A Reflection on High Performing TikTok Videos from the Greater Vancouver Zoo
A Reflection on High Performing TikTok Videos from the Greater Vancouver Zoo
When I was first tasked with growing social media at the Greater Vancouver Zoo, the account sat at around 700 followers. A year later, we crossed 7,000. That kind of growth doesn’t come from luck—it comes from learning what actually resonates, and then doubling down on it.
Before I stepped in, the average video performed reasonably well, hovering around 6,000 views. Respectable—but clearly there was untapped potential. The shift happened when we stopped treating videos as simple clips and started treating them as stories.
The biggest breakthrough came with a deceptively simple video: zookeepers brushing a hippo’s teeth. On the surface, it’s just a quirky behind-the-scenes moment. But what made it work was the depth—there was curiosity (people didn’t know hippos needed dental care), access (a rare, close-up look at something the public never sees), and purpose (it tied directly into animal care and enrichment). That video was one of the first to jump into the 60,000+ view range, and it set the tone for everything that followed.
@gvzoo Happy International Hippo Day! Watch Keeper Martha conduct an oral exam and tooth brushing for Hazina the hippo. Recently, the hippos participated in kiss-print paintings, which are available for purchase in Grizzly Gifts at the GVZoo. 100% of proceeds go toward enrichment for the hippos' well-being. If you'd like to learn more about hippo conservation, visit African Wildlife Foundation here: https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/hippopotamus #wildlifeconservation #oralhealth #dental #toothbrush
♬ original sound - Greater Vancouver Zoo
From there, patterns became clear. Other enrichment-focused videos performed just as well, sometimes even better. A video showing the delivery of a new enrichment toy to the hippos drew strong engagement—not just because of the animals themselves, but because viewers got to see the anticipation, interaction, and personality of the animals in real time. It felt unscripted and authentic.
@gvzoo 🙏 Thanks to our amazing guests and members, we were able to purchase two brand-new enrichment toys — all funded through your support of our Hippo Kiss paintings and Easter Egg Decorating experience. We recently introduced the “Tipsy Toms” to our hippos, who cautiously gave the strange new toy a nudge. The bears, true to form, were much bolder and happily wrestled, rolled, and roughed it up. Enrichment like this helps stimulate their curiosity and encourages natural behaviors. Your continued support helps us provide engaging and enriching experiences for the animals in our care. Thank you for helping to make a difference. GVZoo FraserValley ExploreBC
♬ original sound - Greater Vancouver Zoo - Greater Vancouver Zoo
Seasonal enrichment also proved to be a standout. Pumpkin enrichment videos featuring the bears were consistently high performers. There’s something about bears and pumpkins that just works—maybe it’s the familiarity, maybe it’s the chaos—but those videos hit that perfect balance of entertaining and educational. People loved watching the bears explore, destroy, and interact with something new, and it created highly shareable moments.
@gvzoo 🎃 Happy Halloween! Pumpkin Fest was full of fall fun, and our animals loved every minute. Our grizzly trio and hippo duo enjoyed some festive pumpkin enrichment and had a smashing good time! Feeding pumpkins to animals isn’t just for fun. Enrichment like this keeps them mentally stimulated and encourages natural behaviours such as foraging and problem-solving, which contributes to their overall health and welfare. The grizzly bears and hippos' large size and curiosity make them great candidates for enrichment that involves foraging and smashing pumpkins, which are perfectly safe and nutritious for them in moderation. These experiences keep life at the zoo exciting for our animals and offer guests a glimpse into the playful side of animal care. A huge thank you to everyone in our community who donated pumpkins for our animals to enjoy, and to all who joined us to celebrate the season. Your support makes moments like these possible. 💚
♬ original sound - Greater Vancouver Zoo - Greater Vancouver Zoo
What tied all of these together was a simple idea: show people something they wouldn’t normally see, and give it context. Behind-the-scenes sneak peeks consistently outperformed polished, surface-level content. Educational videos worked best when they didn’t feel like lectures, but instead revealed something surprising or intimate about the animals. Enrichment activities—feeding, training, problem-solving—became a goldmine because they naturally combined movement, storytelling, and meaning.
What I learned is that high-performing TikTok content isn’t really about trends—it’s about access and insight. People want to feel like insiders. They want to see what they normally wouldn’t, and understand something they didn’t before. When you can pair that with a compelling visual moment, the algorithm tends to take care of the rest.
Looking back, the growth from 700 to 7,000 followers was less about chasing virality and more about consistently delivering value in an engaging way. The views followed naturally once the content started respecting the audience’s curiosity.
- Michael Paul Jacobsen
Learn more about me at michaeljacobsen.com and michaeljacobsen.ca
