Social listening platform Visibrain has released a study examining TikTok’s content landscape to help marketers understand how top-performing content captures attention on the platform.

The study, titled “FYP to ROI: The TikTok Playbook for Brands,” analyzes viral posts, revealing how timing, tone, audio selection and authenticity combine to spark engagement. Key elements include emotional storytelling, sound selection, pacing and optimal posting times.

The analysis shows successful content strategies vary significantly across industries. Consumer brands find success with playful, trend-based videos, while service and technology companies perform best with educational, insight-driven clips that simplify complex ideas.

The research provides concrete takeaways including which video types drive engagement, which hashtags generate visibility, and how brands can adapt rapidly to changing cultural moments. The study draws on real-world examples and data-driven insights from Visibrain’s social listening technology.

Visibrain is a social listening platform providing real-time access to millions of posts from social networks and online media, serving communication, marketing and PR professionals with monitoring technology for tracking brand reputation and analyzing conversations.