TikTok’s Viral Playbook: How to Reverse-Engineer Winning TikTok Campaigns

TikTok’s algorithm rewards creativity, but understanding what drives virality can feel like solving a puzzle.

Fortunately, there’s a proven method to reverse-engineer viral videos, identify top influencers, and uncover winning strategies—all by leveraging captions and built-in tools.

By following influencer managers or app creators who build in public, you can discover their strategies and replicate their success.

For example, this influencer strategy was posted just 4 days ago.

The tweet doesn’t mention the video, influencer, app, or account name, but using the image, you can uncover every detail.

Knowing the hook and strategy behind a viral video can help you replicate it effectively.

Extract Captions with Google’s AI Studio Using OCR

Start by uploading a screenshot or image from a TikTok video to Google’s AI Studio.

Use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to convert on-screen text into searchable captions. Here’s the prompt to use:

"Type the caption from the above image. Don’t include views. Put them in a one-liner listicle. Format in Markdown."

Search TikTok Directly Using Extracted Captions

Copy the extracted caption, such as "POV: you have an exam TOMORROW and JUST found this now", and paste it into TikTok’s search bar. This reveals the original video or variations of the trend, giving you insight into what’s working.

Searching for this caption led to the creator @kay444tldl, who was promoting the app TLDL.

Identify the App or Strategy Behind Viral Videos

Once you find the original video, analyze the content to determine the app or strategy being promoted.

This insight lets you replicate the approach by copying their hooks/videos or creating a similar app.

For instance, note-taking apps like Coconote AI and Jungle AI are generating $100k+ MRR.

After discovering @kay444tldl, searching for "tldl notes" on TikTok revealed multiple creators promoting the app, showcasing its viral potential.

Decode Hidden Apps or Strategies from Unbranded Content

Some creators showcase success of a video without revealing the app or strategy behind it. Use extracted captions to search TikTok and uncover hidden details of the app/video/hook/influencer.

For example, a tweet by @TheWalid highlighted a viral TikTok with the caption "college is not real life anymore."

Searching this caption on TikTok led to another video using the same underlying strategy, which promoted Quizard AI.

But if you examine the video closely, the app name "Answers AI" is subtly displayed. I searched Google using the query "college is not real life anymore answers.ai tiktok" to locate other accounts tied to this campaign. While I found the "Answers AI" account, the specific video wasn’t immediately visible.

Digging deeper into the account, I eventually uncovered the video. It didn’t reach 139 million views (or perhaps it did—I checked it half-asleep last night, and my memory is hazy; they might have removed the video).

However, the exact same video was posted five days ago and garnered 32 million views.

To find the influencer Walid mentioned, using Google Reverse Image Search can do the trick.

Apply Reverse-Engineering to Uncover EdTech Viral Formats

This method works across niches, including EdTech. Study successful examples to replicate their strategies.

Test this yourself by analyzing the viral TikTok format shared by @alexolim_ to see how EdTech apps gain traction.

Poach Influencers or Replicate Strategies for Your Campaigns

Once you’ve identified top influencers or strategies, use this knowledge to collaborate with them, replicate their tactics, or poach them with better offers or equity deals.

Alternatively, hire top influencers to promote your app or teach your team to mimic their approach.

TikTok’s algorithm is unmatched because it understands video and audio like a human. It converts content to text, making videos discoverable via Google Search or direct TikTok searches. Use this feature to search for app names or keywords within the platform.

For example, search for "tldl notes" or "quizard ai" on TikTok to find all videos promoting the app, even if creators don’t explicitly mention it.

In short, start by identifying a viral TikTok video in your niche. Use Google’s AI Studio and OCR to extract the caption, then search TikTok to uncover the strategy or app behind it. Whether you replicate the approach or collaborate with the creator, this method gives you a clear path to TikTok success.

TikTok’s virality isn’t random—it’s reverse-engineerable. Use these steps to decode what works and apply it to your campaigns.

PS: This article was written with the help of Cohere's Coral. It is on par with Claude when it comes to writing.

Top Tweets of the day

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