23 Expert Tips for TikTok Viral Success in 2026
Get more views, increase engagement, and build a strong community with these tips for beginners and professionals.
TikTok’s explosive growth has made it an essential platform for creators and brands to master in 2026. However, thriving on TikTok requires more than just posting short videos – you need to understand its trends and dynamics.
That’s why we’ve prepared 23 TikTok tips for you that will help you increase views, engage the right audience, and grow your followers. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced creator, these tips will guide you step by step through your TikTok journey.
To provide you with fresh information about what works on TikTok, we spoke with two successful creators, Henry Nelson-Case (@thatcorporatelawyer) and Gigi Robinson (@itsgigirobinson). Below you’ll find all their expert advice – from signing brand deals to creating your own trends.
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23 Expert Tips on How to Be Successful on TikTok in 2026
1. Be Authentic
Nelson-Case created his TikTok account in the summer of 2021, and since then has been followed by over 100,000 people who share interesting videos about working in the corporate world.
“I attribute much of my success to posting relevant content and staying grounded and genuine. Who I am on the internet is who I am in real life,” notes Nelson-Case.
- Who it’s for: All TikTok creators and brands
- How to implement: Monitor comments on all your posts and look for phrases like “I feel seen” or “I built this FYP brick by brick”. Once you understand what resonates with your target audience, you can continuously create content that speaks to them.
See how one comment: “My FYP really said FOR YOU” strongly signals that this video resonated with Nelson-Case’s followers on TikTok.
2. Start with a Hook
The key to TikTok success is creating content that stops users mid-scroll. If you don’t engage them in the first three seconds, viewers will move on.
So start with a strong hook that captures attention – whether it’s a question, unexpected visual, trend, or catchy sound – to draw your audience and gain favor with the TikTok algorithm.
This creator starts the video with a clear hook that immediately sparks interest in finding out why not (or which books).
3. Have a Strong Brand Identity
Robinson has built her brand online as an advocate for chronic illness and an expert in creator economics since 2018. She attributes much of her TikTok success to having a strong brand identity that resonates with diverse audiences.
Her tip for influencers and creators: “Focus on building a personal brand that is consistent, recognizable, and uniquely yours.”
For brands: “Make sure your identity and values are clear to your ideal audience.”
- Who it’s for: All brands and creators
- How to implement: Use content pillars to plan your content and ensure all your videos relate to your brand. By staying true to your identity, you’ll attract new audiences and foster more engaged followers!
Robinson has built her personal brand on promoting awareness about chronic illness and transparently sharing her health journey.
4. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
While tracking specific goals and trying to replicate others’ successes can be motivating, Nelson-Case warns against getting fixated on them.
“Your success depends on many factors, such as your niche and where you’re located. Everyone’s journey to creating content is different; different milestones happen at different times. Your main goal should be to try to improve your own metrics with every video you post.”
- Who it’s for: All TikTok creators and brands
- How to implement: Use TikTok analytics to measure your content performance over time and understand your benchmarks.
Source: TikTok
Example: While Nelson-Case doesn’t have as many followers as other creators in his field, he managed to achieve rare success—getting verified.
5. Study Your Analytics
TikTok’s built-in analytics offer useful insights, such as post-level metrics and how viewers discover your content.
Using these insights, you can understand how your overall social media strategy is performing and what you can boost on TikTok.
- Who it’s for: Data-driven brands and creators
- How to implement: Regularly monitor your TikTok analytics dashboard and compare metrics over time. Look at which videos resonate most with new audiences, and adjust your TikTok captions accordingly to increase engagement.
6. Prioritize Authenticity
You’ve probably heard this tip before, but it keeps coming up in my conversations with successful influencers and creators.
In Robinson’s words: “On TikTok, authentic, relatable content that speaks directly to your audience performs best. People crave transparency and connection, so even polished creators need to show their human side.”
- Who it’s for: Creators and brands that speak directly to their audience
- How to implement: When creating content, speak as if you’re talking to a friend, not strangers. Authenticity builds trust, and trust translates into broader audience reach.
In this video, Robinson shares candid advice about her full-time content creator career.
7. Stay genuine and consistent
For influencers and creators, it can be tempting to conform to new TikTok trends or copy tactics from viral videos. However, if your goal is to build a community long-term, it’s better to stay true to your roots than to constantly reinvent yourself with every new trend.
“My best advice for TikTok: Be genuine and consistent, and don’t forget why you started doing what you do. For me, it’s about trying to brighten someone’s day with every video I post,” says Nelson-Case.
- Who it’s for: How to implement: Share content where you speak directly to the camera and don’t be overly scripted. Whether you’re posting new content or doing a duet, the key is to maintain a consistent tone and message.
Although Nelson-Case’s video content is mostly made up of humorous sketches, they all come across as genuine.
