TikTok is often thought of as a “young person’s” game.
However, many coaches (of all ages and niches) have successfully used TikTok to build their brand authority and following. So, don’t let the platform’s primary demographic deter you from using it for your coaching business.
In this article, we’ll explore real examples of coaches going viral on TikTok.
Table of Contents
Why Going Viral on TikTok Can Help Your Coaching Business
TikTok is now one of the world’s most popular social media platforms; that’s good news for you as a coach. All you have to do to capture some of that attention is create useful and engaging content that draws your target market toward your coaching business.
This is where going viral on TikTok comes into play.
You can improve the profits, performance, and productivity of your coaching business by going viral on TikTok. And the best part is that it’s not as difficult as you may think. In fact, there are simple, proven tactics you can use to accelerate this process.
How Does the TikTok Algorithm Work?
Like all social media algorithms, TikTok classifies “viral activity” as the sudden and explosive popularity of a piece of content. In practice, going viral is when you see 10x your average reach or impressions on a piece of content.
In essence, the platform is looking for quality – do people like it? The TikTok algorithm analyzes and assesses thousands of user signals to determine the type of content your audience enjoys most. These user signals are stored as algorithmic data. TikTok then uses this information to promote similar types of content to your target audience.
Once people have interacted with your content via these “user signals,” the algorithm pushes it out to a wider audience.
What factors contribute to the TikTok algorithm?
The TikTok algorithm puts “user signals” as its primary consideration for viral video success.
Some of TikTok’s main user signals include the following:
- User engagement. Likes, views, follows, comments, watch time, and completion rate are all user interaction hallmarks of a popular video.
- Keywords. Naturally used in the video description, headline, and even throughout the content, keywords increase user activity by making it easy for your target user base to find your content.
- Niche hashtags. Generic hashtags may help you reach a larger audience. However, they do nothing to increase the follower count of your target audience. For this reason, use relevant hashtags that are specific to your niche. The last thing you want is to put in all the hard work to create content only to attract the wrong audience.
- High-quality content. Nothing can replace quality content that people actually want to consume. A few attributes of high content quality include fresh ideas, powerful hooks, high-arousal emotions, sharing personal stories, and catchy background music.
When taking these (and other) user signals into consideration for your content creation process, you’re working with the algorithm rather than against it. As a result, you’ll drastically improve your chances of viral success on TikTok.
What’s Considered a Viral Post on TikTok?
On TikTok, viral content can be any video that generates 10,000 views (or more) within a couple of hours of hitting the “post” button. Or seeing 10x your average reach or impressions on video. This standard simplifies the concept and serves as a reasonable benchmark for coaches and other content creators.
There seems to be a lot of mystique around virality on TikTok.
What do coaches have to do to build an engaged community on this platform? Do you need to do silly dances, jump on viral trends, load your content with special effects, or create professional-looking videos with catchy music to boost your engagement rate?
Luckily, no.
However, there are proven tactics (which I’ll get to shortly) you can apply to future content to see an increase in views and overall engagement.
Will These Viral TikTok Tactics Also Work on Instagram Reels?
TikTok and Instagram share similarities regarding the content that works best on either platform.
For example, audiences on both are looking for short, fun, and engaging videos. However, you may wonder if you can use the same content for both platforms. In short, yes, the same tactics for viral content on TikTok can also work for Instagram reels. In fact, there is even a well-known joke among social media managers that popular TikTok trends will go viral on Instagram Reels about 4 to 6 weeks later.
But there’s a caveat…
While the same content can be effective on both platforms, you have to change the way it’s presented. For example, downloading a TikTok video automatically watermarks it with the TikTok logo, which doesn’t look very appealing on an IG reel.
What’s worse, it may even restrict your Instagram reach. However, you can use a couple of hacks to bypass this:
- Screen record hack. Once you’ve created your TikTok video, ensure that you screen-record it before publishing. This simple hack will allow you to create the initial video recording combination in TikTok without the watermark logo.
- iPhone hack. This tactic is only available for iPhone users. Download your video as a live image. Next, locate your live image in your camera roll and download it once more by clicking “save as video.” This allows you to retrieve your video without the TikTok logo watermark.
With a combination of luck and strategy, you can go viral on Instagram and TikTok. As a result, you’ll save yourself valuable time and energy while using these platforms to grow your coaching business.
How to Go Viral on Both TikTok and Instagram Reels
A basic understanding of social media marketing is essential to growing your brand as a coach. And going viral may be the key that unlocks the door to that next level in your coaching business.
