Viral TikToks

As a personal passion project, I create TikToks to share my travels and experiences of living abroad with family and friends. Over time, some of my videos resonated with wider audiences, gaining hundreds of thousands—and even millions—of views. From humorous takes on cultural differences to ‘day in my life’ snapshots, here are some of my most successful TikToks and why they connected with so many people.

When a trend goes viral on TikTok, it can be nearly impossible to stand out amongst the millions of others posting roughly the same thing. The easiest way to get people to stop & interact with your video? Put an unexpected twist on twist on the trend.

This video was based off a trend "Things in an American Grocery Store that Sent Me, a European, into a Coma." of Europeans  showing off the unhealthiest things in a U.S. grocery store, pretending there were not healthy things. So, I did the exact opposite.

The result? Many Americans who had seen the original trend thought this take was validating. Other users tagged me in similar videos they made.

Another example of flipping a trend unexpectedly. Millions of users made videos discussing self-growth they've had since throughout. Usually, these videos were on serious topics and a little sad. I made a lighthearted version of my experience moving to Taiwan and people liked it because it was different from the other videos in this trend. 

Day in the Life’ videos are one of the most classic TikTok formats, with billions of them across the internet. With so much content out there, it can be hard to stand out—but tapping into a niche audience allows for deeper connections and higher engagement. By focusing on a specific experience, like teaching abroad, I was able to create content that resonated with a unique but highly engaged audience.

This video was particularly successful among my DITL (day in the life) videos because it discussed how the Taiwanese education system works, which is very different from most Western education. A niche audience of people who are interested in Asian cultures and teaching abroad were fascinated by these differences. 

A less successful video, but following a similar pattern of connecting with the niche audience of Americans who want to move to another country for university.