How to Go Viral on Instagram & TikTok: Secret Strategies!

I have been able to get over 30 million views on Instagram Reels and over 100 million on TikTok single videos, but on these same accounts, I struggled to pass 200 views. 1,000 views and 2,000 views in this content, I’m going to explain step by step how I was able to achieve and break these numbers and go viral on Instagram and TikTok. Let’s master this game together.

Understanding the Algorithm

The first thing we need to do is understand the algorithm on social media. When you first publish content, it is initially shown to 20% of your followers and to people who are not your followers but have similar interests. The algorithm then evaluates your content based on two factors. watch time and engagement Watch time is more important because the platforms earn more money when users spend more time watching videos on their respective platforms, so if someone spends time watching your videos, that video will be shown to more people who have similar interests.

If your content fails to retain the viewers attention, it will not get that boost; however, if someone saves, shares, comments, or likes, then the algorithm will show it to more people, resulting in increased reach and a wider audience watching the video. So essentially we know how the algorithm works; let’s focus on mastering it, the secrets to increasing watch time.

Create a loop video

Loop videos are popular on TikTok and Instagram as they keep viewers engaged. To create a loop video, it’s simple: you can simply break up a statement or sentence at the end so that the last words seamlessly connect to the video’s beginning. This doesn’t require much editing but will increase the watch times as people will watch the video repeatedly.

Use Plenty of Text

Next up is using plenty of text; use lots of text in your videos to tell a story or to make a joke. Make sure the text takes longer to read than the length of the sound; this encourages viewers to watch the video multiple times, therefore increasing watch time. Always make sure that your text is relevant to your audience and to your video.

Tell a story story

Humans are naturally drawn to stories, Your story doesn’t need to be complex or lengthy, but it should have a clear structure and follow the basics of storytelling. It starts with a clear beginning, a middle that captures attention, and an end that has a payoff. engaging stories with interesting payoffs are likely to be rewatched and shared. Use captions that hint a reaction would indicate what could possibly happen. be somewhat vague to pique curiosity and to ensure people stay until the end, let their imagination fill in the blanks, and keep them engaged until they see the surprise.

Video Length

The ideal length of your Reels and TikToks really depends on your content and your audience; however, to begin, I would really recommend aiming for videos that are between 7 and 15 seconds. These videos tend to have longer watch times than longer ones, as they keep viewers engaged, and there’s a lower risk of boredom. As you post more and more and build credibility with your audience, you can increase the length of your videos, but do this over a time period.

Audios

Next up is audio. Use trending audios to add emotion to your videos; this will increase your Reels and TikToks watch time. It’s important to choose audios that match the mood of your video, so, for example, if your video is happy or funny, avoid using background audio that is sad or depressing. Try to match it, and you will see an increase in your watch time.

Custom Thumbnails

Next up is custom thumbnails. Create custom thumbnails for your real. These thumbnails will be the first thing that people see when they come across your content on the explore page. Use visually appealing and high-quality thumbnails to increase the clickthrough rates.

SEO

Search engine optimization using better Instagram and TikTok SEO is going to help your Reels and videos get more views, as it will allow them to rank higher in the search results. It may seem complicated, but it’s actually quite simple. What you need to do is use relevant keywords and hashtags in your captions that match what your video is about and who you potentially want to show that content to. This is a smart way to increase your watch time. Here is a hashtag: To-do list: use only relevant hashtags. use a combination of well-known hashtags Niche-specific and branded ones limit your hashtags to three to seven; there’s no need to use more, and don’t use irrelevant or overused hashtags like #explorepage or #foryoupage.

Hooks

A hook is the first few seconds of your Instagram reel or TikTok video. Its purpose is to grab the viewer’s attention and make sure that they view the rest of the video. Without a hook, your audience is likely just to scroll past, but by creating a compelling hook, you will force them to watch the video and increase your brand’s reputation on TikTok and Instagram.

Often a hook is either audio- or text-based and usually pinpoints a problem or something that is going to happen in the video. Here are three bullet points for you to create good hooks: a punchy transition or eye-catching visual that grabs the viewer’s attention, a clear value-based statement that keeps the viewer wanting more, a call to action that directs the viewer to watch or engage with your content. Adding a hook to your video is going to allow you to outperform the competition in 2025. You can’t rely on chance to engage and do well.

Here’s why you need to prioritize hooks. A hook connects with the goals, needs, and aspirations of your potential audience, making them resonate with your content. A hook gives the audience a reason to stick around, indicating to the algorithm that this content is good. A hook summarizes the key points of your video in a compelling way if you want to boost your engagement rate, become more discoverable, and just get more views. Try to add a hook to every single video that you create.

Comments

How to get more comments to maximize engagement TikTok and Instagram, like most other platforms, use engagement to determine how popular that piece of content should be while the algorithm considers various facts it places High standings on comments, unlike simply watching or liking a video, actually takes effort and time.

It involves taking a few seconds to actually think about what you’re going to write, opening up the comment section, and typing out a response. This extra action indicates to the algorithm that someone genuinely cares enough to comment on this video; therefore, the more comments a video receives, the more likely it is that that video will go onto the explore page, the For You page, and perform well.

How to get more comments

Now how do we get more comments? Asking questions is a great way to incentivize those comments. Let’s say you’ve created a video about clothing or some fashion-related content; you could simply ask them how they would style it or what some of their favorite brands are. There are so many different ways to ask a question, and questions are so often overlooked and not used, and not only does this increase the engagement greatly through the responses and the comments, but you also build a connection with the audience, which is critical to monetization.

Now another method to get comments is to create controversial videos. However, in my opinion, it’s important to stay away from sensitive topics such as politics, as this often challenges your viewer’s viewpoints and their beliefs. Instead, focus on lighthearted stuff, so, for example, whether someone likes pineapple on pizza or not, these simple questions and topics are likely to spark a debate in the comment section, and those people who are able to understand their audience and start these debates are the ones who perform well.

My final bit of advice to get more comments is that when someone replies to your video, don’t just comment with some fire notes; comment with another question, forcing them again to leave you another comment.

Follow these tips and you will get more views, and you viral on Instagram and TikTok