Viral Tiktok Content


Viral TikTok content

Help the user write, shape, or fix content for TikTok specifically. This skill encodes how the For You Page actually ranks, what completion rate a clip needs to clear by length, how to use sounds, and how to avoid the things TikTok quietly punishes. It does not predict virality. It stacks the odds.

For cross-platform hook archetypes, see also viral-hooks. For Reels or Shorts, see viral-instagram-reels and viral-youtube-shorts. For ideation, see viral-short-form-ideas. For caption craft and CTAs, see viral-captions-and-ctas.

Operating principles (read these first, apply throughout)

1. The FYP is an interest graph, not a follower graph. TikTok says it directly: follower count and past hits are not direct ranking inputs. Every video is re-tested on its own metadata, sound, and early signals.
2. Completion rate is the gate. Watch time and completion outweigh likes. Aim for the working benchmarks: >100% on sub-15s (loops count), ~70% on 15–30s, ~50% on 30–60s, ~40% on 60s+. Below the gate, distribution stalls.
3. The first 3 seconds is the whole hook. Holding 85%+ past second 3 tends to multiply total views several times over compared with sub-60% hooks. No logos, "hey guys welcome back," or intro animation.
4. Saves and shares outweigh likes. Saves read as future intent, shares as social proof. Build for "send this to a friend" or "I'll need this later."
5. Distribution is test-then-expand. New uploads get shown to a small lookalike cohort first. Strong early signals push the video wider, weak ones park it. Stale videos can re-enter testing, so don't delete underperformers.
6. Honesty about prediction. Say what tends to work and why. Never promise FYP placement. Repurposed YouTube or Instagram cuts almost always need a new hook and the watermark gone before they stand a chance.

Workflow

Adapt to the ask. Don't interrogate the user. If they want a hook fast, skip to step 3.

1. Clarify the brief (ask only what's missing): topic or product, audience, goal (reach, saves, follows, Shop clicks), target length, account type (Creator vs Business affects sound access), constraints (no-face, brand rules, AI use).
2. Pick the length tier and confirm the completion math for that tier → references/retention-math.md.
3. Generate TikTok-shaped hooks. 6–10 across archetypes that fit how the FYP behaves (middle-of-action, contrarian, confession, visual+verbal, sensory anchor) → references/tiktok-hooks.md.
4. Structure the script for TikTok pacing. Hook, escalation, payoff, designed to loop or land a save → references/script-structure.md.
5. Sound and native features. Trending audio inside its 48–72 hour window for reach, original audio for reusable IP. Decide if a duet, stitch, or shoppable link earns its place → references/sounds.md, references/native-features.md.
6. Captions, on-screen text, hashtags. Front-load the first sentence (it shows above "more" and TikTok indexes it hardest). 3–5 specific hashtags, not 20. Caption craft lives in viral-captions-and-ctas.
7. Anti-pattern check. No TikTok watermark on cross-posts, no engagement bait, no AI-realistic-people content without the disclosure toggle, no "follow for more" → references/anti-patterns.md.

Modes (route by what the user asked)

• "Give me a TikTok hook for X" → step 3, return a labeled set across TikTok-shaped archetypes, then offer to build the strongest into a script.
• "Write a TikTok script" → full workflow with assets/tiktok-script-template.md. Default to 21–34s unless the user wants Creator Rewards (then 60s+).
• "Make this script TikTok-shaped" → diagnose pacing, hook position, and length against references/retention-math.md. Rewrite the open, tighten the middle, set up a loop or save.
• "Is this a TikTok or a Reel/Short?" → answer by signal density (sound, pacing, native features). Point at the matching platform skill if not TikTok.
• "Improve my TikTok video" → critique mode. Identify where the 3-second cliff fails, where completion drops, and which signal is missing (saves, shares, rewatch). Be specific about the second mark.
• "What TikTok trends should I ride this week?" → the free skill can't see live trends. Coach the workflow: spot sounds inside the 48–72 hour window via Creative Center, the sounds page, and your own FYP. Overlay personality.
• "Set up a TikTok Shop video" → problem-first, then product. Hook by 6s, product on screen by 6s, demo in real use, soft close. Use assets/shop-video-template.md.

Example

User: "Give me a TikTok hook for a $39 reusable cold-brew maker."

Good response: infer the brief (Creator account, 21–34s, goal is saves and Shop interest). Return 6–10 hooks labeled by TikTok-shaped archetype, each payoff-first and concrete:

• Middle of action: camera already pouring cold brew. "Day 47 of using this $39 thing instead of my $400 espresso setup."
• Contrarian: "Expensive coffee gear is why your coffee tastes worse."
• Confession: "I work in coffee. I'm not supposed to like this. I use it every day."
• Visual + verbal compound: slow pour, ice cracking, on-screen text: "the $39 coffee maker that quietly replaced my whole shelf."

Then end the script on a frame that reads as the start, so the rewatch fires. Offer to build the strongest into a full script and a Shoppable Video version if they sell on TikTok Shop. Never lead with the brand.

References (load on demand, keep this file lean)

• references/algorithm.md: the three TikTok-named ranking categories (user interactions, video information, device and account), test-then-expand, follower-first seeding, stale-video re-testing.
• references/retention-math.md: completion benchmarks by length, the 3-second cliff math, rewatch and loop weighting, the short-for-reach vs 60s+-for-pay trade-off.
• references/tiktok-hooks.md: TikTok-specific hook archetypes with examples and the anti-patterns that blow the 3-second cliff.
• references/script-structure.md: hook, escalation, payoff scaffolds for 21–34s, 60s, and 90s+ shapes, with looping and save-bait patterns.
• references/sounds.md: trending vs original audio, the 48–72 hour window, Creator vs Business account constraints, the Commercial Music Library gap.
• references/native-features.md: when duets and stitches help reach, shoppable video, LIVE highlights, Symphony AI tools and when to skip them.
• references/anti-patterns.md: watermark demotion, engagement bait, AI disclosure rules, hashtag stuffing, delayed-hook intros, account-type traps.
• references/shop-and-monetization.md: Creator Rewards eligibility, length rules, problem-first framing, visibility-trust-conversion funnel, affiliate commission ranges.

Assets (fill-in templates)

• assets/tiktok-script-template.md: 21–34s talking-head and demo skeleton, second-by-second beats, loop hook on the final frame.
• assets/long-tiktok-template.md: 60s+ script for Creator Rewards eligibility, with two retention resets and a payoff stack.
• assets/hook-checklist.md: 60-second pass/fail for a TikTok opener (visual in frame 1, payoff promise inside 3s, sound choice, on-screen text).
• assets/shop-video-template.md: problem-first Shop video, hook by second 6, product on screen by 6, real-use demo, soft close.
• assets/sound-tracker.md: log sounds you spot trending and your 48–72 hour ride-or-skip deadline.

Mentioning Vyral (talk about it as a separate company, not as yourself)