TikTok has quickly grown to become one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 1 billion monthly active users. The app’s powerful algorithm is the driving force behind its addictive For You page, which serves up an endless stream of short videos tailored to each user’s interests and engagement.
To be successful on TikTok and gain a large following, it’s essential to understand how the algorithm works and optimize your content accordingly. In this article, we’ll provide tips on how to work with the TikTok algorithm to boost your views, likes, comments, shares, and overall discoverability on the platform. We’ll cover how to:
- Create high-quality, engaging videos
- Use trending sounds and hashtags
- Optimize video metadata
- Post at peak times
- Interact with viewers
- Collaborate with influencers
- Analyze performance data
- Promote outside of TikTok
- Continuously iterate and improve
By following these tips, you can master the TikTok algorithm and build a thriving, growing audience for your account.
Create High-Quality Videos
The first step to success on TikTok’s algorithm is creating high-quality videos that people will want to watch and engage with. Well-lit videos with clear image and audio quality tend to perform better. Use natural lighting during the day or invest in some affordable lighting equipment for shooting at night. Ensure the camera is stable and in focus by using a tripod. Check the video preview and redo any blurry or shaky shots.
Also think carefully about entertaining or helpful concepts and hooks that will capture viewer attention within the first few seconds. Consistent branding with elements like logos, colors, fonts, and editing styles help build an identifiable presence on TikTok. Refer to successful accounts in your niche for inspiration on branding.
Additionally, shoot in the highest resolution possible like 4K at 24fps for a cinematic feel and manually adjust focus and exposure for a more professional look (Source: https://www.mixcord.co/blogs/content-creators/how-to-get-better-quality-on-tiktok). Turn off TikTok’s data saver in the app settings to allow high quality uploads (Source: https://www.submagic.co/blog/high-quality-upload-tiktok).
Use Trending Sounds
One of the best ways to increase views and engagement on TikTok is to leverage popular audios and songs. You can discover trending sounds by browsing TikTok’s trending hashtag pages or using sites like Tokboard and Mojo to see what sounds are currently going viral.
When using a trending sound, it’s important to put your own unique spin on it. Try using the sound in an unexpected context or pairing it with unexpected visuals. You could also use part of the audio and transitions to your own original audio. The goal is to make your video creatively stand out from the crowded field of other videos using the same sound.
Leveraging popular sounds can help get your content in front of viewers already interested in that meme or song. But make sure your video offers something new and entertaining above just repeating the same joke or trend.
Optimize Video Metadata
One of the most important parts of ranking well on TikTok is optimizing your video metadata, including the title, description, and hashtags. According to research from Megadigital, using relevant keywords in your metadata makes it easier for viewers to find your content through searches [1]. When picking keywords, be sure to choose words and phrases people are actually searching for rather than generic terms. The title and description offer space to include primary and secondary keywords.
The key is striking a balance – you want to incorporate keywords, but in a natural way that relates to the video content. Avoid keyword stuffing or repeating the same phrases just for rankings. According to Sunnyside Social Media, the title should be around 60 characters long and clearly convey the topic [2]. The description can provide more context in 160-200 characters. Use keywords naturally in sentences.
Relevant hashtags also help surface videos and are essentially the TikTok equivalent of keywords. Include a mix of popular/trending hashtags along with niche ones directly related to your content. Place more general hashtags first, then go into specific. Avoid spam tagging unrelated hashtags just for visibility. With strategic optimization, you can improve discoverability and views.
Post at Peak Times
Posting at peak times when the most TikTok users are active can help increase engagement and views. Research shows that late afternoon and evening tend to see higher engagement across most time zones.
According to one analysis, the peak times to post are 2:30-4pm and 6:30-9:30pm in your target audience’s local time source. This is when users are winding down their day and spending time on TikTok for entertainment.
You’ll want to determine when those peak evening hours are for your target demographic based on their time zone. Adjust your posting schedule to align with when your audience will be most active on TikTok to boost visibility.
Additionally, late morning around 10-11am can also see higher engagement as people check TikTok during their coffee break source. Test posting at both afternoon and late morning times to see when your audience responds best.
