Guides for short-form creators
Practical guides for TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. Each one is short and ends with something you can use on your next video.
Before you post
Will my TikTok go viral?
Want to know if a TikTok will go viral before you post it? Run this 5-point check, or upload the video to Viral IQ for a viral score and specific fixes.
Instagram ReelsCheck a Reel before posting
A quick checklist for Instagram Reels before you post: cover frame, hook, on-screen text, audio and length. Plus how to get an AI read on a Reel with Viral IQ.
HooksTikTok hooks: the first 3 seconds
Viewers decide in the first seconds whether to keep watching. Four hook types for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, 10 openers to adapt and how a hook score works.
Before you postHow to know if a video will go viral
How to tell if a TikTok, Reel or Short will go viral: a 5-point check before posting, the numbers to watch in the first hours, and how AI estimates it.
Growing your views
How to go viral on TikTok
What actually makes a TikTok travel: the first seconds, watch time, rewatches and shares. A practical guide with a checklist you can use on your next video.
Instagram ReelsGet more views on Instagram Reels
What helps Instagram Reels reach people who do not follow you: sends, watch time, clear audio, original content and a few specific hashtags. With a checklist.
TroubleshootingWhy do my TikToks get no views?
TikToks stuck at 0, 200 or 300 views? Find the real cause in 10 minutes: account status, For You eligibility, the first 3 seconds or the topic, and how to fix it.
HooksTikTok hook examples
40 TikTok hook examples in eight styles, with fill-in templates you can adapt to any niche. Plus why each style works and how to test yours.
ExplainedHow long until a TikTok goes viral?
How long a TikTok takes to go viral: what happens in the first hour, the first 48 hours and later, the signs it is taking off, and what to do if it has not.
HashtagsDo hashtags help on TikTok?
Do hashtags help a TikTok go viral? What hashtags actually do, how many to use, whether #fyp works and how to pick relevant ones.
Understanding the score
What is a viral score?
A viral score estimates how likely a short video is to spread. What Viral IQ looks at to calculate it, what you get next to the number and how to use it well.
ComparisonViral IQ vs Blow Up vs Go Viral vs TikViral
Comparing iPhone apps that say they predict if a video will go viral: Viral IQ, Blow Up, Go Viral and TikViral. What each one does, based on its App Store page.
Free tools
TikTok hook generator
Free TikTok hook generator. Type your topic and get opening lines in six proven styles, ready to copy. Works for Reels and Shorts too. No sign-up.
Free toolTikTok caption generator
Free TikTok caption generator. Enter your topic and goal (comments, saves, shares or follows) and get short captions with a clear call to action. No sign-up.
Free toolTikTok hashtag generator
Free TikTok hashtag generator. Pick your niche and topic and get a short set of relevant hashtags to copy and paste. Works for Instagram Reels too. No sign-up.
Free toolBest time to post on TikTok
Best time to post on TikTok for each day, from Buffer's 2026 study of 7.1M posts, plus what other studies found and how to test your own times.
Best apps
Best viral predictor apps
7 apps that predict if a TikTok, Reel or Short will go viral in 2026: Viral IQ, Go Viral, HypeRadar, Viral AI, TikViral, Higgsfield, OpusClip.
Best apps 2026Best AI video analyzer apps
The best AI video analyzer apps for TikTok, Reels and Shorts creators in 2026, compared by what they analyze, video length limits and extra tools.
Best apps 2026Best TikTok analytics apps
The best TikTok analytics apps in 2026: TikTok Studio for stats, TrendTok and ReelTrends for trends, Viral IQ for checking videos before posting.
Best apps 2026Best apps for TikTok creators
The best apps for TikTok creators in 2026, one per job: editing, captions and hashtags, trends, checking a video before posting and reading your stats.
Alternatives
Higgsfield Virality Predictor alternative
A Higgsfield Virality Predictor alternative for full-length shorts: Viral IQ analyzes TikToks, Reels and Shorts up to 2 minutes, with fixes.
AlternativeOpusClip alternative
An OpusClip alternative for creators who already have a finished short: Viral IQ scores a TikTok, Reel or Short and tells you what to fix before you post.
AlternativeBlow Up app alternative
A Blow Up app alternative for deep video analysis: Viral IQ gives a viral score, hook score, retention forecast and fixes before you post.
AlternativeGet Viral alternative
Looking for a Get Viral (AI Video Analyzer) alternative? Compare it with Viral IQ: viral score, hook score, retention forecast and fixes before you post.
AlternativeVidScore AI alternative
A VidScore AI alternative: Viral IQ analyzes TikToks, Reels and Shorts before you post, with a viral score, hook score, retention forecast and fixes.
AlternativeOtto Virality Checker alternative
Otto's free Virality Checker scores a video in the browser. Viral IQ goes further on iPhone: retention forecast, hook score and fixes for each part of the video.
Want a second opinion on a video?
Upload it to Viral IQ before you post and get a viral score, a hook score and a list of fixes.