TikTok is a popular social media platform that allows users to create and share short videos. Since launching in 2016, it has grown rapidly to over 1 billion monthly active users in 2022 (source). TikTok is especially popular among younger audiences, with over 60% of its users being between the ages of 10 and 29 (source).
Gaining followers on TikTok is important for several reasons. More followers means your videos have the potential to reach a larger audience. This increased exposure can lead to more engagement in the form of likes, comments, and shares. For content creators, having an audience that actively engages with your content is crucial for building influence on the platform. Additionally, gaining followers opens up opportunities for collaborations, sponsorships, and monetization through TikTok’s Creator Fund. Essentially, followers are an indication of your success and reach on TikTok.
Optimizing Your Profile
Your profile is the first thing new viewers will see when deciding whether to follow you, so it’s important to make a good impression. Here are some tips for optimizing your TikTok profile:
Choose an appealing profile photo that shows your face clearly. According to TikTok statistics, videos from accounts with a profile photo receive significantly higher average views. Stay on-brand and choose a photo that communicates your niche or content style. Consider using photography editing tools to enhance your photo’s quality.
Craft an interesting, concise bio that describes who you are and what you post about. Include relevant keywords and hashtags that are commonly searched in your niche so new viewers can easily find you. For example, popular TikTok influencers like @charlidamelio include hashtags like #foryoupage and #viral in their bios. But don’t overstuff your bio with too many irrelevant hashtags.
Link other social media profiles like YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter so viewers can connect with you on multiple platforms. This helps expand your overall following.
Consider adding some emojis or personality to your bio to showcase your brand image. But keep it professional looking – no overuse of emoji or unrelated hashtags.
Check back periodically to update your bio as your channel evolves. Keep it optimized for searchability and clicks.
Making Shareable Content
One of the best ways to increase your TikTok followers is to create content that is highly shareable and likely to go viral. According to TikTok’s 2022 recap, trending sounds and viral challenges took over the platform, with dances, comedy sketches, daily vlogs, and cute animal videos transcending cultures and languages.
To make shareable content, you’ll want to tap into the latest trending topics, sounds, effects, and viral challenges. Stay on top of what’s trending each month by checking TikTok’s Trending page or hashtag challenges. For example, in 2022 popular trends included the coronary隔离舞challenge, chopping videos, and the telepathy trend.
You can also use TikTok’s creative editing tools and effects to make engaging videos. Try adding trending sounds, using green screen effects, stitching multiple clips together, and leveraging other creative video editing techniques. The key is to make entertaining, high-quality videos that will capture attention and get widely shared.
According to TikTok’s 2022 Year in Review, dance challenges, viral sounds, and lighthearted content resonated most with audiences this past year. By tapping into trending topics and using creative effects, you can increase your chances of creating a hit video that gets lots of views, shares, and new followers.
Using Hashtags Strategically
Hashtags are essential for increasing your visibility and reach on TikTok. By using relevant hashtags, you can get your videos shown to users who don’t already follow you. According to research, using a mix of popular and niche hashtags is the best strategy.
First, do your research to find trending and popular hashtags. You can use TikTok’s search bar to see which hashtags are generating high volumes of views. Monitoring hashtag trends each week can clue you into rising trends. According to Sprout Social, you should also search for hashtags relevant to your content’s topic, even if they are less popular. Mixing niche hashtags with broader ones strikes the right balance.
“Adding hashtags to your captions can help you get your content in front of TikTok users who aren’t already following you,” says Sprout Social (https://sproutsocial.com/insights/tiktok-hashtags/).
For example, a makeup tutorial video could include popular beauty hashtags like #makeuptutorial along with more specific ones like #eyeshadowtutorial. Using a good mix can help more users find your content while also targeting a relevant niche.
Posting Consistently
To gain a consistent viewership and increase followers on TikTok, it’s important to post frequently and consistently. Most experts recommend posting at least 1-3 times per day, especially when you’re just starting out and trying to build an audience.
According to a WordStream article, try to post at least once per day for the first 2-3 weeks on the platform, then you can taper off to 3-5 times per week once your account is more established. Posting daily, especially during peak hours, will help get your content in front of more viewers.
It’s a good idea to create content in advance and schedule posts so you have a consistent queue of content ready to go. Using TikTok’s built-in scheduling tool or third party social media management platforms like Hootsuite allows you to stay consistent without constantly having to create new content.
