The 5-step TikTok success strategy to copy from GoPro

Don’t be fooled into thinking that TikTok all about dancing, duets and lip syncing - TikTok can mean serious business for serious brands. TikTok is the social media platform to grow on right now and we’ve created a 5-step success strategy, inspired by the wildly successful camera company GoPro.

1. Share your point of view

POV (point of view) content is an extremely popular short-form video option because it has a unique ability to engage audiences through relatability and immersion. It is applicable to virtually any genre or business type and it helps brands create deep connections with viewers through storytelling and fostering a sense of shared experience. 

Creating POV content is extremely flexible. Pointing the camera away from the subject brings the viewer into the action from the outset, while pointing the camera at the subject can welcome the viewer to enjoy a specific perspective. Adding a text overlay can add humour, relatability or context, as shown in the examples below. While text can include ‘POV’, it's not always necessary. A quirky comment could be all that’s needed to hook in viewership.

Including POV content in your TikTok strategy could increase engagement and watch time. Think about how you can show your perspective to your audience in a relatable, funny or exciting way.

2. Use internet lingo

Since the rise of digital communication, there has been a continually growing amount of phrases and terms that are unique to the internet. Knowing how and when to use them can submerge you into relevancy. Internet language is a dynamic and evolving form of communication that includes abbreviations, acronyms, and slang terms often not used in everyday speech. 

Check out the examples below. In the first video, GoPro uses the phrase ‘the floor is lava’ which is associated with a popular childhood game. Adding this to a literal erupting volcano brings together the awesome with the everyday.

Next, it uses the phrase ‘GoPro, but make it cinematic’ which uses a popular text format ‘X but make it Y’. This brings together two separate ideas, often to come up with something unique, stunning or surprising. The addition of sparkle emojis adds further appeal to the internet audience.

Finally, the phrase ‘The perfect wave doesn’t exi…’ is included. This common phrase follows the format ‘The perfect X doesn’t exi(st)…’ which is added to footage which defies the sentence i.e. it is used on footage of something that is deemed as perfect.

By being active on TikTok and regularly watching content from others, you can get an understanding of the types of language that are current and relevant for your brand to use. 

3. Tap into trends

Joining trends can significantly boost content visibility, engage audiences and drive growth for your brand. By participating in trends, you can leverage the platform's algorithm and increase your reach to attract new followers and grow awareness for your brand.

In the examples below, GoPro hopped on the ‘Omw to da/the liqua sto’ trend in two separate pieces of content, which features a trending sound taken from SpongeBob SquarePants. It also joined the ‘A moment that felt like Hozier’s yell’ trend which references vocals from a popular musician.

TikTok is a powerhouse for developing viral trends on a regular basis. Keep an eye on the FYP (For You Page) and TikTok’s trending insights to identify new trends to get involved with.

4. Include wholesome scenarios

There’s nothing more wonderful than seeing heart-warming content on social media. Aligning your brand with positivity and wholesomeness can attract a good-natured audience while boosting engagement and increasing reach for your content, because wholesome content begs to be liked, shared and commented on.

Wholesome content comes in a variety of different themes and can suit almost any business type. In an example below, GoPro gets a professional cliff diver’s mum to experience the thrills of the profession. This is a fun approach to an exciting experience which invites the audience to think about their own family members.

GoPro also includes plenty of animal-related content. There’s a reason why cute animals go viral on social media - it taps into our innate human responses to ‘baby schema’, which triggers an instinctive urge to care and protect. It also creates feelings of warmth and joy, and who doesn’t want to feel those positive emotions?

Does your business have office pets, cute encounters or wholesome experiences to share? Add heart-warming moments in your TikTok content to boost positivity, engagement and reach, and build community in the process.

5. Encourage people to view until the end

There’s a simple text technique that is easy to add to content which can encourage longer viewership, and GoPro is a master at it. In its simplest form, it is asking the audience to keep watching. By teasing a pivotal moment in the content, viewers are hooked in to see the action unfold.

Check out the examples below by GoPro to inspire text you could add to your content. Adding a simple overlay such as ‘Wait for the jump’, ‘Crash incoming…’, or ‘Blink + you’ll miss it…’ sparks FOMO in viewers, preventing them from swiping on by. Are they going to miss out on the best content they’ve seen all day? Without watching and waiting they’ll never know. Don’t forget to add ‘…’ for extra suspense.

What text overlays could you use to encourage viewers to continue watching until the end of your TikTok videos? Experiment with different sentences to find a format that works for you.

While GoPro is a brand for the brave, it turns out you don’t have to be adventurous, outdoorsy or a daredevil to grow successfully on TikTok. Try out the 5-step success strategy above and see how it transforms your brand’s content. To measure the growth of your brand and the effectiveness of your content, link your TikTok profile to Minter.io - the social media analytics tool for businesses online. It’s our mission to help you grow the best social media presence possible for your brand. Gain valuable insights in an instant by clicking here!