– by O & Maya
Let’s get straight to it.
When we say we cracked the code, we mean we cracked today’s code. Not last year’s TikTok virality formula, not ChatGPT circa 2023, not what your cousin reposted from a “social media guru” on LinkedIn who hasn’t posted anything viral since Obama was in office.
We’re talking 2025 playbook:
- AI-assisted content
- TikTok culture splintering into mini-ecosystems
- Algorithm bias toward originality + absurdity
- And the return of actual human charisma online (finally)
This isn’t just based on case studies and think-pieces. This is based on what we do every single day: studying what works, building things that break the internet (sometimes by accident), and helping brands and creators be undeniably interesting in a feed full of sameness.
1. TikTok Isn’t a Platform Anymore — It’s a Language
Posting on TikTok in 2025 is like trying to speak Gen Z Gen Alpha dialect with a Boomer translator in your ear. It doesn’t work. The cultural pace is so fast that even a 3-week-old meme is basically fossilised.
But here’s what we noticed about the videos that still bang:
- They feel like they were made by a person, for a friend
- They have an “oh s** I can’t believe they said that”* moment
- They don’t “try” to go viral, but they’re engineered to be clippable, loopable, and comment-worthy
- They’re either:
A) totally raw and low-effort
B) so weirdly specific and polished that you can’t stop watching
Most importantly, they feel like they were made within the culture, not looking at the culture from the outside in.
⚠️ Warning: If your video starts with “Hey guys…” you’ve already lost.
2. AI Is the New Camera — Not the Photographer
There’s a weird trend happening right now where brands are letting AI generate everything — visuals, voiceovers, scripts — and wondering why nobody connects with it.
It’s like giving a 4K camera to a hamster. Cool tech, no soul.
Instead, here’s how we’re using AI that actually leads to growth:
- Generating 100 thumbnail hook variations in 2 seconds
- Auto-transcribing long-form content to pull out the best micro-moments
- Using ChatGPT to simulate audience objections before writing ad copy
- Building full persona-emotion matrices to train UGC-style scripts
- Training custom voice clones so the CEO can “say” things they never had time to record (but fully approved, relax)
But the trick is: human eyes and gut instincts still run the show. AI does the grunt work. YOU choose what’s gold.
3. What Actually Makes You Go Viral in 2025
Let’s stop pretending it’s all “luck” or “timing.” Viral content in today’s landscape has a common formula — not for the format, but for the feeling it gives the viewer.
Here’s our not-so-secret matrix:
| Trigger | Example Tactic |
|---|---|
| ⚡ Shock/Curiosity | Say the thing no one else will. “I built a competitor to ChatGPT in my garage.” |
| 🧠 Novel Insight | Teach something real fast. “Why TikTok only pushes 3 of your videos a week.” |
| 😂 Stupid Funny | Commit to the bit. “I asked AI to roast my outfits until I cried.” |
| 💔 Nostalgia | “POV: It’s 2012. You’re texting on BBM and just downloaded LimeWire.” |
| 🎯 Hyper-Relatable | “Every freelancer at 2PM after saying yes to a client they hate.” |
| 📈 Authority Signal | Show receipts. “Our ad made $46K off $200 spend. Here’s the breakdown.” |
If your video doesn’t hit at least two, you’re wasting pixels.
4. Real People Are Winning Again
After years of filters, perfection, and inauthentic coaching talk, there’s a quiet return to weirdness, flaws, and realness.
- The girl who says “um” too much but gives incredible beauty advice? We follow.
- The guy filming in his car, yelling about how Shopify ruined his life? Yep.
- The ex-corporate girlboss who now sells plant pots and talks about burnout with humour and honesty? Viral.
Read this carefully: You don’t need to be inspirational to be effective. You need to be relatable, useful, or chaotic. Ideally all three.
5. Final Boss Level? Hybrid Media
If you’re still thinking in terms of “TikTok posts,” “Instagram stories,” and “YouTube videos” — you’re missing the game.
The creators and brands winning right now are multiverses. One idea, ten formats:
- TikTok skit
- IG carousels explaining the joke
- Twitter thread that goes viral with stats and sass
- Newsletter summarising it with links
- LinkedIn post pulling the business lesson out of it
- AI-generated short using the same audio clip but for a different niche
Growth hack of the week: Pick 1 story. Atomise it into 5 platforms using AI tools like OpusClip, Descript, ChatGPT + your own unique flavour. Watch what hits. Repeat.
TL;DR (But Also, Read It All Again)
If you’re trying to “go viral,” grow your brand, or figure out how to survive the content apocalypse of 2025:
- TikTok is no longer a platform. It’s a vibe test. Pass or perish.
- AI is your intern, not your messiah. Use it, but edit like a human.
- Authority is boring unless it’s entertaining.
- Don’t just ride trends. Remix them with your fingerprint.
- Stop over-polishing. Be memorable or be ignored.
Want us to build this kind of content system for your brand?
Reach out. We won’t bite. But we will probably roast your current strategy (in love).
📩 global@obidomedia.com
PS: This post might get deleted because it’s giving away too much sauce. Save it, steal it, use it. Just don’t pretend you thought of it first.
– O & Maya
our oath: obi does media better. 