I Knew These Videos Would Go Viral On TikTok
I knew these videos would do pretty well before I even posted them.
Not because of luck. Not because of some magical algorithm trick.
But because I deliberately structured them to trigger a reaction, start a debate, and keep people watching.
And that’s exactly what happened.
If you’re trying to grow on social, this formula works. But—and this is important—you shouldn’t use it for every video. I’ll explain why in a bit.
First, here’s exactly why these videos blew up.
The Hook: Get People Reacting Immediately
If your opening line doesn’t make people feel something straight away, you’ve lost them.
That’s why I started with these hooks:
Video 1: "As a recruiter, I absolutely hate it when people's first question about a job is, 'What's the salary range?'"
Video 2: "As a people manager, I absolutely hate it when people send me messages saying, 'Is it okay if I finish an hour early?'"
I knew these would trigger people.
Job seekers would be furious—"Of course salary is the most important thing!"
Employees would be defensive—"Why can’t I leave early if my work is done?"
And that’s exactly what I wanted.
A strong hook makes people stop scrolling. It makes them immediately want to comment, argue, or tag someone.
If you get that reaction in the first few seconds, you’ve won half the battle.
The Bait-and-Switch: Keep Them Watching
A viral video doesn’t just grab attention—it keeps it.
That’s why I didn’t just rant—I flipped the script halfway through.
In Video 1, it sounded like I was defending recruiters who dodge salary questions. But then I flipped it—I called out the nonsense of employers pretending “culture” matters more than pay.
In Video 2, it sounded like I was being a strict, old-school manager. Then I flipped it—I called out micromanagers instead.
Why does this work?
Because when people think they know where you’re going, they feel obligated to keep watching to confirm.
And when they get hit with an unexpected twist? They rewatch just to make sure they heard it right.
More watch time means more reach. Simple.
Make It About Something People Actually Care About
Not every topic will go viral. You need to pick something that hits home for people.
I deliberately chose two topics that people feel strongly about:
Salary transparency—People are sick of recruiters dodging this question.
Micromanagement—Employees hate feeling like they need permission for basic things.
If you talk about something people experience daily, they don’t just like your post—they comment, tag their mates, and share their own stories.
That’s how content spreads beyond your followers.
Get People Debating in the Comments
I knew what would happen as soon as I posted.
Video 1: Some recruiters would agree, but job seekers (who massively outnumber them) would push back hard.
Video 2: Some managers would get defensive, while employees would jump in to call them out.
This mix of agreement and outrage is exactly what fuels engagement.
People love to argue. They love to tell you why you’re wrong. They love to tag their colleagues and say, "Didn’t we just talk about this?"
If your post gets both agreement and disagreement, you’ve nailed it.
Always Turn Views Into Followers
Virality is pointless if you don’t convert people into long-term followers.
At the end of the videos, I plugged my newsletter and told people to follow.
Why? Because if someone agrees with me, they’re already on my side. They’re far more likely to stick around for more.
You should always have a plan for what happens after a video blows up. Otherwise, you’re just getting views for the sake of it.
Why You Shouldn’t Use This for Every Video
Now, here’s the thing. This strategy works. But if you try to do it every single time, it backfires.
Here’s why:
Your audience will get tired of it. If every post is designed to trigger people, they’ll see through it and stop engaging.
It doesn’t build trust. You can get loads of viral views, but if people only associate you with rants, they won’t take you seriously when you post something genuinely valuable.
It attracts the wrong crowd. Controversial posts bring in more followers, but not necessarily the right followers. You don’t just want numbers—you want people who actually care about what you do.
If all you do is bait people into arguments, you’ll end up with an audience that only sticks around for drama.
The Results
Combined these two videos have had over 2 million views on TikTok and 3,000 new followers.
But there’s also the trickle effect. Because these videos were viewed by so many people and a huge number of them engaged with them - my videos will appear in their feed more often, giving me other opportunities to turn them into followers.
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