It’s about the people we’re able to reach and impact that they continue to have a conversation on it outside the platform. Views are just a tangible metric that we use to measure our impact. Is it everything, though? Today, we will break down why virality is more than that.
How many views make a TikTok video go viral?
There’s no precise number. However, if we’re talking about becoming a viral sensation on TikTok, then the video needs to get five million completed views within three to seven days. Or at least 300 to 500 complete views from new, random viewers that TikTok has exposed the video to, all within 30 minutes, with no viewers skipping or exiting the video prematurely. With full views and good engagement, TikTok’s algorithm will recognize this as viral and push it to more people on the For You Page.
Comparing virality: Views vs. mass recognition
While data never lies and can be a reliable metric, it can be easily manipulated in today’s age. We can easily buy views, likes, followers, subscribers. Recognition and conversation, however, are something that can’t be bought. So, won’t mass recognition makes more sense as a metric that we should use to measure content virality?
In comparison, Totouchanemu, a.k.a. The TikTok Drone Guy, might be more easily recognized, considering he looks the same in every one of his drone dance videos. Additionally, he’s had numerous collaborations with famous TikTokers and celebrities, allowing him to reach a much wider audience multiple times and boosting his recognition.
Meet Algorithms: What’s viral for one person might not be viral for another
However, Jamie could just be as recognizable or more than The Drone Guy. Or worse—people won’t recognize either one of them. And that’s just the algorithm. It follows the pattern of content that one consumes and shows only what it thinks we’d like. Thus, what is viral for one person might not be for another.
Virality should never be a main KPI for content
So, if virality is subjective and views can be bought, how exactly do we measure the success of our content? To us, going viral is when you can become the topic of conversation outside of the online platform. And not just any conversation, but an impactful one.
Virality is just a nice win. Businesses should just focus on producing good content of value to their customers, focus on their product quality, and how their brand is portrayed online. Eventually, those perceived values from the contents will pull the brand up.
It’s especially important now since virality is no longer the strongest benchmark for sales and bottom-line business growth. To succeed today, businesses’ creative content must provide value, be entertaining, and be able to capture attention by establishing meaningful connections.
Summary
Views are not everything, and virality is only a nice win. What’s important is that the message is delivered and recognized.
Want to learn more about topics like this? Stay tuned for our next blog post.
