TikTok has been a godsend for small businesses–and a game-changer for the marketing business. While it’s far easier to spread your brand awareness on the TikTok algorithm, you’re also fiercely competing to get people’s attention. This means that if you want a hit viral video to convert customers, you need to make the best hooks for TikTok videos as soon as possible. But where do you start? Is there even a set formula for what goes viral on TikTok? While you can’t predict what the next trends will be, the platform has been around for long enough that tried-and-true methods have become clear. Here are some of the best hooks for TikTok videos you can use to sell your apparel brand: TikTok users are here for fun and connection more than anything else. The top three descriptions for viral content on the platform are “funny, creative, and relaxing,” relating back to the laidback nature of content on the average For You page. Personal stories are a great way to use this dynamic while also sharing your brand and apparel products. These stories can come in a wide range of genres, like day-in-the-life videos or personal updates set to footage of your product creation process. However, they all come down to someone (usually you) talking casually with the tone of a friend sharing their recent successes and hardship. The usual formula for personal stories is like this: Catchy edits are a relatively modern invention, starting out from Youtube and evolving along with the short form video content. These edits are all flash, without a lot of substance–in other words, they’re perfect advertisements for your apparel. If you want your edit to pop off, there’s no one formula to go with it. However, all great edits have at least two of the following: Who doesn’t need help in today’s world? Showing off authority or expert advice has been a proven persuasive tactic for decades, though it’s now much more personal and customized on TikTok. If you have any kind of experience or knowledge–whether it’s from being a business owner, a former job or a certain identity–you can use it to provide helpful advice for people who need the different perspective. Generally, these kinds of videos will look like this: While this is somewhat linked to the previous point about making expert guides, you don’t necessarily need to be an expert to solve a problem. This format focuses on finding an issue the audience commonly experiences but never thinks about too deeply, and then giving them the solution to that issue. It’s one of the most successful tactics out there, since it feeds into the viral element of surprise and continues to be helpful even after the end of the video. The formula is simple: While more typical than the other methods, hopping onto trends can be a simple but effective way to find a new audience on TikTok. The website offers various trend trackers that make it easier to know what are the latest popular hashtags or music phenomena, so always be open to experimentation. Looking to boost your apparel brand to the next level? If you’re going to start shipping internationally or need time to catch up on your marketing, Shirtual’s got you covered. Our one-stop solution makes planning, producing and distributing premium apparel a breeze. Focus on your branding for the next year–let us handle the rest.