8. Create shareable content
Sharing is one of the highest-weighted metrics in the TikTok algorithm. If your content deeply resonates with your target audience, they’re more likely to tag it or send it to their friends, further expanding your reach.
This ripple effect increases your chances of landing on the coveted For You page.
- Who it’s for: All brands and creators
- How to implement: When creating content, ask yourself whether you would share it if it appeared on your FYP.
Most things I consider worth sharing are just gentle messages to my husband.
9. Go live
To embody his tips on being genuine, likable, and asking for feedback, Nelson-Case uses TikTok Lives to regularly connect with his community.
“Every Monday night I do TikTok Lives – it’s a fun way to chat with my community. They ask me questions, I ask them, and we can have a conversation together.”
Using newer features like Livestreams has another benefit: gaining favor with the TikTok algorithm. Nelson-Case shares: “I’ve heard from other creators that TikTok boosts your content when you do Livestreams.”
- Who it’s for: Creators/brands with conversational-style content
- How to implement: Choose a repeatable theme/format and consistent timing, and test it with your audience
Source: @sandwriting888
Right after I joined this Live, this ASMR creator wrote my name in the sand 🤯 A brilliant way to capture viewers and keep them watching!
10. Adding Captions and Visual Elements
Adding captions and visual elements to TikTok videos serves two purposes: it keeps viewers engaged and makes your content accessible.
To add visual elements like stickers or subtle animations, you can use video editing tools like CapCut. For longer videos (longer than 60 seconds), adding elements other than captions that keep viewers on screen is essential.
- Who it’s for: All brands and creators
- How to implement: Use apps with speech-to-text features to automatically generate captions.
Source: @lothwe
In this video I mention a lot of numbers, so I added them as manual captions to make it easier for viewers to follow.
11. Be a Good Storyteller
We all know attention spans are short, and on social media you need to capture and hold it. According to Robinson, storytelling is crucial for capturing attention and driving engagement on TikTok.
“Storytelling transforms content from ordinary to unforgettable. Whether you’re sharing your personal journey, showcasing a product, or creating relatable moments, weaving a strong story will captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression.”
- Who it’s for: All brands and creators
- How to implement: “Try experimenting with behind-the-scenes videos, sharing personal experiences, or breaking down tips in a conversational tone”.
Robinson opens this video with “Ok, storytime…”, which draws the viewer into the story.
12. Ask Your Audience
Just like your business strategy, your TikTok marketing strategy should be guided by what your audience wants, not what you think they want. The question is: how do you find out what content your audience wants?
According to Nelson-Case, it’s simple: “Ask your audience what topics, formats, or answers they would like to hear from you more often. The more you talk to your audience, the easier it becomes – engage with them in the comments and don’t be afraid to ask them for direct feedback.”
- Who it’s for: How to implement: TikTok creators and brands with conversational brand voices: Ask a question in your video (at the end) or add it to your post caption.
Source: @madisonstefanis
Don’t be shy about asking your audience what type of content they want to see, like this creator does.
13. Post at the Right Time
Although TikTok doesn’t have a chronological feed, posting when your audience is most active increases the chances that they’ll see your video. The best times to post on TikTok vary by day and industry – you’ll need to experiment to find what works best for your audience.
- Who it’s for: Brands and creators who want to save time
- How to implement: Use TikTok analytics and/or best posting time recommendations to determine when to schedule your posts.
14. Proactive Outreach
Robinson is a full-time creator. One of her main sources of income is brand partnerships, having collaborated with brands like Adobe, Meta, and Liquid I.V.
Robinson advises creators looking to collaborate with brands: “Don’t wait for opportunities to knock on your door. If you use a brand daily and constantly talk about it, let them know! Boldness is one of the best ways to establish partnerships and build lasting relationships.”
- Who it’s for: Aspiring and beginner creators
- How to implement: Robinson says: “Reach out to creators you admire, or brands you love, via DM, comments, or tag them in your posts.”
Source: @itsgigirobinson
SKIMS did not sponsor this post, but Robinson tagged them because she’s a genuine fan of their products and hopes to collaborate with them.
15. Use Strategic Hashtags
Hashtags are key to getting your content discovered on TikTok. When choosing hashtags, select trending ones that relate to your content.
Not sure where to start? Explore hashtags used by successful creators in your niche and use them as a starting point for experimentation.
- Who it’s for: All brands and creators
- How to implement: Select 3-5 hashtags and test them on several posts to see which ones get more reach on the For You Page.
Source: @hershesons
See how this local hair salon’s TikTok account uses popular hashtags. They use hashtags like #hairinspo, #hairtransformation, and #90shairstyle to reach a wider audience for their hair-inspo content.
16. Use Creator Search Insights
If you have a personal account or creator account, TikTok’s Creator Search Insights is a goldmine for content ideas.
Creator Search Insights shows trending searches and content gaps – opportunities for new videos and topics with low competition. Based on these insights, you can create videos that TikTok users want to see.