Staying active by posting daily when you’re first starting out can help the TikTok algorithm pick up your account and videos faster. As you build an audience, you can adjust your posting frequency, but consistency is key.
Interacting with Others
One of the best ways to get more engagement and build an audience on TikTok is by interacting with other users. This means commenting on viral videos related to your niche and collaborating by duetting popular TikToks. [1]
When you comment on trending content, you increase the chances of being seen by others interested in that topic or video. Thoughtful, value-adding comments show your expertise and can lead to more profile visits. Respond to comments you receive as well. Two-way engagement helps build community.
Duetting goes a step further by allowing you to record a reaction video alongside someone else’s content. Choose videos with high view counts or from influencers in your space. Display your unique perspective and highlight their content. The original creator will often reshare the duet, exposing you to their followers.
Keep interactions authentic and add to the conversation. This active engagement, especially on viral content, leverages TikTok’s algorithm to make your profile more discoverable.
[1] https://www.plannthat.com/7-proven-tiktok-engagement-hacks/
Collaborations and Shoutouts
One effective way to gain more followers on TikTok is by collaborating with influencers in your niche or doing shoutout exchanges. Reaching out to influencers with larger followings in your niche is a great way to get exposure to their existing audience. When doing this, make sure to identify influencers that are aligned with your brand and content style. Offer to collaborate on a TikTok video together or propose doing a shoutout for a shoutout.
For example, beauty influencers often collaborate together on makeup tutorials or reviews. If you have a smaller beauty account, you could reach out to larger creators to collaborate on a video. This gives their followers exposure to your account. Similarly, fitness influencers will often do shoutout exchanges where they promote each other’s accounts in their stories or posts. Reaching out to creators in your niche with propositions for collaborations or cross-promotions can be an effective way to gain more TikTok followers organically.
According to a case study from TikTok’s Success Stories page, a shoutout from a top TikTok influencer in the gaming industry helped the EA Sports FIFA account gain over 150,000 new followers in just 3 days. Strategic collaborations and shoutouts leverage the audience of existing influencers to grow your own following.
Promoting Your Account
Cross-promoting your TikTok account on other social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter can help drive traffic to your TikTok profile. Share your best TikTok videos on these other platforms and encourage people to follow you on TikTok. You can also link to your TikTok account in your Instagram bio or YouTube descriptions. According to Sprout Social, cross-promoting your content can increase your audience by 15-25%.
Running paid TikTok ads is another effective way to promote your account and videos. TikTok’s self-serve ads platform allows you to target specific demographics, set budgets, and track performance. You can run different campaign objectives like video views, traffic, conversions, app installs, and more. TikTok’s audience network also lets you run ads on other apps. According to Hootsuite, the average TikTok video ad CTR is 5.6%, much higher than other platforms.
Analytics and Optimization
TikTok provides a powerful analytics tool that allows you to track key metrics and improve your content strategy based on performance. Some of the most important metrics to monitor include:
Views – This shows how many times your videos have been viewed in total. It’s important to aim for high view counts.
Likes – The number of likes indicates how well your content resonates with viewers. Popular videos tend to have a strong like to view ratio.
Comments – High comment numbers demonstrate that viewers are engaged and interacting with your videos.
Shares – When people share your video it expands its reach. Track shares to see which videos prompt viewers to share.
Playtime – This metric shows the total duration your videos were viewed. Longer playtimes signal you’re holding viewer attention.
Followers – Gaining followers means your account is growing. Monitor follower growth over time.
Regularly analyzing your performance data allows you to see what video types and topics perform best. You can then optimize your approach by creating more of your top-performing content. Tweaking your caption wording, hashtags, post timing, etc. based on analytics can also help boost engagement.
Maintaining Growth
Once you’ve built up a sizable following on TikTok, it’s important to focus on maintaining that growth. According to Buffer, one key is to continue engaging with your existing followers. Respond to comments, like videos, and engage in duets to keep followers interested in your content. Make an effort to build relationships and foster a sense of community.
It’s also crucial to stay relevant with the latest TikTok trends and sounds, while still remaining authentic to your brand. As new viral challenges and audios emerge on the platform, consider participating in trends that align with your niche and identity. This shows followers you are in tune with what’s popular on TikTok, while giving your content a better chance of being discovered.
By consistently providing value to your audience and adapting to shifts in the TikTok landscape, you can maintain momentum and sustain a growing, engaged follower base over time.