But what are the practical, step-by-step tactics you can use to go viral and attract coaching clients on Instagram and TikTok? Let’s explore them here.
1. Create a relevant hook
People ask themselves (consciously or unconsciously) one simple question when they’re presented with new content: what’s in it for me?
As a result, you need a strong hook that sparks interest and curiosity. And while those two requirements are usually non-negotiable, there is one loophole for hooks: relevance. If you can create a hook that’s relevant to your audience, it can still have viral potential.
Here’s an example from motivational speaker and certified leadership coach Eric Thomas.
Eric Thomas
At the beginning of 2024, Eric published a TikTok reel with the headline “Write your own narrative and make it plain to yourself in 2024.”
This is a motivational rally cry to his audience to conquer their goals in the new year. The reel blew up, garnering over 100K views on TikTok. There was nothing particularly curiosity-inducing about this hook.
However, its relevance struck a chord.
Everyone is excited about New Year’s. It’s a clean slate, a time to reassess life goals. Eric understands people’s high hopes for the new year, and he taps into that with a relevant hook that captures his audience’s attention.
Think of ways you can add relevance to your TikTok or Instagram reels.
You can do this by adding trending music to your content, using current slang or phraseology (provided it’s appropriate for your brand and audience), or even adding the year to your hook.
2. Repurpose short clips from virtual summits
Have you ever hosted a virtual summit?
If so, you could go viral on TikTok by inspiring your audience with short clips of the events. With footage of industry-leading experts, speakers, and influencers, repurposed virtual summit content has the potential to drive massive audience engagement.
As a result, they are worth considering for your viral TikTok marketing strategy. An exceptional example of this would be Tony Robbins.
Tony Robbins
Tony Robbins’s virtual summits are like no other.
He gathers the best of the best in business, entrepreneurship, and personal development to create epic virtual summits for his audiences. What’s more, the clips he posts from these events (whether to TikTok or Instagram) almost always go viral.
His TikTok account boasts two viral virtual summit clips: one with more than 2.3 million views and the other with over 2.6 million.
The key takeaway from Tony Robbins’s example is the power of the mastermind.
You can’t succeed in a vacuum. You need to connect to and learn from others to skyrocket your success. By nature, a virtual summit is a collaborative effort. Experts and thought leaders come together to share their insights and strategies.
Creating these online environments allows people to gain insights and strategies for improving their own businesses.
3. Repurpose content from virtual workshops
Virtual workshops are another method to go viral on TikTok.
And the best part? Posting virtual workshop footage to TikTok offers a twofold advantage: first, you’re increasing your chances of going viral on the platform by publishing valuable content. And second, you’re inadvertently promoting this event to followers who may be unaware that you offer it.
Brian Tracy
Brain Tracy is a Canadian motivational speaker, personal development coach, and sales trainer who has done this exceptionally well.
In the TikTok reel above, he shares a simple goal-setting formula with his virtual workshop audience.
The video accumulated over 1.7 million views, 149K likes, and 58K shares on TikTok. If applicable, go through your footage catalog. See what stands out or what may be most helpful to your audience. The best types of reels are the ones that are short, to the point, and offer quick and actionable steps people can take to move them toward their objectives.
4. Use compelling stories
Every content strategy should include storytelling.
A good story captures our attention, engages our imagination, and delivers valuable life lessons. And the best part? You have a vast library of them! Whether personal or professional, you undoubtedly have stories to share that others can benefit from (and that can boost engagement levels) on your TikTok channel.
Les Brown
Les Brown, a motivational speaker and professional speech coach, is a good example of this.
On his TikTok reel, Brown shared the story of the first teacher who instilled self-belief in him. Brown shares how he grew up poor and uneducated, but this teacher wouldn’t allow him to use that as an excuse for not performing well in school. The story goes on to explain how that teacher was the turning point in Brown’s life that led him on the path to success.
The reel garnered nearly one million views.
The key takeaway from Les Brown’s example is using stories to connect with your audience.
What personal or professional stories do you have? What lessons have you taken away that could help others? How have you become better as a result of those experiences? Start making a list of stories for video content.
A good story also helps your audience connect and relate to you better.
5. Understand your audience
This is non-negotiable in any kind of marketing effort.
You must know who you’re speaking to. For example, a coach who helps stay-at-home moms create passive income online will speak much differently to their market than a coach who helps busy CEOs find work-life balance.