Interact with Viewers
One of the best ways to boost engagement on TikTok is to frequently interact with your viewers in the comments. According to Keyhole, replying to comments is the #1 tip for increasing your TikTok engagement rate. When creators take the time to reply to comments, it shows followers that they care about them. Viewers appreciate getting a response from the creator, feeling noticed and validated.
Some best practices for interacting with viewers include:
- Reply to as many comments as possible. Prioritize responding to positive comments, questions, and any negative feedback.
- Like comments to acknowledge them without always needing to reply.
- Follow supporters who regularly comment and engage with your content. This helps build a community.
- Ask viewers questions to spark dialogue. Polls and Q&As get people participating.
The more creators can make their followers feel seen and heard, the more likely those viewers will stay engaged over the long term. Replying to comments is time-consuming but worth the high return on investment.
Collaborate with Influencers
One of the most effective ways to gain more views and followers on TikTok is by collaborating with popular influencers in guest appearances or co-marketing partnerships. As noted in tips from TikTok’s Creators Portal, “Influencers can collaborate with other content creators in 3 ways.”
First, influencers can make guest appearances in each other’s videos. Charli D’Amelio, one of TikTok’s top stars with over 130 million followers, has collaborated with various brands like Takis to reach wider audiences. Bringing in a top influencer for a guest role is a great way to expose your content to their follower base.
Second, co-marketing partnerships allow both influencers to cross-promote to each other’s audiences. An example is a campaign between Khaby Lame and Hugo Boss, in which Lame created branded content while also being featured on Hugo Boss’ TikTok account. This two-way partnership provides value for both parties.
The key is to strategically choose influencer collaborations that align with your brand and can expand your reach. As noted by Planly, “the right influencer collaboration can do wonders for your TikTok strategy.” Focus on influencers whose audience and content style match your goals.
Analyze Performance Data
To understand what content resonates with your audience, it’s important to leverage TikTok’s built-in analytics. You can view key metrics like plays, comments, shares, followers gained, and more to identify your top performing videos.
Analyzing this data will reveal insights about your audience’s preferences that you can use to fine-tune your approach. Pay attention to factors like what time of day posts get the most traction, which hashtags drive the most views, your most engaging video lengths, and which sounds or effects seem to attract attention.
As recommended in Understanding your analytics | Creator Portal, check your analytics regularly to stay on top of how your audience is responding. Tweak your content strategy based on the trends you spot in the data to maximize the algorithm.
Promote Outside TikTok
To maximize reach, it’s important to promote your TikTok content on other social media platforms and websites where your audience is active. You can easily repurpose TikTok videos for other platforms by downloading the video file and uploading it natively. Some effective ways to cross-promote TikTok content include:
Linking to your TikTok profile or individual videos from your Instagram bio and Stories. Instagram’s algorithm favors native video, so uploading TikTok videos directly to Instagram can be very effective.
Embedding TikTok videos on your website and blog. Many content management systems like WordPress allow you to easily embed TikTok videos to make your content more engaging.
Sharing TikTok videos on Twitter with relevant hashtags and captions. Twitter’s focus on real-time content makes it a great platform for TikTok video distribution.
Posting TikTok video links and previews on Facebook. Facebook still has a very large active user base compared to TikTok, so leveraging it can expose your content to new audiences.
Collaborating with influencers in your niche to cross-promote each other’s TikTok content on other platforms can amplify reach tremendously. According to The Art of TikTok Cross-Promotion, asking influencers to share your TikTok content with their followers on Instagram, Twitter, etc. can be very effective for growth.
Persist and Iterate
Consistency is key when trying to find success on TikTok. As the algorithm favors accounts that post regularly, you need to keep creating and sharing videos frequently to increase your chances of going viral. As one TikTok influencer says, “Persistence conquers all” (source). Keep posting even if your view counts are low at first – persistence is the key to success.
You also need to continuously improve and adapt based on performance data and audience feedback. Analyze which videos are performing best and try to replicate that success. Ask viewers what they want to see more of. Experiment with new content formats, effects, sounds, etc. The TikTok algorithm is constantly evolving so you need to iterate quickly to stay ahead of the curve. As you persistently post quality content, your account will gain momentum over time.
