How to Become TikTok Famous

You’ve watched them do viral dances, sing, perform quirky skits, show off beautiful destinations, cook perfect meals, and launch memes right before your very eyes. Some of the most famous creators on TikTok include TikTok celebs like Khaby Lame with 162 million followers; Charli D’Amelio with 155 million followers; and the uber-talented Zach King with 80 million followers. And we won’t even get started on their extensive TikTok revenue, sponsorships, and brand deals - cha-ching!

TikToker ZachKing’s “digital sleight of hand” posts have snagged him a huge following on TikTok, with no end in sight to his creativity.

But you’re talented! You’ve got skills of your own! So how do you get TikTok famous, and get your key to the oh-so-exclusive Famous TikTok People Club?

Understanding TikTok

TikTok is definitely a compelling platform for anyone looking to excel in content creation, whether music, comedy, dance, or just being a well-known personality. But with over 30 million videos being posted to TikTok every day (omg), you’ve got to find ways to really stand out, or your audience will be limited to your family, friends, and that guy on the corner who sells you your bodega sandwich every afternoon.

So what’s the trick to going viral on TikTok? You have to start by figuring out what TikTok viewers want. And the trick to that is that it’s an ever-shifting quicksand of topics, trends, challenges, and more that can originate from just about anywhere. So step one is to keep up with current events, popular media, and also what other TikTokers are doing.

Staying trendy is a big part of how to get your own videos into the TikTok algorithm. TikTok’s “For You” section displays relevant videos to users based on their viewing habits; so if you’ve hopped on a trend that’s hot, you have a much better chance of ending up on the feeds (and the FYP - “For You” page) of all the viewers who are paying attention to that trend. 

TikTok stands out among other social media platforms because it’s unique. The style of TikTok videos is easily identifiable, as are the key components of TikTok’s success: short videos, relevant hashtags, and trending music, dances, and spoken audio clips that catch on like wildfire. 

You can even check what songs are currently trending in TikTok’s own Creative Center.

So if you’re making compelling enough content to get viewers to like it, comment on it, and share it, that communicates in a positive way with TikTok’s algorithm; if people are paying attention to your video, then TikTok might consider it “good enough” to share.

You can boost your chances of this by using trending music or sounds and adding popular filters and tags. Think of all of these components as miniature road signs, directing viewers toward your video - if you were DM’ing them directions, what information would you give them, and where would they end up?

Find Your Niche and Own It

Once you’re immersed in what’s currently happening and have a good idea of the space you want to occupy with your videos, it’s time to make them your own. You can, of course, go full wild card and just fill your TikTok account with whatever pops into your head; but it’s better to narrow down to a specific niche to attract a target audience and gain their loyalty.

Examples of successful TikTok niches include TikTok dances; comedy skits and memes; music performances; educational, explainer, or informational videos; GRWM (get ready with me) and other fashion-themed videos; foodie clips; and lifestyle or travel videos.

Choose a niche that resonates with you and that you also have some experience in, so you can create authentic content that will allow you to connect with your audience and show off your personality and your perspective. Once you’ve chosen your niche, watch a lot of TikTok content in that niche, to both get inspired and to see what the current trends and vibes are.  

Get Creating

We’ll say this once, and then again. Create high quality, engaging content. Create high quality, engaging content. In spite of that dangling key to the TikTok club of fame, there’s no real get-rich-quick way to get popular on TikTok; you just need to create content that will keep viewers engaged. “High quality” can mean a lot of different things, based on which niche you’re pursuing; so that’s where your earlier research comes in. But regardless of niche, there are some universal types of content that generally perform well on TikTok:

• Challenges: TikTok - and the TikTok algorithm - love creator/viewer interaction. So if you can create a challenge and get people participating (or participate in others’ challenges), that tells TikTok that you’re building a community that think your content is of value.

• Collaborations: Creating content with other TikTokers and content creators is not only enjoyable, it’s also a way to tap into each others’ audiences. Making a TikTok with another person expands audience reach for both of you, and gives you double the chance of going viral.

• Duets and Stitches: Duets and Stitches - in which you post your response to another creator’s video side-by-side (without collaborating with them IRL) - lets you sing or act with someone you’ve never met, or react to their post in an educational or humorous way. 

• TikTok Lives: Once your TikTok account is eligible, you can go live on TikTok, talking to your fans, performing music, videogaming - just about anything (within TikTok’s terms of service) goes. You can even qualify to earn money through Live gifting (tips) from your viewers.

• Trending Sounds and Dances: One of the fastest ways to get some extra attention on TikTok is to successfully post your take on a current trending sound or TikTok dance. Both of these can catch on quickly, and can become passé just as fast, so if you see/hear one you like, get creative and post now! 

• Trending Hashtags: Ah yes, more trending stuff - such is the way of TikTok! Adding good hashtags to your posts are more of the “road signs” we mentioned earlier; they help direct those looking for specific types of content to possibly find your content, so hashtag with care!

Be Consistent and Original

Succeeding in getting lots of views for one of your TikTok videos is definitely an accomplishment! But if you’re chasing TikTok fame, then you’ve got to be posting regularly - one viral post does not (unfortunately) guarantee longevity for any TikToker.

Consistent posting - TikTok actually recommends posting 1 to 3 times per day - is how you build a strong TikTok presence and a loyal, hyped following. Regular posts also indicate to TikTok that you’re a dedicated content creator, which increases your chances of having your posts being shown to a wider audience.

And now we’re going to slightly contradict ourselves; remember when we said to create lots of trending content, jumping on hot trends as they happen? That’s still true - but if you want to go beyond solely being a trendy creator, to build your audience and community into true fans of you and your work, it’s best to balance that trending content with your own original ideas to stay relevant and start showcasing your personality even more.

Maintain a content calendar so you can stay consistent, and try to alternate fast-tracked trending videos with original posts of your own ideas, plus collabs with your viewers and other content creators. This richer mix of content will let your fans get to know you as a well-rounded individual, which makes you more likely to last on TikTok well after the latest one trick pony runs out of TikTok tricks to do.

You’ll also want to spend some time digging into your TikTok analytics; they’ll show you how your different TikTok videos are performing via views, engagement rate, watch time, and follower growth, so you can refine your posting strategy as you go.

Utilize your TikTok Analytics to discover which of your TikTok videos are most successful - and then get to work making more of them!

Get Away From TikTok!

Well, not entirely away, obviously - but it will help your TikTok growth to spend some time on your other socials, as well. Utilize your other social media platforms - YouTube, Twitter (X), Bluesky, Instagram - to help drive traffic to your TikTok. Many TikToks can be repurposed as Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts; or you can show a short segment of a performance or skit on TikTok, and tag it with “watch the full version on YouTube!”

Sharing your content and promoting your TikTok across multiple platforms, tagging your other socials, can help you create an entire network of your content that will solidify your existing fan base, and will open up more opportunities for new fans to continue to find you. 

Ready to Get Famous?

Even following all of the above tips doesn’t guarantee success on TikTok, a platform that’s notorious for rapidly crowning huge TikTok stars who have achieved massively popular videos, while other (equally talented) TikTok creators toil in obscurity for months.

Your TikTok account might get a rapid burst of growth due to one of your videos going viral, or it might be more of a slow climb; but you’ve gotta take advantage of your TikTok opportunities however they arrive. Posting frequently, staying innovative and original, knowing your trends, and getting your viewers to interact and participate with your posts are all reliable ways to make TikTok progress. You might gain admittance to the Famous TikTok People Club sooner than you think - so get posting today!