Five Steps to Create Viral TikTok and Douyin Videos 58

A "viral video" refers to creators or teams on short-video platforms (like TikTok and Douyin) who specialize in researching and digging into other people's successful video formulas, then replicate—and improve upon—them. By analyzing data, studying what users like, and tracking market trends, they identify content patterns that are likely to blow up, then keep tweaking and optimizing until the video spreads like wildfire.

The main goals behind creating viral videos are three things:

• Find content directions with viral potential, such as trending background music, challenge campaigns, or hot topics;

• Break down why already-viral videos blew up—for example, how they hook viewers in the opening, how the pacing is arranged, and how they trigger emotions;

• Quickly replicate and optimize them better—for example, switching up the persona, tweaking the copy, adjusting the editing—to boost the video's conversion rate.

Why do viral videos go viral?

1. Hook: The first 3 seconds must grab attention

• The first 3 seconds are the most critical—if you don't grab viewers in those 3 seconds, they'll swipe away instantly. Common attention-grabbing techniques include:

• Counter-intuitive statements, like "Never eat this at night!";

• Pain-point questions, like "Why can't you ever save money?";

• Building suspense, like "I used this method and gained 100,000 followers in 3 days…";

• Strong emotion—funny, infuriating, or moving.

2. Emotional drive: Trigger an emotional reaction in viewers

• Make viewers feel "This is exactly me" (positive emotions: joy, comfort, inspiration—such as cute pet videos or underdog success stories);

• Or make viewers anxious or worried (negative emotions: anger, anxiety, fear—such as videos covering social issues or health warnings);

• Or create a sense of "scarcity" (like "last chance" or "limited-time offer") to push users to click right away.

3. Algorithm preference: What kind of videos do platforms love?

Platforms mainly judge based on three metrics:

• Whether users watch to the end—high completion rate, no swiping away;

• Whether users are willing to interact—lots of likes, comments, and shares;

• Whether users will follow—do they hit the follow button after watching?

How exactly do you make a viral video?

1. Look at the data first, pick the right niche

Use third-party tools (such as Feigua Data or Xindou) to analyze:

• Which hashtags are hot right now, like #challenge or #trending;

• Which types of videos get high views, like tutorials, story-based clips, or vlogs;

• Check the top-ranked accounts to see what their viral videos look like, then directly mimic their formulas.

2. Break down the structure of viral videos

For example, a typical viral food video is shot like this:

• Opening hook, like "Make a Michelin-star-level dish for just $1!";

• Middle conflict, like "Many people think cooking is hard, but it's actually super simple";

• Solution, walking viewers through the steps);

• Emotional climax, where the finished dish looks stunning and you say "Try it now!";

• Closing call-to-action, like "Like and save—I'll teach you more in the next video!".

3. Test quickly and keep iterating

• A/B testing: For the same topic, try different covers, titles, and openings to see which performs better, like which gets a higher click-through rate;

• Chase trends: Tie in holidays, news, or viral memes online, like "Haidilao's hidden menu hacks";

4. Optimize the small details

• Cover: Add text and a face so people want to click at a glance;

• Subtitles: Add subtitles for key information so it's easy to follow;

• Background music: Use trending songs and match the rhythm to the video content.

5. Run multiple accounts across multiple platforms

• Multi-account testing: Try different personas, like an expert, a comedy creator, or an emotional content creator, to see which persona catches on more easily;

• Cross-platform posting: After a video blows up on TikTok, simultaneously post it to Douyin, YouTube Shorts, and other platforms.

Advanced tips for viral videos—making hits more consistent

1. Social: Make users want to share

If users feel "Sharing this video makes me look interesting/informed" (like funny rants or knowledge-based content), they'll share it on their own.

2. Participation: Get users involved

• Run activities, like "Dance to this background music";

• Engage in the comments section, like "Which tip do you think works best?".

3. Build your own IP for the long term

Viral hits may come from luck, but only by consistently putting out great content can you truly grow followers and make money.

How do you become a viral video master?

• Start by studying the data to find trending directions;

• Break down other people's viral hits—look at hooks, emotions, and algorithm preferences;

• Fail fast and iterate—A/B testing plus optimizing details;

• Run multiple accounts and post across platforms to amplify results.

Remember: going viral isn't luck—there's a method to it! Once you've mastered these, anyone can become a "viral hit machine" on short-video platforms.