Strategy
Learn how to get more views on TikTok with engaging content that will have your audience coming back for more.
Stacey McLachlan September 14, 2022
The time has come: you’ve started a TikTok account —congratulations!
You’ve embraced the short-form video app that’s been sweeping the globe (2 billion downloads and counting!) and have been creating videos, honing your TikTok editing skills and perfecting your Doja Cat dance moves.
But making creative videos about donut cereal or mom pranks is just one step in building a successful TikTok presence. Because you’ve got to get people to actually watch your videos, too.
We’ve got you covered. Read on for 15 essential strategies for getting more views on TikTok. We’re gonna make you a star!
Table of Contents
What is a “view” on TikTok?
How much does TikTok pay per view?
Should you buy TikTok views?
15 ways to get more TikTok views
Bonus: Get a free TikTok Growth Checklist from famous TikTok creator Tiffy Chen that shows you how to gain 1.6 million followers with only 3 studio lights and iMovie.
What is a “view” on TikTok?
Different social media platforms measure “views” in different ways, but on TikTok, it’s super simple: the very second your video starts to play, it’s counted as a view.
If the video autoplays or loops, or a viewer comes back to watch it multiple times, those all count as new views. (When you watch your own video, however, those views are not counted.)
Getting someone to watch all the way to the end? That’s a different story. But with that fairly low barrier to entry for what counts as a “view,” racking up the metrics on TikTok isn’t too tough.
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How much does TikTok pay per view?
TikTok launched its Creator Fund in August 2020 to offer payouts to the platform’s most popular and successful users. Or, as TikTok itself describes it:
“Through the TikTok Creator Fund, our creators will be able to realize additional earnings that help reward the care and dedication they put into creatively connecting with an audience that’s inspired by their ideas.”
There’s no standardized fee amount or payment plan (the amount available in the Creator Fund changes daily, apparently), but expect to make between $0.02 and $0.04 per 1,000 views.
Source: TikTok
But not just anyone can cash in on TikTok’s generosity. To be eligible for TikTok Creator Fund payments, you need to meet all of the following criteria:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Have a minimum of 10,000 followers.
- Have had a minimum of 100,000 video views in the past 30 days.
- Be based in the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain or Italy. (Sorry, Canada!)
- Your account needs to meet the TikTok Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.
If that’s you, you can apply for the Creator Fund via the app. Go to Settings and Privacy, then Creator Tools, then TikTok Creator Fund. If you’re eligible, you’ll be prompted to enter your contact info and agree to the Creator Fund Agreement.
Should you buy TikTok views?
No! You shouldn’t buy TikTok views! Stop it! Put that credit card down!
As we learned from our recent experiment of buying TikTok followers, it’s not possible to shop for social media success.
Maybe your view metrics will go up, but your engagement rate will plummet, you won’t gain any followers, and the audience you’ve hired to watch will all eventually be removed by TikTok anyways.
Save your money, and invest your time instead… into following these hot tips for building authentic, lasting engagement.
15 ways to get more TikTok views
1. Add hashtags to your videos
Hashtags are a powerful tool in your TikTok arsenal. It’s how the all-mighty TikTok algorithm identifies what you’re posting about and who might be interested in watching it. Hashtags are also essential for helping users discover your content via search. If you’re looking to make a TikTok hashtag strategy, you’ll definitely want to watch our video:
Going niche with specific hashtags relevant to your audience and topic is one angle to take.
There’s also some evidence to suggest trending topics are more likely to end up on the For You page, so it can be worthwhile to watch for what’s currently trending and hop into the conversation with related content (that’s still authentic to your brand, of course).
To find out which hashtags are trending, tap on the Discover tab, and then tap Trends at the top of the screen.
A little data to help motivate you: 61% of TikTok users said they like brands better when they create or participate in a TikTok trend.
2. Keep it short and sweet
Though TikTok videos can now be up to three minutes long, videos under 30 seconds are more likely to wind up on the FYP. It’s also more likely someone would rewatch something that’s fast-and-furious a second or third time.
