TikTok has exploded in popularity over the last few years. As of January 2023, TikTok has over 1 billion monthly active users worldwide (TikTok Statistics). It is one of the fastest growing social media platforms, especially among Gen Z. TikTok allows users to create and share short videos, often set to music.
Likes are an important metric on TikTok. When someone likes your video, it means they enjoyed it and appreciated your content. Getting a high number of likes helps your video be seen by more people on TikTok. Likes also validate your work and can motivate you to create more videos. Overall, likes are a simple way for users to interact and provide feedback on others’ videos on the platform.
Viewing Likes on Your Own Videos
When you post a video on TikTok, you can easily see how many likes your video has received. The like count for your videos is displayed directly under the video.
On the main feed after posting a video, you’ll see an icon that looks like a heart. Directly next to this heart icon is the number of likes your video has received. This makes it easy to quickly view the like count on your own videos.
You can also view the like count on your videos from your profile. Navigate to your profile and tap on the video you want to see likes for. Again, the number of likes will be shown right next to the heart icon under the video.
Likes are an important metric on TikTok to measure viewer engagement. Checking the like count on your own videos helps you gauge how they are performing. Higher like numbers generally mean a video is reaching more users and being enjoyed.
Seeing Who Liked a Video
If you want to see the specific accounts that have liked your own videos on TikTok, you can easily access this information. TikTok allows creators to view a list of accounts that have liked their content. To see who liked your video:
1. Open the TikTok app and go to your profile page. Tap on the video you want to see the likes for.
2. Tap on the heart icon below the video. This will open up a list of the accounts that have liked that video.
The list shows the profile picture, username, and any verification badges for each account that liked the video. You can tap on any account in the list to visit their profile. This gives you a quick overview of who your content is resonating with and which types of accounts are engaging with your videos.[1]
One limitation is that you can only see the first 500 accounts that liked your video. If your video has received more than 500 likes, you’ll need to use a third-party service to see the full list of accounts.
Likes on Other Users’ Videos
Whether or not you can see the like counts on other TikTok users’ videos depends on if their account is set to private or public. For videos posted by users with a public account, you can see the total number of likes the video has received. However, you cannot see a list of individual users who liked the video.
For private accounts, you cannot see the like counts at all on their videos. TikTok intentionally keeps this information private to protect user privacy. Only the owner of the private account can see insights into how many likes their own videos received.
There is no way around this privacy feature to see private like counts or lists of individual likers on someone else’s TikTok videos. The visibility settings are controlled fully by each user. So if you want to see more insights into a private account’s engagement, you would need to directly ask them to share the analytics. TikTok does not provide a “backdoor” method for bypassing someone’s privacy settings.
In summary, like counts are fully visible on public videos but completely hidden on private videos. And individual lists of likers are never available to anyone but the original video creator.
Comparison to Other Platforms
TikTok’s likes differ significantly from likes on other major social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. On Instagram, getting a high number of likes is seen as a status symbol and indicator of popularity. YouTube focuses more on view count, comments, and subscriber numbers as key metrics. Facebook likes can help increase visibility but aren’t as emphasized as on Instagram.
On TikTok, likes take on a different level of importance. They are the primary way users interact and show appreciation for videos. TikTok’s algorithm uses like counts to determine which videos to promote in feeds. While views matter, a video with fewer views but high engagement through likes can outperform a video with more views but fewer likes. As this Influencer Marketing Hub article notes, the high average time spent on TikTok means users are more actively engaging than just passively viewing.
Additionally, the viral nature of TikTok means videos can quickly amass likes in the thousands or millions. On YouTube, a video with 50 likes could be performing decently, but that would be low for a viral TikTok. The fast-moving nature of TikTok means likes come quickly for trending videos. In summary, likes are central to the TikTok experience and culture in a way that differs from likes on other platforms.
Importance of Likes
Likes play a crucial role in the TikTok algorithm and helping videos go viral. TikTok’s recommendation system is powered by an algorithm that determines which videos to show each user based on past engagement and preferences. Likes signal to the algorithm that a video is resonating with viewers, so videos with more likes are more likely to be recommended by TikTok.
When a video starts getting lots of likes soon after it’s posted, this signals that it has viral potential. The algorithm detects this high early engagement and starts recommending the video to more and more users. This is how videos can quickly snowball from just a few likes into tens of thousands or even millions of likes and views. According to experts, getting over 1,000 likes within the first hour of posting gives a video the best chance of going viral on TikTok.
