In two years, TikTok has established itself as the new essential social network. With its 14.9 million monthly active users in France, it promises considerable exposure to content creators. However, success doesn’t happen overnight. Here are 10 best practices that will help you get views on TikTok.
1 – Participate in a popular challenge
Creating challenge-based videos is a very effective way to get views on TikTok. Indeed, some challenges are very popular, and by participating with the associated hashtag, your video appears in other users’ “For you” feed, which generates views and interactions. These challenges generally take the form of choreographies or actions to perform.
You can create your own challenge even if you don’t have a lot of followers. TikTok users love challenges, and your video can quickly go viral! A good challenge must be easy to remember, with clear rules and a sufficiently explicit hashtag.
2 – Use a popular and well-targeted hashtag
Like other social networks, including Instagram, TikTok bases its SEO on the use of hashtags. To be visible in other users’ “For you” tab, it’s best to use a hashtag that’s not only popular, but also relevant, i.e., related to your segment and the content of the video.
To choose the right hashtags, the best thing to do is to take inspiration from influencers in your field or niche. What hashtags do they use most often? For a good chance of going viral on TikTok, you can also surf current trends by using a hashtag from the “Trends” page.
3 – Bet on the most on-trend sounds
The choice of sound is a key element in the success of your videos. Indeed, on TikTok, audio is a real priority and not a background afterthought. It’s often the central element of the most popular videos! Also, users can search by sound, hence the interest of choosing the most popular sounds.
The emphasis on music and sound effects sets TikTok apart from other social networks. It’s a habit to get into, which can greatly benefit your performance on the application!
4 – Find a niche
Competition on TikTok is already tough, in fact the social network has a myriad of influencers in the main segments (health, beauty, fashion, sports, leisure, etc.). The ideal way to stand out and get views is to target a niche – in other words, a small segment of the audience.
A good way to find a niche is to respond to a specific problem. For example, in the field of fashion, it could be: How to dress when you are tall (or short). Finding a niche that is both relevant and still not saturated is a good way to quickly gain views and establish yourself as an authority.
5 – Collaborate with other content creators
TikTok encourages users to collaborate with its “Duos” feature. This option is interesting since it allows two TikTokers to take advantage of their respective exposure.
Content creators who are new to the app can therefore benefit from the popularity of other creators with a larger follower base. Of course, the collaboration must be relevant and in line with what your audience is looking for. Another interesting and simple option to implement to quickly gain views!
6 – Create engaging and quality content
Your video quality is a determining factor of success. On TikTok, the best videos are short, impactful, and tell a relevant story that your target can relate to. Storytelling is a key element of your strategy on TikTok, and is based on a detailed knowledge of your followers: what are their interests? What issues do they face? What are their aspirations and fears?
To maximize views, it’s also best to pay attention to how you, your business, and your product come across. This helps your video stand out among the many others in the user’s feed. Another key component is humour, which maximises engagement and can potentially make your content go viral.
7 – Optimise the timing and frequency of your posts
Popularity on TikTok doesn’t depend solely on the quality of the content, although it is the number 1 criterion. In fact, you can considerably increase the number of views on a video by publishing it at the right time. According to several studies, the best times to post on TikTok are in the morning between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., and in the evening between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.That said, the best strategy is to work out exactly when your audience’s engagement is at its highest, thanks to the statistics available on your professional account.
Posting frequency is another key aspect to consider in order to gain views. The more frequently you post, the more you remain visible in your subscribers’ feeds. The ideal post frequency varies between 1 and 3 videos per day.
8 – Create educational and explanatory videos
While humour is all the rage on TikTok, another type of content that’s doing well is educational tutorials. Many users follow TikTok accounts to discover tips or advice corresponding to their areas of interest. Certain areas, such as beauty and wellbeing, are particularly suitable for this type of content.
Explanatory or educational videos come in all shapes and sizes: how to solve a daily problem, give an answer to a frequently asked question, shed light on an unusual aspect of your product or theme… the possibilities are numerous!
9 – Share your video on other communication channels
Another way to generate views on TikTok is to share your content on other social networks. This is particularly relevant if you are a brand, and/or if you already have a strong audience on other platforms.
To improve the visibility of your TikTok account, go ahead and share your videos on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or even LinkedIn and Pinterest. Many successful influencers do this! The TikTok-Instagram association works particularly well, with the roll-out of Instagram’s Reel format.
Finally, a little extra tip for easily getting more followers and views is to insert the link of your TikTok account on all your social media accounts.
10 – Interact with others to make a name for yourself
TikTok is above all a social network, which means that you have to interact and create connections to make a name for yourself. Unless you already have authority in your field, gaining visibility requires frequent interaction: by subscribing to relevant accounts, by commenting and liking videos… Of course, these interactions must be natural and relevant. Avoid posting the same stereotypical comment on several videos!
The more interesting, sincere, and personalised your comments are, the more curious TikTok users will be to see your content.
By Nathan Elmaleh
