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In case you missed it, on June 23rd Khaby Lame became the most followed TikTok creator in the entire world with 142.7 million followers, surpassing the previous record holder, Charie D’Amelio.
The 22 year old Italy-based, Senegalese-born creator rose to stardom through his reaction videos produced using TikTok’s stitch feature and without uttering a single word. He communicates his reactions solely through physical movement, objects, and bewildered facial expressions, particularly his “this-is-how-its-done-face.”
Needless to say, his style is very distinctive and it has made him one of the most successful account on TikTok. However, incorporating reaction videos into your TikTok content strategy doesn’t mean you have to pivot your content. You can start by creating a series of reactions with intention.
But first, let’s talk about why reaction videos are valuable content on TikTok.
The value of reaction videos
To some, reaction videos may seem silly or even a lazy path to content creation. But hear me out because reaction videos are the secret sauce for getting more views, attracting more followers, and boosting engagement.
Reaction videos have been gaining more respect in the TikTok creator community because they depend on an initial engagement—one creator reacting to another. When you stitch, duet, or green screen with another account’s video you get audience crossover, which can benefit both accounts. This is the whole premise of social media; to connect with others in a digital space.
Another key element of reaction videos is relatability. By putting your reaction or opinion out to the public you are saying exactly what others were thinking, grabbing the attention of like-minded people who share your sense of humor. And videos like this tend to garner comments from viewers.
Are reaction videos a good approach for all accounts? In short, yes. Reaction videos can be incorporated into any brand strategy to communicate the personality of your brand and create community. You just need the right type of reaction video.
Types of reaction videos
There are different ways to approach and produce reaction videos, plus your reaction uniquely sets apart your content. Let’s take a look at some techniques so you can find what might work for your account.
Reacting to comments
This is the easiest way to get started with reactions. Simply find a comment on one of your videos you’d like to react to and select the video icon to the left and the comment will appear in your new video.
Try selecting a comment that has a question about you, your industry, your service, or your product. Or select a negative comment for an opportunity to dive deeper into your opinions or values—this is a great technique for stirring up emotion and getting people to engage with more comments.
React with a duet
A very popular approach, especially for accounts that base their content on reactions. Select a video that is amazing, funny, emotional, or absurd and duet it. Your reaction and the original video will appear in a split screen. Obviously, you have already seen the video, so be sure it’s content you are sure to have a natural reaction to again.
A clever way to approach a duet is to talk about what is happening in the video and offer your expert opinion. Keep reading, and you’ll see some cool duet reactions…
React with a stitch
A newer feature on TikTok, stitching is a tool that allows you to select a clip from another creator and react or respond with your own video. This is useful for educational content. Influencers of all types—thought leaders, educators, medical professionals, athletes, academics, and artists—can take a clip related to their industry and react to it with their expert opinion.
Keep reading, and I’ll show you an example or two…
Elicit a reaction
A solid strategy is to use your unique talent and skill to elicit a reaction from another person, maybe a stranger. Of course, be sure you have the person’s permission to post the video. People who can leverage this are artists, dancers, comedians, and musicians.
I’ve got some great examples for you in the next section…
React on the spot
This is my favorite type of reaction video. By inserting yourself into situations spontaneously you have your videographer film you reacting to the moment. A popular way of doing this is to interview people and react to their answers
Brands and influencers that rock reaction videos
If you want to get started with reaction videos, you should start following accounts that make it a part of their strategy. Observe what kinds of videos they choose to react to, and how they relate it back to their unique messaging or tie it into their product or service.
Here is a curated list of accounts—both individual influencers and companies—that do reaction videos, along with concrete examples from their TikTok.
@therealrahulrai + @thecontainerstore
4.4M followers / 53.8K followers
Big brands can engage with influencers by leaving a comment they are sure to react to. In this case, The Container Store leaves a comment for @therealrahulrai. He reacts to the comment, and in turn, they create a duet with his reaction and a corresponding product.
@bradmondonyc
8.7M followers
A hairstylist from New York, Brad finds videos of people cutting or coloring their own hair (especially young women cutting their own bangs) and reacts using the duet feature. He often expresses a relatable anticipation, sense of relief, astonishment, or cringe while slipping in his expert opinion.
@justin_awad
675.5K followers
I can’t help but watch these videos again and again. Justin interviews people in various settings—Times Square, the mall, a convenience store—asking them simple questions you’d expect them to know the answers to. The punchline? He reacts to their wrong answers with an absurd “Yes.” Notice how he maintains eye contact with the camera.
@baylen.dupree
6.2M followers
A teenage girl with Tourette’s syndrome, Baylen Dupree is known for educating viewers about her condition by offering a peak into her daily activities. She frequently reacts to followers’ comments who ask questions about her condition.
@firstwefeast
2.4M followers
Celebrities participating in hot sauce tastings—what could be better? Of course, a great example of eliciting a reaction on the spot. So, if you offer a product or service, you can film others interacting with it.
@cayleecresta
2.3M followers
Standing ovation every time. Caylee is a thought leader that has amassed a following by reacting to misogynistic men with mic-dropping breakdowns of their poor logic. She utilizes multiple features including duet, stitch, green screen, and video reply to comment.
@kelz
5.8M followers
Kelz Wright’s TikTok is consistent and distinct. He uses the duet feature to react to absurd, shocking, or delicious home recipe videos, usually in the realm of comfort or indulgent food. His personality really comes through in his reaction and I find the videos addictive to watch.
@astnmusic
1.9M followers
I might be stretching the definition of reaction video here, but I couldn’t help but include the vocalist Astn, an R&B singer that “reacts” to music by improvising new renditions of songs. He kicks off each video with his signature “What if this song…”
Summary
Reaction videos are a great way to broaden your audience and boost engagement. Their relatability sets them apart and allows you to share your opinion or personality. Corporations can collab with influencers to create reaction videos. For fresh ideas, follow influencers or brands in your niche that are doing reactions right.
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Photo by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels
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