We’ve all heard the generic advice “tap into trends”, “use viral sounds”, “respond to comments”, while this is not bad advice, none of it will really make you go viral, because you are selfishly only thinking about yourself and what you want, without taking into consideration what the viewer wants.

The viewer wants to feel excitement, happiness as well as anger and sadness.

Why would you want to evoke emotion?

Because this tends to increase engagement, brand recognition, and recall. 

And so, understanding how to harness emotional reactions can elevate your content to new heights—separating you from competitors and claiming real estate in your prospect’s mind.

Keep in mind that you don’t want to play a character, people will see you are being inauthentic and won’t like it.

The key is authenticity.

So let’s explore ways to use sensory language, emotions, imagery, and authenticity to create content that leaves a lasting impact.

How to Evoke Emotion

Using Strong, Polarizing Language

• Bold Statements: Make bold, assertive statements that clearly define your stance. This can attract supporters and spark reactions from dissenters.
• Controversial Topics: Touch on current, contentious issues where opinions are divided. This naturally leads to polarized reactions.

Engagement Hooks

• Questions and Calls to Action: Encourage interaction by asking provocative questions or urging followers to take a stand on an issue.
• Polls and Debates: Use polls to let people vote on divisive topics, or host debates on your platforms to engage and polarize your audience actively.

Consistency in Messaging

• Repeated Themes: Reinforce your messages through consistent, thematic content that continually engages those emotional triggers.
• Brand Voice: Maintain a strong, recognizable voice that aligns with your chosen stance. Consistency helps in building a loyal following that expects and values your polarizing views.

Start With a Bang

TikTok’s algorithm favors content that engages users quickly. It prioritizes videos that hold viewers’ attention from start to finish, encourage re-watches, and generate interactions such as likes, comments, and shares. To get favored by the algorithm:

• Start with a bang: Your video should grab attention in the first few seconds.
• Encourage viewer interaction: Ask questions or use call-to-actions to provoke comments and shares.
• Optimize your posting times: Post when your audience is most active, which often means experimenting with different times and tracking engagement.

Create High-Quality Content

Quality matters, even in a platform dominated by amateur videographers. Higher quality videos tend to perform better and can help you appear more professional. Focus on:

• Video quality: Use a good camera and ensure proper lighting.
• Editing: Clean and creative editing can enhance your video’s appeal.
• Sound: Clear audio without background noise is crucial.

Post Consistently

Consistency is key in keeping your audience engaged and attracting new followers. Develop a posting schedule that keeps your current fans satisfied and can help lure new ones. Consider:

• Frequency: Aim to post at least once a day to maintain visibility.
• Timing: Analyze your engagement data to find the best times to post and stick to them.

Using Hashtags to Go Viral

No, hashtags aren’t important at all. ‎

It is not the hashtags that make a video blow up, it is the video itself. Focus on improving the quality of your videos rather than worrying about what hashtags to use and if they make your videos blow up.

Sure, you can try hashtags if you’d like. In 99% of cases, hashtags are just a placebo effect, and have no benefit. But you can find out for yourself. Post videos for a certain amount of time (1 week) with hashtags, and the same time period without hashtags, see which performs better, then stick with that.

Be Authentic and Have Fun

Ultimately, the most successful TikTok creators are those who stay true to themselves and enjoy the creative process. Authenticity resonates with audiences:

• Show your personality: Let your unique personality shine through your videos.
• Have fun: Users are drawn to content that the creators obviously enjoyed making.

By implementing these strategies, you’ll not only improve your chances of going viral on TikTok but also build a lasting connection with your audience. Remember, virality on TikTok, as on other platforms, can be unpredictable, but persistence and creativity are your best bets for success. Happy TikToking!