Likes are one of the top signals of a high-quality and engaging video to TikTok. Accounts that consistently produce videos getting lots of likes tend to be rewarded with more prominent placement in feeds and recommendations. This makes it important for creators to understand what type of content gets the most likes from their target audience.
Increasing Likes
There are several tips you can use to get more likes on your TikTok videos:
Use relevant hashtags so your content shows up in searches. The more views you get, the more potential likes. Target hashtags with high volumes but low competition. According to WordStream, niche hashtags work better than general ones.
Optimize your captions to encourage likes. Ask viewers questions or make your captions interactive. Invite them to like or engage with your video.
Follow trends and challenges that are popular on TikTok. This exposes your content to new audiences already interested in that topic. Make trending audio your own by adding a unique spin.
Post consistently and stay active on the platform. TikTok’s algorithm rewards active posters by showing your content to more users. Post at least once per day, and ideally 3-5 times. Publer recommends going live daily.
Collaborate with other creators. Do duets, stitches, or co-create content to tap into each other’s followers. Larger creators may be open to promotions.
Certain types of entertaining, helpful, or emotional content tends to get high engagement. Comedy skits, life hacks, DIY, and pet videos often go viral. Also consider current events, causes, or inspirational stories.
Paid Services
Some companies offer services to buy TikTok likes from real accounts. These services claim to provide high-quality, authentic likes to help videos gain more visibility on TikTok. However, there are risks associated with buying TikTok likes.
According to Times Standard, some of the top sites for purchasing TikTok likes include UseViral, Stormlikes, and Media Mister. These services charge around $2-5 for every 100 TikTok likes. The likes come from real TikTok users located in the target country.
While buying likes may temporarily increase engagement, it does not guarantee long-term growth. Purchased likes can disappear if TikTok detects inauthentic activity. Services that deliver likes too quickly can get accounts banned for violating TikTok’s terms of service. Quality services build likes slowly to appear more natural.
Experts recommend focusing on creating high-quality, engaging content rather than buying likes. Purchased likes will not convert to real fans or followers. By optimizing content and using relevant hashtags, creators can gain authentic engagement and likes from a target audience.
Likes vs Other Metrics
On TikTok, there are several metrics that can help measure the success of videos and profiles. The main metrics are likes, views, comments, and shares. Here is how they differ:
Likes indicate how many users enjoyed and endorsed the video. Getting a high number of likes helps increase a video’s overall engagement. Likes also factor into what content the algorithm recommends to users. More likes generally means a video will be shared more on the For You page. According to experts, “likes are essential, the more the better” (source).
Views show how many times a video has been watched. While high view counts are good, views alone don’t guarantee someone truly engaged with the content. Videos can get views without being liked or shared.
Comments demonstrate active engagement. Users who comment had to take the time to share their reactions, making comments one of the strongest forms of engagement. Videos with lots of comments tend to rank well in the algorithm.
Shares indicate users thought a video was worth passing onto others. Content that gets shared reaches new audiences. Experts recommend paying attention to “verticals or topics that create contagious content” to encourage more sharing (source).
While all metrics are important, likes appear to be the most critical factor for success on TikTok. Likes directly influence how the algorithm recommends videos. By optimizing content to get more likes, creators can expand their reach and visibility on TikTok.
Conclusion
TikTok likes are an important metric for measuring the success and reach of videos on the platform. By viewing the number of likes your own videos receive, you can gauge audience engagement and determine which types of content resonate most. While TikTok doesn’t allow you to see exactly who liked a specific video, there are some workarounds to get a general sense of your audience. Brands and influencers often rely heavily on likes as a key performance indicator, so increasing likes should be a priority.
Compared to other social platforms, TikTok places more emphasis on likes as a primary form of interaction. While views are important, likes better signify when a video makes an impression and spurs users to engage. Tracking your likes over time can reveal valuable insights to improve your content strategy and growth on TikTok.
To learn more about maximizing your engagement and reach on TikTok, consult the platform’s Creator Portal which offers best practices for creators. You can also explore third-party services that provide additional analytics around your TikTok performance. With the right strategy, consistently creating engaging content, and analyzing your likes, you can build a thriving audience on one of the fastest growing entertainment platforms.
