How to Get 1 Million Views on TikTok: The Creatives Guide
So you want to go viral on TikTok or Instagram Reels? Let’s break down the basic formula for getting a million views on TikTok.
Keep in mind, social media is a fickle creature. Even when you strategize and plan perfectly, even the best content might flop unexpectedly. I’ve had videos go viral on TikTok that barely made it to 10,000 views on Instagram. It takes experimentation for each creator to find the systems and nuances that work best for them, and even then, there are several factors out of our control that can throw things off. That’s why it’s so important to create multiple pieces of content and not put all your energy and effort into a single video. Take this formula as a guideline and keep practicing and tweaking until it’s perfect for YOUR personal brand.
Before we dive in, take a look at these two examples from my own TikTok I’ll be using to break down my TikTok secret formula. I chose these two because they are very DIFFERENT in execution, but follow the same foundational strategy.
TikTok Example 1 (Bridgerton / Euphoria): https://www.tiktok.com/@alison_haselden/video/7079409437873573166
This TikTok video has 1.2 million views, 96k likes, and 43 comments. It’s a total of 6 seconds long. The “style” of this video was lip-syncing to the audio clip attached.
TikTok Example 2 (Disney): https://www.tiktok.com/@alison_haselden/video/6847237261759728901
This TikTok video has 1.4 million views, 133k likes, and 624 comments. It’s a total of 35 seconds long. The “style” of this video was a cross between comedy sketch/informational/personal story (with a random song played softly in the background).
While there are many small elements that make up a winning TikTok video, the foundational strategy consists of:
A Trendy Foundation
Your Unique Personal Brand
Built to Capture and Keep Attention
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TRENDY FOUNDATION
A “trendy foundation” doesn’t mean you have to or should be “trend chasing” nonstop at the expense of your authentic taste and interests. It’s more about putting yourself in the shoes of you audience and considering what might be trending in their world currently. The strategy behind this is that you’re riding with the flow of ocean as a vehicle to showcase your talent instead of trying to fight your way against the current with a topic or theme that no one cares about or is looking for. Don’t you worry, you won’t just be copying what everyone else is doing (steps two and three make sure of that). But you’ll be using research and data to point you towards creating content that people will be more likely to WANT to watch based on the “theme” or “foundational topic” alone, which makes your life easier.
In the TikTok Example 1, the Trendy Foundation was TWO trending TV shows, Bridgerton and Euphoria. Both were topping the watch charts at this time, and the “Wait is this f*cking play about us?” audio clip from Euphoria was just becoming popular on TikTok. In TikTok Example 2, the Trendy Foundation was Disney, and particularly interest in the inner workings of the theme parks.
Is there a certain TV show, song, joke, meme, pop culture moment, etc. that YOUR dream audience really cares about or is interested in right now?
YOUR UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND
Now that you know how to “hook” your audience with a trendy foundation, we want to make sure that the video meets your personal brand standards and is aligned with your goals. Start to think - how can you incorporate that trendy foundation into one of your Content Categories? How can you put your personal brand’s unique spin on the trend or theme with your styling, tone, topics, or point of view? Remember, the trend is just the foundation of your content…it should still feel 100% YOU. This is often the most challenging part for actors and creatives who’ve skipped ahead to creating content without taking the time to get specific on what their personal brand and goals are first.
In TikTok Example 1, I leaned into my existing series of content where I would portray characters from various TV shows and films and brought the Bridgerton theme to life with my styling. In TikTok Example 2, the video was much longer which allowed for more of my personal brand to shine through. I leveraged my acting abilities to act out each piece of the video, and shared my personality and experience in each clip.
BUILT TO CAPTURE AND KEEP ATTENTION
Now that you have the “entertainment factors” of what will happen in your TikTok or Reel, the final piece to the puzzle for increasing your chances of hitting 1 million views is strategizing the technical and psychological elements that will help capture and keep your audience’s attention. This is important because the algorithms will continue to push your TikTok to more viewers if they watch the video all the way through, like, comment, save, or share, and watch it multiple times in a row. If users don’t watch all the way through and swipe to the next video, it signals to the algorithm that they didn’t love the video so TikTok will be less likely to push your video onto new accounts.
In TikTok Example 1, I kept things very short, sweet and impactful, and ensured all visuals were targeted to be instantly recognizable to fans of Bridgerton, the combination of two trends plus the short video length encouraged repeat viewings and shares. In TikTok Example 2, I began the video with a juicy hook “the weirdest things people say to Disney princesses”, and provided shocking/funny/entertaining information that leaves people with strong reactions/opinions (encouraging them to comment).
Depending on the particular style and strategy of your video, these are a few things to keep in mind:
Quality lighting and audio (We have to be able to see and hear your content!)
Hook them in quick (You have to capture their attention in the first few seconds. Remember, there’s SO many options for consuming content. Why should they watch yours? Make it clear that you will surprise, delight, support, or educate them right away.)
Brand Specificity (Knowing exactly what content category you’re focusing on)
Speak directly to your audience (Design your video for a specific audience and speak to them in their most desired way)
Video Length (Does the video drag on and on without any excitement? Is the intro or outro too long? Are you going on about details your audience won’t really need or care about? All of these things can easily lose viewer interest. Tell your story/point clearly and concisely).
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