Shannon Ritchey
As a doctor in physiotherapy and fitness coach, Shannon Ritchey deeply knows her audience – soon-to-be mothers.
Shannon understands who her audience is and what they need and expect from her. As a result, all of her TikTok and Instagram reels deliver tips, tactics, and advice for mothers (and women expecting) to optimize their health and fitness.
One of her TikTok reels went viral for debunking common myths many women have regarding working out and pregnancy.
Do you know your audience as well as you could? If not, you may want to consider some target market research. Here are a few simple steps you can follow:
- Create surveys. Surveys are a great way to learn about your audience. Create a quick and easy questionnaire and then send it out via an email blast to your list. It may be helpful to add an incentive for them to fill it out, such as a free ebook or gift card.
- Use Google Analytics. Google Analytics can provide valuable audience insights. As a coach, this can help you create better content and offers for your audience. And the best part is that this is a free resource.
- Determine consumer attitudes. Customers’ attitudes are what cause them to purchase from one brand over another. Honing in on this essential marketing detail can help you better target your audience and create more tailored marketing campaigns.
- Uncover pain points and desires. People are not logical when it comes to buying decisions. We make these choices based on emotion. With that in mind, it’s important to know what your audience is struggling with (pain points) and what they most crave (desire) in life so you can effectively position your coaching services as the solution.
6. Add viral music to your content
Music is the universal language.
It’s a medium we can all understand and connect with on an emotional level. That’s why adding viral songs to your TikTok reels can supplement your viral effort. Viral music gives your content a sense of familiarity. As a result, people become engaged and are willing to consume more, which increases their watch time (and your viral potential).
Cole DaSilva
Cole DaSilva, a business and fitness coach from Canada, did this well in one of his TikTok reels.
He posted a video revealing the importance of listening to those who want the best for you. The song in the background is a gentle guitar riff that has gone viral in many other reels. The music softens the video’s message, making the message more potent.
Try adding trending or viral music to your next TikTok.
It can help improve engagement metrics by making your content more engaging. But here’s where it gets interesting. The music doesn’t even need to be a “hit” song in the traditional sense of mainstream entertainment.
It can simply be a popular tone or recognizable melody that’s been trending online.
7. Share a vulnerable moment
One of the key variables of a viral video on TikTok is human emotion.
Good content produces an emotional charge within you. Whether the content is educational, inspirational, or motivational, quality content almost always evokes emotion. One of the best ways to capitalize on this idea is to be vulnerable.
Vulnerability creates connectivity, and people feel engaged with (and like, comment, and share) what they feel connected to.
Trent Shelton
Entrepreneur and performance coach Trent Shelton implements vulnerability in his TikTok reels incredibly well.
One of Trent’s TikTok reels shows him sitting against his mother’s tombstone. He “speaks” to her about his success and how her influence was a major contributor to that success.
The video accumulated over 700K views.
The key takeaway from Trent is the power of vulnerability. You can’t be a one-sided brand as an online coach. People want depth. By posting vulnerable content, you create relatability with your audience, add dimension to your brand, and increase your chances of going viral on TikTok.
8. Identify your “why”
As a coach, have you clarified why you’re doing this?
What are your reasons for creating content, getting on different social platforms, and going into business? A strong “why” captivates people and draws them to you. But more than that, it grounds you when things get hard. And let’s face it, entrepreneurship will have a few obstacles.
For this reason, it’s essential to become clear on your unique “why” as a coach.
Yolanda Keels
Yolanda Keels, entrepreneur and Founder of Business Babes LLC, is a prime example.
She participated in our Instagram Success Summit, where she gained 32,000 followers in only 12 months. She shared some valuable insights about uncovering your why. And the best part? Her advice is as applicable to TikTok as it is to Instagram.
Once you’ve uncovered your overarching why, Yolanda suggests going a bit deeper.
Start asking yourself: why are people following you? What is it about you and the business your audience responds to? What is it about your page that causes people to want to learn more? Are you fun, informative, or down to earth?
As a result, you’ll create better content that’s more tailored to your market and has a better chance of going viral.
9. Engage with your followers
Many coaches are doing all the right things: they create excellent content, are consistent with their posting schedule, and know their audiences extremely well. Yet when followers comment on their posts, videos, or reels…
*Crickets*
Coaches leave them hanging with no response or acknowledgment – bad move.
People want to be heard and seen. It’s a basic human need. Acknowledging your audience increases engagement on your posts. But more than that, it encourages followers to continue interacting with your content.
