Here’s why ‘Who TF Did I Marry?’ went mega-viral and changed Tik Tok forever
If you’re a TikTok enthusiast like me, you've definitely come across the captivating 'Who TF did I Marry' storytime. Reesa Teesa's storytelling had us hooked, and the 50-part series amassed 238 MILLION views. We sat through over 6 hours of her detailed story, and the aftermath has been just as entertaining with countless reaction videos, memes, and think-pieces. The story has even caught the attention of The Shaderoom, solidifying its status as the topic of the moment.
But as a social media manager, I can’t help but examine why Reesa Teesa’s storytime performed SO well. And why the series quite literally changed TikTok forever. I mean, yes, there have been viral videos on TikTok. But for us to watch 50 10-minute-long videos on a platform that is known for short-form content, this has simply not been done before.
So as I work with my clients to create engaging, viral-worthy content, I ask myself, why did this series perform so well?
Here are my thoughts:
First off, Reesa Teesa is an amazing storyteller. Her cliffhangers had us glued to my screen, binge-watching one 10-minute video after another, completely hooked.
Reesa Teesa gave nothing but authenticity. And one thing I remind my clients all the time is the importance of content feeling genuine. Especially on TikTok, where over-rehearsed or ad-like content flops. Reesa promised to share her truth, even if it made her look bad. She was relatable to anyone who has dated - because let’s be honest - we’ve ALL overlooked red flags because we either craved intimacy or were simply naive.
She kept the visual part of each video simple. In fact, there was almost nothing to watch, allowing people to have the videos playing while doing laundry, walking on a treadmill, or even driving. This is critical for anyone trying to carry on with life while being hooked to a 50-freaking-part-series.
She shared the entire story relatively quickly. While there were so many parts, she had the entire series posted in 4 days. People didn’t have to wait excruciatingly long to catch the next piece of the story.
This one is KEY - the story was divisive at times. Whether it was someone criticizing her or defending her, the story stirred up debate in the comments. And one quick way to run up your engagement and subsequently run up your views is to create a conversation.
This one is obvious - the story itself was just so. damn. good. I mean, plot twists were flying left and right. And at the end of the day, content is king.
She gave the series a clear and captivating title. ‘Who TF Did I Marry?’ would immediately capture anyone’s attention. She also restated that title at the beginning of every video, which is a good practice for any video series.
These are just a few of my reflections. But honestly, the list could go on and on. And the virality of the series demonstrated that TikTok users are not just teenagers with short attention spans who want nothing but 15-second videos. As TikTok attempts to compete with YouTube’s long-form content, Reesa’s series shows that TikTok is well-positioned to keep its users on the app for hours, much like how YouTube has for years.
Another thought I can’t help but mention: what a time to be alive. Before TikTok, people’s experiences on social media were pretty limited to who they knew personally. Which means we couldn’t really learn about the personal, day-to-day lives of someone on the other side of the country, much less the other side of the world. Platforms like Youtube and Instagram gave beautiful, young people the opportunity to become influencers. But before TikTok, regular-degular people like Reesa would never have the opportunity to reach MILLIONS of people. TikTok rewards authenticity, relatability, and minimally curated content. So even if you’re not rich, thin, white, or hetero-normative, as long as you have a phone and stories to tell, you too can break the internet.
Nabeelah Muhammad, Nabeelah M. Digital Media
