Movie app: 📈300M+ Views, 6.6M Likes, Millions of downloads

A lot of people think that going viral on TikTok is all about luck. There’s some truth to that, but what most don't realize is that virality can also be a science. Garrett Rothstein is someone I’d classify as a content scientist. From creating detailed caption matrices to tracking every single metric of every video, his approach is a masterclass in the science behind content creation.

Background 📓

Garrett came up with the idea for Queue during Covid, when he quickly became aware of the boom in digital streaming services. He saw a huge opportunity in improving the browsing and movie selection process, and that’s when Queue was born. The next challenge was to figure out a viral marketing strategy that would resonate with Gen Z. After countless experiments and iterations of hooks and CTAs, he uncovered a few key lessons for creating viral TikTok videos.

Here are some of his most successful videos and how he did it 👇:

🎬 pov: you and your bf can’t decide what to watch, 7.9M Views, 494.9K Likes, 144.9K Saves

Hook: “pov: you and your bf can’t decide what to watch”

Format: Mutiphone app demo + caption overlay

Why this video worked:.

• Hyper targeted users = couples that are movie fanatics

• Hooks you with multiple phones swiping

• Embedded viral interaction = “its a match”

• Energetic trending sound to match the vibe

🎬 Ranking movies: 3.3M Views, 191K Likes, 12K Saves

Hook: “ranking the biggest movies of 2022”

Format: Tripod shot + caption overlay

Why this video worked:

• Trending voice over audio from “Dance moms”

• Game show setting = unique format

• Controversial movie rankings = people in comments arguing

• Scalable series

🎬 rating movies I’ve watched on planes: 1.9M Views, 200K Likes, 17.5K Saves

Hook: “rating movies I’ve watched on planes”

Format: Slideshow + caption overlay

Why this video worked:

• Scalable series: rating movies on planes

• Hot takes: “loved this on the plane, would hate on a couch”

• Relatable situations = balling eyes out during “Everything everywhere all at once”

• Not selling anything but creating value

Key takeaways from Queue 💡

• Hyper target your customer.

  People want to feel like the video was created just for them.

• Hot takes get people fired up.

  You see this over and over in his videos. From swiping left on GOATED movies to ranking horrible movies at number one. This is bound to blow up the comment section.

• Tangential series that add value

  You don’t always have to advertise or sell your product. Figure out how else you can create value for your target customer and have them gain your trust.

• Strong hook > an embedded viral interaction

  They knew that their swiping feature would help them go viral but it wasn’t enough to only rely on that. If you don’t hook your users within the first 2 seconds no one will notice your fancy micro interactions.

What you can replicate from this format 💰

• Create a tangential series that provides value.

  If you’re a book app → review top books to read at a park

  If you’re a cooking app → easiest recipes to make with your partner

• Hyper target your customer

  You customer can’t just be gen z’s. It need’s to be as specific as possible. Ex: Note taker app customer = anyone ❌, Note taker app customer = college freshman who are anxious about school starting ✅

• Embed hot takes or easter eggs.

  Add a small detail that will get people talking in the comments. Most people cannot resists the urge to correct someone or call someone out. Use that to your advantage.
  

Know a founder that could use some help creating content? Feel free to share!

That’s all I got for this one. If you have any other viral consumer products you want me to break down my DM’s are always open.

Cheers!

Nick 🤝