Translating Virality: Cross-Cultural Localisation of US Small Business TikTok Content for Russian-Speaking Audiences

Abstract

TikTok has evolved from a youth entertainment app into a valuable tool for small business promotion. The platform's recommendation algorithm favours authentic and engaging content, and language choices often determine whether a video gains traction. This study examines the key linguistic strategies used in viral English-language TikTok content created by small businesses, and explores the translation challenges that emerge when adapting such content for Russian-speaking audiences. The research draws on an empirical analysis of 15 viral videos from five US small business accounts. The corpus includes over 3,200 words of transcribed speech, on-screen captions, and multimodal elements. The analysis focuses on lexical, syntactic, and multimodal patterns that contribute to viewer engagement. Several findings stand out: emotional interjections serve as trust-building devices; six recurring hook types shape viral narratives; and non-verbal or community-driven calls to action tend to outperform direct sales pitches. A comparative look at US and Russian TikTok conventions reveals notable differences. US hooks tend to be more imperative and direct, while Russian hooks are more narrative and situational. Russian content generally features more slang and informal register, and Russian calls to action are noticeably softer and less directive than their American counterparts. These observations are interpreted through Hall's high-context/low-context framework and Brown and Levinson's politeness theory. The study argues that localising viral content is not a matter of literal translation but rather a form of cross-cultural mediation where globalised templates are adapted for Russian-speaking audiences while preserving cultural identity. Practical outputs include a pre-translation analysis algorithm, a checklist for translators, and a glossary of viral English phrases with suggested Russian equivalents.