Noodles the Dog keeps it tight with this 12-second video that made its way onto the FYP. Short, sweet and Squid Game-themed: ingredients for success.
@noodles.thefrenchie ✨spoiler alert✨ – POV: this guy ate the extra boiled egg to stir up a fight #squidgame #squidgamenetflix #foryou
3. Trending sound effects
Hashtags aren’t the only element of TikTok that has its own trend cycle. TikTok Sounds also tend to go through waves of popularity. Keep your eyes (well, ears — the eyes of the auditory system, if you will!) peeled for recurring sound clips that you might be able to riff on, too.
You can also discover trending sounds by tapping the Create (+) button in the app, and then tapping Add Sound. Here, you’ll see the current most popular audio clips.
4. Find your specific audience
There’s a specific sub-genre of TikTok for everyone out there, from the oh-so literary BookTok to a vibrant rug-tufting community. Figure out who you want to be hanging out with, and observe popular accounts in those communities to see what sort of hashtags, formats and references they might be using to inspire your own related content.
@jumpp.mann Not bad for a first try 🤷🏽♂️ #rugtufting #art #tufting #rugtok #rugmaking #thesimpsons #commissionart #tuftinggun
Commenting and liking can also help you build relationships with your specific audience. Hopefully, your insightful responses will inspire a fellow book(tok)worm to come check out what kind of content you’re creating on your own page.
5. Try a how-to video
Educational content does really well on TikTok, so get into know-it-all mode and share your wisdom with the world.
How-to videos are particularly popular, but even answering a frequently asked question or shedding light on a surprising element of your industry, job or product can be a delightful break from the never-ending danceathon.
These upcycling videos from Vintage Restock, for instance, garner a serious amount of views. Will they be able to combine three pairs of pants into one? We’re glued to the screen, waiting to find out!
@vintagestockreserve Custom Adidas Track Pants🔥 #diy #upcycledfashion #adidas #custom
6. Dabble in some duets
TikTok’s Duets feature is a great way to capitalize on an already popular video to build your own views.
With Duets, you can share a split-screen with another user’s video to sing along, create a funny dialogue, or give your hot take… and piggyback on some proven content to collect your own sweet, sweet views. (Check our how-to guide for TikTok’s most popular video editing features here!)
@tiktok 🚨New feature alert!🚨more #Duet layouts are now available. Try them out now!
7. Team up with an influencer or special guest
Whether you’ve hired an influencer or celebrity guest star or teamed up with another brand for a cross-over opportunity, bringing in some outside voices into your TikTok videos is an easy way to access a new audience.
Your special guest will help shine a spotlight on the content you’ve made and attract the eyeballs of their fans to your video — like photographer MaryV did for Calvin Klein.
@calvinklein #advicetomyyoungerself by MaryV. #PROUDINMYCALVINS #lgbtq #pride #showyourpride
8. Promote your TikTok content on your other social channels
Chances are, TikTok is part of your larger social media strategy, and you probably are active on a few other platforms out there. Lure those audiences over to your TikToks by sharing video teasers elsewhere.
A little snippet on Instagram Stories here, a link on Twitter there, and you’ve got yourself a full-fledged omnichannel social campaign on the go!
9. Keep them watching
While it’s true that users only need to watch a fraction of a second of your video for you to earn a “view,” it’s actually super important to keep them watching all the way to the end.
That’s because the TikTok algorithm prioritizes videos with high completion rates. It wants to serve up quality content as For You Page recommendations.
So… how do you hold your audience’s attention ‘til the bitter end? Play with their curiosity, and offer value. Hook them in the first few seconds with a promise of what’s coming if they stick with it (tutorial videos and recipes are great for this!), or use captions that build suspense (like Bella Poarch’s “Wait for it” below) for a big reveal.
@bellapoarch Wait for it…. 🦙🍑 ✨
10. Don’t forget the caption
There may only be 150 characters to play with in your TikTok caption, but they can serve you well. Your caption is a chance to tell viewers why they should watch your video (hopefully right to the end — see above!) or get the conversation going in the comments.