And this can greatly increase your chances of going viral on TikTok (or any other social platform).
Sarah Moore
Sarah is a copywriter, blogger, and coach at New Leaf Writing. She also attended our Instagram Success Summit, where she shared tips on how and why to engage with your audience. Sarah discussed how answering your audience’s recurring questions is the key to generating more business.
People have problems they need solutions to.
So, the questions that repeatedly arise are issues they’re struggling with. What’s more, they’re opportunities for you to pinpoint your audience’s pains and desires.
10. Give shoutouts
One tactic that few coaches use is giving shoutouts. Nothing is more powerful than calling attention to something unique, interesting, or notable someone else has done. Here’s an excellent example of this idea in action.
Brad Cameron
Brad Cameron is an entrepreneur and founder of Build Your Empire (an online entrepreneur community). He also attended our Instagram Success Summit. He used shoutouts to increase his Instagram followers to over one million.
The tactic was simple: swipe a quote photo from a larger Instagram account, repost it to his page (while tagging the original author), write a caption detailing how the quote resonated, and ask his followers to check out the original author.
This simple strategy activated the law of reciprocity, prompting the larger account owners to do the same for Brad, which contributed to his now 1.2 million Instagram followers.
The key takeaway?
Acknowledge the work and creativity of others. You don’t always have to create new, revolutionary content. Sometimes, going viral can be a matter of highlighting what others are doing and genuinely praising their efforts.
One caveat: this strategy must be used with no strings attached.
If you do this with the expectation of someone else doing the same for you, it will likely backfire. Instead, focus on shouting out the work of other people that you genuinely respect and appreciate.
11. Do a giveaway
Giveaways are a proven social media advertising tactic.
They increase engagement, create a sense of excitement, and can even help you go viral on TikTok or Instagram. For this reason, they are a useful strategy you can add to your marketing toolbox.
And an entrepreneur who has mastered this is another one of our Instagram Success Summit participants, Makel Gardner.
Makel Gardner
Makel is an entrepreneur and co-owner of the kid’s clothing brand Fin and Vince. Some of her Instagram giveaways are her most popular posts on the platform. The reason? The excitement it creates in her audience. Her giveaway rewards have included a MacBook Pro and even $1000 cash prizes.
Take a page from Makel’s social media marketing notebook by adding giveaways to your strategy. However, there are different kinds of giveaways to consider. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Loop giveaway: A loop giveaway campaign involves multiple accounts. You’ll work with other coaches (preferably ones in your niche who share similar aesthetics and audiences) on Instagram or TikTok to expand your reach and grow your audiences.
- Tag-a-friend giveaway: The tag-a-friend giveaway helps to spread the word about your brand. You simply ask your followers to tag a friend in the comment section to qualify. This tactic is an effective way to take advantage to grow your following on both TikTok and Instagram.
- Hashtag giveaway: A hashtag giveaway involves encouraging your followers to share or post content using a specified hashtag. This tactic has viral potential, as it can boost your exposure and increase audience interaction.
12. Stay true to your voice
Few coaches pay attention to their brand voice.
They often see it as a trivial marketing element. But here’s the deal: your voice is a key differentiator between you and the competition. It creates trust and familiarity with your audience. You can have all the pieces in place for viral activity (and you may even go viral as a result).
However, if your voice isn’t consistent across all platforms and posts, your audience will lose trust and disappear.
Why? Because your brand doesn’t stand out. There’s nothing unique, special, or different about it that separates you from every other coach. That’s why developing a unique brand voice is so crucial.
Ruben Chavez
Ruben Chavez is a social media influencer who attended our Instagram Success Summit.
With over 2.3 million Instagram followers, Chavez understands a thing or two about growing an audience. He also stressed the importance of producing content and working with brands that are aligned with your message and voice as a coach.
The image above is from one of Ruben’s Instagram reels.
It shares insightful and timeless wisdom on the necessity of finding joy in all that life has to offer – good or bad. And that’s part of Ruben’s voice. It’s a discerning perspective that encourages others to find meaning in every moment.
His audience has come to know and trust this voice. As a result, it has been steadily growing alongside Ruben’s online persona.
Key Takeaways
Going viral on TikTok requires careful planning and a deep understanding of your audience and what makes your coaching business unique. For this reason, it’s important to gain an understanding of the viral landscape and the strategies that can lead you to success.
And we at Entrepreneurs HQ can help. If you’re ready to expand your reach and grow your business, watch our free training on how to get coaching clients.