Quick Summary
- TikTok’s algorithm rewards fast, authentic, and trend-driven content—regardless of follower count.
- Brands can win on TikTok by thinking like creators, not advertisers.
- Viral success often comes from simple formulas: strong hooks, relatable stories, and platform-native execution.
What if we told you that a 15-second video could change your business forever?
On TikTok, it happens every day. Brands go from unknown to unmissable overnight. Creators become household names. Products sell out within hours of a single video.
The secret isn’t magic; it’s method. TikTok’s algorithm rewards creators who understand the platform’s unique rhythm.
Let’s decode exactly how the biggest names build content that breaks the internet.
The TikTok Advantage: Where Unknowns Become Icons
TikTok changed social media by revolutionizing how content spreads. The For You Page operates like a democratic stage where a teenager in Ohio can out-perform a Fortune 500 company—if they can crack the code.
Here’s what makes TikTok different: Followers don’t dictate reach. A brand-new account can land millions of views on their very first video if the algorithm decides it deserves the spotlight. This levels the playing field like nothing before it.
The platform thrives on authenticity over polish. Raw, genuine moments often outperform expensive productions. TikTok users scroll fast and judge faster—they can spot inauthentic content from miles away, but they’ll watch a genuine creator all day long.
Viral Success Blueprints from Top TikTok Creators
1. Ride the wave early (and smartly)
HubSpot demonstrates the perfect balance of trend participation and brand messaging.
HubSpot’s content includes trending formats, relatable skits, podcast clips and educational clips made for TikTok. It also offers social media marketing tips and tricks. They don’t just jump on trends blindly—they adapt them to solve real marketing problems their audience faces.
The smart strategy: HubSpot uses trending formats to package valuable marketing insights. When the “Things you didn’t know” trend took off, they created videos revealing lesser-known marketing automation features.
How to make it work for you: Monitor trending formats and ask, “How can this trend help us teach something valuable to our audience?”
2. Make complex simple
Shopify offers its well-known marketplace platform and tools, which makes small business e-commerce simple. Shopify uses TikTok to give business and productivity advice on how to use their product.
Their approach turns potentially dry business advice into engaging, bite-sized content for more than 424K followers. One viral video showed “3 ways to boost your conversion rate” using quick visual demonstrations and text overlays, making complex e-commerce concepts instantly actionable.
The winning formula: Shopify takes intimidating business concepts and breaks them into digestible steps.
How to make it work for you: Identify the most complex aspects of your industry and find simple, visual ways to explain them in TikTok’s format.
3. Turn knowledge into entertainment
Clinical psychologist Dr. Julie Smith transformed her therapy practice into 4.9 million TikTok followers by mastering this formula.
She takes heavy topics like anxiety, depression, and trauma, then packages them into digestible 30-second videos with practical tips.
What she’s doing right: She identified what her audience desperately needed (mental health guidance) and delivered it in TikTok’s native format. Dr. Smith speaks to viewers like they’re sitting in her office, not watching a social media video.
How to make it work for you: Find the intersection between your expertise and your audience’s most pressing questions, then present solutions in bite-sized, actionable pieces.
4. Create educational content
Emily Mariko has gained 12.4 million followers with her simple cooking videos, particularly her viral salmon rice bowl.
With no fancy equipment or excessive editing, Emily films overhead shots of her meal prep with minimal talking. Her straightforward demonstrations of everyday recipes resonated so strongly that the ingredients for her salmon rice bowl sold out in grocery stores nationwide.
What she’s doing right: Emily identified a universal need (quick, healthy meals) and demonstrated solutions in a clear, replicable way.
How to make it work for you: Follow her example by creating “how-to” content that addresses common pain points for your audience.
5. Leverage emotional storytelling
Zachery Dereniowski built a following of nearly 21 million with heartwarming videos that capture acts of kindness.
His approach is simple but powerful. He approaches strangers, asks thought-provoking questions, and often offers financial help to those in need. These authentic human moments create strong emotional connections that drive millions of shares.
What he’s doing right: Zachery taps into universal emotions like empathy, hope, and kindness.
How to make it work for you: Find the emotional core of your brand story and sharing it in ways that feel authentic and relatable.
6. Use unique presentation styles
Emily Zugay went viral with her deadpan redesigns of famous brand logos.
Her intentionally “bad” redesigns, delivered with complete seriousness, created a unique comedic style that even got major brands like McDonald’s and Adobe to participate by requesting their own redesigns.
What she’s doing right: Emily created a signature style that was instantly recognizable and different from everything else on the platform.
How to make it work for you: Develop a distinctive presentation format that becomes your brand’s TikTok signature.
7. Build a strong hook
Haley Kalil has mastered the art of the first-second hook in her comedic modeling videos, as 4.5 million followers can attest.
She often begins with an unexpected statement or question that immediately grabs attention, then delivers a punchline or twist within seconds. Her quick, witty format routinely generates millions of views.
What she’s doing right: Haley understands that TikTok viewers decide whether to keep watching within the first 3 seconds.
How to make it work for you: Craft opening moments that create curiosity or surprise, compelling viewers to watch until the end.
8. Repurpose content strategically
Vessi, a waterproof footwear brand, excels at repurposing user-generated content.
They frequently share customer videos showing their shoes surviving extreme water tests, adding branded graphics and calls to action. This approach has generated millions of views and helped the company grow exponentially.
What they’re doing right: Vessi identified their most compelling selling point (waterproof shoes) and let customers demonstrate it authentically.
How to make it work for you: Encourage customers to share their experiences with your products and repurpose the most compelling examples.
9. Create platform-specific content
The Washington Post broke new ground for news organizations on TikTok by creating platform-native content.
Instead of repurposing traditional news segments, they feature journalist Dave Jorgenson creating humorous, timely skits that explain current events in TikTok’s language. This approach helped them gain over 1.5 million followers.
What they’re doing right: The Washington Post adapted their serious journalism for TikTok’s playful format without compromising their core values.
How to make it work for you: Rethink how your brand message can be delivered in ways that fit TikTok’s unique culture.
10. Collaborate with creators
Clothing brand Aerie supercharged their #AerieREAL campaign by partnering with diverse TikTok creators.
Instead of traditional ads, they invited creators to share authentic, unretouched content about body positivity while wearing their products. The collaborative approach has generated millions of views and built genuine brand affinity.
What they’re doing right: Aerie identified creators whose values aligned with their brand message and gave them creative freedom.
How to make it work for you: Find TikTok creators who share your target audience and brand values, then work with them to create authentic content.
11. Master TikTok-specific features
Zach King has become legendary with his 82 million followers for his creative use of TikTok’s editing features to create “digital magic tricks.”
His seamless transitions and visual illusions regularly generate tens of millions of views because they’re perfectly crafted for the platform’s format and viewing experience.
What he’s doing right: Zach dedicated time to mastering TikTok’s native editing capabilities and uses them in innovative ways that surprise viewers.
How to make it work for you: Explore TikTok’s creative tools and find unique applications that showcase your brand or products.
Marketer Takeaways
- Think platform-first. TikTok has its own language—speak it fluently.
- Fast beats perfect. Trends move quickly, and authentic content wins.
- Creativity compounds. Repurpose, remix, and experiment until something hits.
- Lead with the hook. Your first 3 seconds determine whether people scroll or stay.
- Let your audience do the talking. UGC and creator collabs amplify reach and build trust.
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