Viral success on TikTok is hard to replicate according to “one-hit-wonder” TikTokers. With YPulse data showing that 55% of Gen Z and 33% of Millennials use TikTok, many are looking for the secret to viral hits on the platform. TikTok users—like Ocean Spray drinking, skateboarding Nathan Apodaca—can go massively viral without even trying, but that doesn’t mean their future videos rack up views, leaving them wondering how the app’s algorithm really works. While the OG social media apps—Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and YouTube—prioritize high engagement metrics that celebrity influencers and creators possess, TikTok prioritizes individual pieces of content. That means that anyone can be “discovered” on TikTok, but repeat success is much harder to achieve. (WSJ)
