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I Went Viral on TikTok - Here's What I Learned:

Real Estate Technology with Z57 Internet Solutions

April 03, 2020 09:30 AM

As a person who writes about leveraging social media for real estate as my living, it made sense that I would have to learn how to use TikTok. I've been using the platform semi-regularly since October 2019, and this week one of my posts went viral. I went from 50 followers, to 550+ followers and growing.

This is what I learned from going Viral on TikTok (and how it applies to real estate):

1. It Matters What Music You Choose

I wrote an article last month about how to go Viral on TikTok. There were really only 3 things on that list: trending music, challenges, and duets. I'm not a personal fan of doing the last 2, so I focused on ONLY using trending music. And what do you know - it helps. The TikTok algorithm is still a mystery, but I theorize the parternships the company has with music labels plays a part in what they suggest to users.

2. A Video That Flops, Can Still Go Viral Elsewhere

This week, I had 2 videos go viral on TikTok. The 2nd one was to see if I can capture lightning in a bottle a second time. It worked. I had another video completely flop. Users discovering my profile skipepd that video and went straight to the viral ones. HOWEVER, I posted the underperforming video on Facebook and that quickly went viral with ~250 like and 50+ shares in 24 hours.

Even if you don't plan on growing a TikTok following, the app itself is ripe for creating engaging content that you can share elsewhere.

3. The Audience I've Built Isn't The Best

Having a huge follower count is really just a vanity metric. The audience I've built on Facebook and Instagram is a more concentrated demographic. My TikTok followers are all over the place - from adults learning the platform, to Fortnight players, to young teenagers. For real estate agents, this isn't ideal - especially since I can't tell where these people are located.

For local businesses, it's best to use TikTok to create videos for their other channels.

4. I Feel Future-proofed

Remember the ad-pocalypse on Facebook? Or suddenly losing all your engagement when switched from chronological to an algorithm-based feed? Having a sizeable audience that might not work with me now, but work with me in the future is somewhat comforting. Sure, people might say "TikTok is just an app for teenagers" - but we said the same exact thing about Facebook a few years ago.

With that said...I've written a few articles that will aid you in your quest to understanding TikTok...Enjoy!