DIY VOD Launch Under $5k: FilmHub & Organic TikTok Strategy?

Hey everyone,

I'm a DIT, and on the side, a small team and I just finished our short film, shot primarily on an ALEXA Mini with some pickup shots on an a7S III. We poured everything into production, so our distribution budget is extremely lean, under $5,000.

We're looking at using free aggregators like FilmHub for VOD release, and I'm really trying to understand how to best couple this with entirely organic TikTok marketing. We've got a decent grasp on creating engaging content for the platform, but the jump from 'viral clip' to 'successful VOD launch' feels like a big one, especially without paid promotion.

My fear is just dumping it on a platform and getting lost in the shuffle. Has anyone here had genuine success with this specific, super-low-budget approach? What are the key strategies to bridge that gap?

Basically, how can we leverage free aggregators and organic TikTok to actually drive views and revenue with such limited funds?