Ultimately, you want people watching and engaging with your video, so the algorithm learns that, yeah, this is the good stuff. Your caption is a free, easy way to make one more pitch to your audience for why they should speak up or sit back and enjoy.
Meanwhile, the caption is a crucial place for planting your topic keywords if you have a TikTok SEO strategy. By getting your TikToks to rank in search, you’ll be driving more views over the long term, not just following trends. To learn more about TikTok SEO, watch our video:
11. Set up a TikTok Creator or TikTok Business account
TikTok’s pro accounts won’t give you a boost on to the FYP, but both the Creator and Business accounts give you access to metrics and insights that can help you better analyze and understand your audience.
It’s simple to switch over to a Business or Creator TikTok profile. Just go to Manage Account and select Switch to Business Account. Choose the best category, and you’re ready to dig into the data!
These insights can reveal who your existing audience is, when they’re online, and what kind of content they like to watch — all helpful for building out your content calendar and planning the best time to post.
Speaking of which…
12. Post your video at the right time
If you’re posting when no one is using the app, you’re definitely not going to get the views you’re craving. So check your account analytics to discover when your followers are active so that you can drop your latest video at juuuuust the right time for maximum exposure.
Using Hootsuite, you can schedule your TikToks for any time in the future. (TikTok’s native scheduler only allows users to schedule TikToks up to 10 days in advance.) Our TikTok scheduler will even recommend the best times to post your content for maximum engagement — unique to your account!
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13. Upload multiple videos a day
Things move fast over in the TikTokaverse. Don’t worry about oversaturating your followers: just get creative and churn out that quality content. In fact, TikTok recommends posting 1-4 times per day.
The more videos you have, the more likely you’re going to wind up on someone’s For You page, and the more likely it is they’re going to come looking for more.
14. Create high-quality videos
Well, if you’re not going to say it, we will: duh.
Make sure your videos look good (decent lighting and sound quality, some peppy edits) and people will be more likely to want to watch them.
This couple, for instance, has invested in some high-quality cameras for their mirror selfies… and it pays off. Is this a Hollywood FILM?
@lexibrookerivera @andrew.davila
TikTok also tends to prioritize high-quality videos on the FYP, so you’re going to want to give ‘em the good stuff. Shoot in vertical format, incorporate sound, and use effects (for bonus points, try using one of TikTok’s trending effects).
Once those views start pouring in, of course, your TikTok journey has really only begun. The real money metric? Followers: loyal fans who will be there through thick and through thin.
15. Make a playlist
TikTok playlists (a.k.a. creator playlists) are a relatively new feature that let creators organize their videos into playlists. This makes it easy for viewers to consume videos that are similar to content they’ve already enjoyed.
Playlists sit at the top of your profile, above your regularly published or pinned videos (as shown in the photo below).
The TikTok playlist feature isn’t available for everyone. Only select creators have the ability to add them to their profiles.
You’ll know if you’re in the club if you have the option to create playlists in the Video tab on your profile.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to get more views on TikTok, head on over to our guide to getting TikTok followers to start building your dream team of admirers. Just imagine the views you’ll rack up then!
Grow your TikTok presence alongside your other social channels using Hootsuite. From a single dashboard, you can schedule and publish posts for the best times, engage your audience, and measure performance. Try it free today.
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By Stacey McLachlan
Stacey McLachlan is an award-winning writer and editor from Vancouver with more than a decade of experience working for print and digital publications.
She is editor-at-large for Western Living and Vancouver Magazine, author of the National Magazine Award-nominated 'City Informer' column, and a regular contributor to Dwell. Her previous work covers a wide range of topics, from SEO-focused thought-leadership to profiles of mushroom foragers, but her specialties include design, people, social media strategy, and humor.
You can usually find her at the beach, or cleaning sand out of her bag.
Read more by Stacey McLachlan
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