Virality Is Overrated: What's Actually Working on TikTok in 2026

In this live session, we break down the latest TikTok benchmark data and discuss what it really means for social media strategists in 2026. Engagement is up 9% year over year. Shares are up 30%. Views dropped 23%. Follower growth is declining across all account sizes. So the big question is: What should brands actually change in their TikTok strategy? If you're managing a TikTok presence and feeling pressure to go viral, chase follower counts, or jump on every trend — this conversation is for you. Joining this session: ⚡ Malene Hold — Social Media Expert & Creative Strategist, leading U.S. social media strategy for MCoBeauty ⚡ Mark Shpungin — Freelance Social Strategist with a passion for brands, pop culture, and the ever-changing world of social media Hosted by Socialinsider. We cover the biggest shifts in TikTok performance in 2026, why relevance beats virality, what's really happening with views and shares, and how social media managers should talk to stakeholders about metrics that actually matter. 📊 Read the full TikTok report: https://www.socialinsider.io/social-media-benchmarks/tiktok 🔔 Subscribe for more data-driven social media insights: https://www.socialinsider.io/newsletter-subscribe What you'll learn: [00:00] TikTok benchmark overview [03:44] Key numbers: engagement up, views down, shares surging [07:44] What TikTok has that no other platform has [11:00] Views dropped 23% — what does it mean for brands? [13:15] Virality vs. relevance: the real strategy shift [14:22] Shares are up 30% — should they be your primary metric? [16:50] Social media is going private — and why that changes everything [19:04] TikTok comment culture & what brands can learn from it [22:12] Do more comments push your video to the For You page? [25:41] Trends are a tactic, not a strategy [29:27] How to track ROI of proactive community management [35:01] Follower growth dropped 33% — does it still matter? [38:05] How to talk to your C-suite about declining follower numbers [42:05] Do hashtags still matter for TikTok discovery? [50:13] Advice for social media managers starting on TikTok [55:22] Did TikTok's longer caption update change the game? [58:23] Does the algorithm favor your top-performing content? 📊 Key 2026 TikTok Benchmark Stats Covered 👉🏼 Average TikTok engagement rate: 4.20% — up 9% year over year 👉🏼 Shares up 30% YoY — up 44% for the largest accounts 👉🏼 Video views dropped 23% across the board 👉🏼 Follower growth declined 33%, hitting smaller accounts hardest 👉🏼 Comments up 11% for top accounts — the comment section is now its own culture 👉🏼 Virality is overrated — relevance and resonance win in 2026 💬 Let us know in the comments: Are you still chasing views, or have you shifted your focus? #tiktokstrategy #tiktokmarketing #socialmediabenchmarks #socialmediamarketing #contentmarketing #digitalmarketing #tiktokforbusiness #socialmediastrategy #tiktoktips #marketinganalytics