you understand who your audience is. Make sure that your language and grammar matches what your audience would use.

Content Consistency and Quality 

Consistently posting high-quality content can help you build a loyal audience. Remember, QUALITY IS KING. Content with a lot of thought and effort put behind it will almost always outperform content made in a haphazard manner. High quality videos will signal to the algorithm that your content is worth promoting.

Keep in mind:

    • Consistency: Posting regularly helps keep your audience engaged and signals to the algorithm that you are an active creator. Aim for at least one video per day to maintain visibility. 
    • Quality: Ensure your videos are well-produced with good lighting, clear audio, and engaging visuals. High-quality content is more likely to be watched and shared, boosting your chances of going viral.
  • Angles: Don’t be afraid to borrow inspiration from viral videos in your niche. You can even go outside of your niche to find new angles that nobody is using yet.

Leveraging Analytics

Use TikTok’s analytics tools to understand how your content is performing and refine your strategy. Get into the habit of making decisions based on data, not gut feeling. Don’t get me wrong, gut feeling IS important, but data doesn’t lie. As you become more experienced, gut feeling and data will eventually align more closely.

In the meantime:

  • Track Performance: Regularly review metrics such as views, likes, shares, and comments to identify what type of content resonates most with your audience. Double down on what works and don’t waste time on what doesn’t
  • Adjust Strategy: Use insights from your analytics to tweak your content strategy. Focus on creating more of the content that performs well and experiment with new ideas to keep your audience engaged. Don’t just do the same things over and over again. Make sure you’re keeping up with your metrics and adjusting your content accordingly.

By understanding and optimizing these aspects of the TikTok algorithm, you can increase your chances of creating viral content that reaches a broad and engaged audience. Stay informed about changes to the algorithm and continually adapt your strategy to maintain and grow your TikTok presence.

More Tips For Creating High-Quality, Engaging Content 

Remember, quality content is king on TikTok. Here’s how to ensure your videos are top-notch:

Lighting and Sound

Great lighting ensures that you and your products look their best. Don’t go around recording on a 10 year old phone in your bedroom in the middle of the night. Same goes for audio.

    • Lighting: As important as it is, lighting can be somewhat difficult to master. When in doubt, simply use the sunlight and position the product appropriately.
    • Editing: Use TikTok’s editing tools to make your video visually appealing. Cut out scenes where nothing is happening, where you mess up the line, or just anything you don’t like
  • Scripts: Most people will just hit the record button on their phone and start rambling. This will bore your audience and make you more likely to mess up. Write out a script with a compelling hook that you can read from so you don’t mess up.
  • Length: Keep your videos short and engaging, ideally between 15-30 seconds. Sometimes, longer videos CAN work, so don’t be afraid to try them. But keep in mind that most TikTok viewers will favor shorter content.

Leverage TikTok Trends

TikTok is all about trends. Participating in viral challenges, using trending sounds, and following popular hashtags can significantly increase your content's visibility. Your video descriptions and hashtags play a significant role in your video’s discoverability. Use clear, catchy descriptions and include relevant hashtags to boost your content's visibility.

  • Challenges: Join or create challenges that align with your niche.
  • Sounds: Use trending sounds to make your videos more discoverable.
  • Hashtags: Incorporate relevant and trending hashtags to reach a wider audience.

Conclusion

Going viral on TikTok requires a mix of quality content, trend awareness, and strategic engagement. By understanding the TikTok algorithm, creating engaging videos, leveraging trends, posting consistently, engaging with your audience, optimizing descriptions, collaborating with others, and analyzing your performance, you can significantly increase your chances of TikTok success.

If you’d like more in-depth tutorials on creating viral TikTok videos or would like to learn how to become a TikTok Shop Affiliate, click the button below.

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