Four steps that helped Ovira gain 6 million TikTok followers in one year

Even just saying the name TikTok can be anxiety-inducing for brands. It’s new, it makes headlines, it makes millionaires, and let’s be honest, it’s scary.

But TikTok has transformed the way we consume and create video content, especially when it comes to younger generations, and it’s here to stay.

Gen Z is a particularly tough consumer to crack. They’re consuming content differently to everyone who has come before them, they’ve known technology from the day they were born and they’re more switched on to where they’re putting their money and why.

At Ovira, we recognised the value in connecting with gen Z, and have since gone all in on reaching them through TikTok. And when I say all in, I mean really going for it.

In just one year, we organically grew our TikTok accounts from zero to six million followers, averaging 1 billion views a month. Through trial and error, my team and I have found an overwhelmingly simple TikTok recipe that has led to global viral success. 

1. Keep it real

In today’s oversaturated marketing environment gen Z can sniff out a lifeless sales pitch or promotional plug like a rotting lunch. Don’t give them a reason to unsubscribe. There’s a reason why TikTok and BeReal have recently taken off, and it’s because polished, edited content is out and authenticity is in — woohoo! So when it comes to building a presence on TikTok, lose the carefully curated and highly edited content and be real instead.

Give your audience a reason to choose you by keeping your brand’s ethos at the core of all content-making decisions. Pick a purpose for your content. If there are multiple, you can even divide them into separate accounts — we’ve mastered this! For instance, our Ovira__ account features personal interviews about periods, sexual health and wellbeing, cheeky trivia and product try-ons, our Alice account shares educational content and little-known facts and tips, and our Ovirahood account features device and sex toy demos. 

https://www.tiktok.com/@ovira.com/video/7124235487237131522?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&lang=en

2. The three-second rule 

Rookie error number one is assuming that TikTok users will stop to watch your video for more than three seconds. They won’t! 

Our rule is to aim for 8-15 second videos MAX. You don’t want users to rock and scroll, you want them to watch. Grab their eyes and ears quickly.

Thumb-stopping content is what you want, and we know it well. For our Ovira__ account where we produce new trivia with strangers every week, we ask the question in the first three seconds, paired with a zoom in of the immediate reaction or answer. These critical three seconds make or break a video. We call it ‘pixel f***ing’ our high and low-performing content — a group dissection of the first three seconds of our short-form content can sometimes be the difference between 15 million views and 23,000. 

3. Entertain, educate or inspire

You can’t just show up on TikTok. You need to earn it. Give the algorithm a reason to serve your content to everyone. What’s it doing for the target community?

The TikTok audience wants to be entertained in some capacity, so you have to give them just that. Pick a purpose. Do you want humour? Education? Or intrigue from the viewer? Maybe even a combination of two or three? Throw some purposeful spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks best with your audience. 

If you are successfully able to entertain in some way, gen Z will do the rest for you by saving, sharing, boosting, commenting on and engaging with your video, landing you on the ‘For You’ page. By navigating between a combination of educational, entertaining and insightful branded content across various accounts, we hit the FYP hard due to our major interaction.

4. Don’t stop once you hit upload

A big part of the viral process is engaging with your community in the comments section post-production. Besides strong content, this is where the real magic happens. Viral comments coincide with a viral video. Consider ways to jump into the conversation. Loyal and authentic relationships can be built with communities on TikTok. People love it.

The growth, engagement and brand awareness potential that can come from TikTok is huge. Gen Z is the generation of the future with opinions, power and passion like never before. Grabbing hold of the opportunity new platforms like TikTok offer is a no-brainer to become discovered, build a unique brand presence and gain ongoing virality both on and offline. 

So think like us! Be unfiltered, authentic, relatable, raw, experimental and exciting when it comes to content, and the algorithm might just become your brand’s best friend.

Alice Williams is the founder of healthtech startup Ovira.