- Who it’s for: Creators
- How to implement: Once you find a topic, use the exact phrasing in titles, hashtags, and video text to optimize your content for search and reach.
Source: TikTok
17. Putting Your Own Spin on Trends
Trends are a key part of TikTok culture, and following ones that make sense for your brand is a proven method for increasing reach and engagement.
However, Robinson says it’s important to put your own spin on trends. “Trends are powerful, but the key to standing out is making them your own. The real magic happens when creators adapt them to fit their brand or message.”
- Who it’s for: All creators and brands
- How to implement: Robinson says: “Add your unique idea to trending sounds, challenges, or concepts to align them with your personal style or brand voice.”
When the White House invited Robinson and her friends for a visit, they naturally took the opportunity to film their own take on the trend mentioned above.
18: Optimizing for SEO
Since 40% of young people use TikTok and Instagram for search, all marketers should be thinking about SEO.
Search engines (like Google) now index TikTok videos, exponentially increasing the potential reach of your posts. Using proven SEO best practices gives your posts a better chance of going viral.
- Who it’s for: All brands and creators
- How to implement: Use our free TikTok SEO tool
Source: @lothwe
This outfit styling tutorial video received 60% of its 5,000 views from search alone, thanks to Swiftie-related keywords in the video and post captions.
19- Ask Brands How They Found You
When considering brand partnerships, you’ll get the best results by selecting brands that naturally align with your brand and audience, rather than the other way around.
To deliver the best sponsored content, Robinson always asks brands two questions when they contact her: “What content have you seen that you like/resonates with your brand, and how did you find me?”.
- Who it’s for: All creators
- How to implement: When a brand reaches out about potential collaboration, ask them how they found you.
20. Using Location Tags
The TikTok For You Page offers users a combination of global and local content. The algorithm often prioritizes videos from creators in the same city, country, or region as the viewer, assuming that local content will be more interesting and engaging for that viewer.
Adding location-specific geotags can help your videos reach a nearby audience that is more likely to engage with your content.
- Who it’s for: All brands and creators
- How to implement: Before publishing a new post, add a location on the post screen in the “Location” section.
Source: @charlotteryan4
I spend a lot of time on London content, so I’m not surprised that the algorithm brought this post with London tags to my FYP.
21. Be Concise and Snappy
On TikTok, less is more. Focus on short, quick clips and simple edits that keep user attention.
This might mean cutting down your content to highlight only the most interesting moments, or even speeding up certain sections. It’s not always easy to condense your work, but fast and punchy videos are the ones that captivate viewers and make them come back for more.
- Who it’s for: All brands and creators
- How to implement: Read our guide to editing videos for TikTok.
Source: @yoleendadong
Just look at this engaging story that lasts only 27 seconds.
Pro tip: If you want advice on editing and pacing, I highly recommend watching videos from any TikTok comedian—they’ve nailed quality, concise content.
22. Understanding the Algorithm
To succeed on TikTok, you need to get your content in front of viewers—which means working with the TikTok algorithm. The algorithm evaluates content based on user interactions, post details, and device/account settings, with the first two items carrying the most weight.
My best advice: Focus on creating TikTok-optimized content that entertains, educates, or inspires your audience.
- Who it’s for: All brands and creators
- How to implement: If you want to create content that would be algorithmically advantageous for your target audience, it’s always good to leverage trending sounds. You’ll find all the details in our TikTok algorithm guide.
Yes, those are Evanna Lynch and Bonnie Wright (stars from the Harry Potter series), who nailed what we want our algorithms to bring us: a trending sound and a very entertaining Harry Potter x Food Network crossover.
23. Answering Frequently Asked Questions
A simple way to create useful TikTok content: search through the comments on your past videos for frequently asked or complex questions and create posts that answer them.
Not only will this show your audience that you’re listening to them, but you’ll also become a source of information in your field.
- Who it’s for: All brands and creators
- How to implement: When you notice recurring themes or questions, create a special video answering them (and reply to the original comment for greater engagement).
Robinson frequently responds to her followers’ comments and answers questions about everything from health issues to social media marketing tips.
Michal Záruba je specialista na digitální marketing a konzultant v oblasti sociálních médií a SEO. Více než 8 let pomáhá značkám růst online prostřednictvím strategického obsahu, optimalizace pro vyhledávače a efektivní komunikace na platformách jako LinkedIn, Instagram a YouTube.
Na svém blogu sdílí praktické tipy o tom, jak propojit SEO, sociální sítě a brand building do jedné funkční strategie. Zaměřuje se na to, jak firmy mohou využít moderní nástroje a algoritmy k tomu, aby jejich značka nezískala jen dosah, ale i důvěru.
Když zrovna netvoří obsah, přednáší o digitálním marketingu, školí týmy a sleduje nové trendy v AI a vyhledávání.