TikTok is a popular social media app that allows users to watch, create, and share short videos. Since launching internationally in 2018, TikTok has grown to over 1 billion monthly active users, making it one of the most downloaded apps in the world.
The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive guide on the various ways to find and follow new accounts on TikTok. Whether you’re new to the platform or looking to expand your feed, discovering new creators is an essential part of the TikTok experience.
Search for Users
The easiest way to find new people to follow on TikTok is by using the search bar at the top of the app or website. You can search for specific users by their name, username, or even hashtag. Just tap the magnifying glass icon and type in a name or keyword to pull up relevant results. As noted by Hootsuite, this search bar allows you to look for just about anything or anyone on TikTok.
TikTok’s search results will show you accounts, videos, hashtags, and sounds related to your search term. You can filter the results to only show top accounts, people, videos, or hashtags. This lets you easily find the most popular and recent content matching your search. Simply tap “Top” or “Latest” to switch between viewing trending search results or the newest posts.
So if you want to follow someone specific, searching their name is the fastest way to locate their profile and click the Follow button. But you can also browse tons of accounts, hashtags, videos, and content by keyword to get inspiration on who to follow in different interest areas.
Discover Page
The Discover page on TikTok allows you to explore trending hashtags, sounds, and more. This is where you can find curated content around popular topics and categories. According to TikTok’s Help Center article, the Discover page provides a tailored experience based on your interests and interactions (1).
To access the Discover page, tap on the search icon at the bottom of the app. You will see various categories like Comedy, Beauty, Sports, and others. Tapping into any category will show you popular hashtags, sounds, and pre-curated video playlists around that topic (1).
The Discover page is a great way to explore trending hashtag and sound challenges. You can tap on a trending hashtag or sound to view TikToks using them. This allows you to easily find new accounts to follow that are participating in the latest viral trends.
Additionally, the Discover page recommends sounds and hashtags it thinks you’ll like based on your previous watches, likes, and shares (2). So it’s tailored to your interests and continuously updated. Overall, Discover is the go-to place to find new content and accounts to follow based on what’s currently popular on TikTok.
(1) https://support.tiktok.com/en/using-tiktok/exploring-videos/discover-and-search
(2) https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/how-tiktok-recommends-videos-for-you
For You Page
The For You page (FYP) shows TikTok users a never-ending stream of short videos tailored specifically to their interests. The FYP algorithm curates this personalized feed based on the types of content you engage with most on TikTok. For example, every time you like, comment on, share, or follow a video creator, the FYP takes note of it. According to one study, the FYP considers over 100 different factors when making recommendations, including your location, language preferences, and device settings.
To discover new accounts to follow on TikTok, spend some time scrolling through your FYP feed. The more you interact with videos relevant to your interests, the better the algorithm gets at showing you content you’ll love. Tap the share button on videos you really like to rewatch later. You can also tap the discover icon to explore trending hashtags and sounds. The FYP is the easiest way to find new people and content to follow based on TikTok’s powerful recommendation algorithm.
Following Tab
One way to see videos from the users you follow on TikTok is through the Following tab. To access this tab, first tap on the profile icon in the bottom right corner of the app. Then select the “Following” tab underneath your profile picture.
The Following feed shows you the latest videos from all the accounts you currently follow. It works similarly to the For You feed, but is limited to only people you follow. You can scroll through the feed, like and comment on videos you enjoy, and tap to watch full videos from your favorite creators.
Liking and commenting on videos is a great way to further engage with creators you follow. It also helps TikTok’s algorithm learn your interests and preferences to recommend more relevant content. When you interact with new videos, you may then choose to follow the accounts that posted them so you continue seeing their content in your Following feed.
Overall, regularly checking your Following tab is the easiest way to keep up with the latest posts from your favorite TikTok creators. It provides a personalized feed of content based on the users you actively follow and engage with.
For more details on accessing your Following feed, see this guide: How to Open Your TikTok Following Feed
Likes and Comments
One way to find new people to follow on TikTok is by checking who has liked or commented on videos that you enjoy. When viewing a video, tap on the likes or comments count to see a list of users. From there, you can visit the profiles of individual users, see if you have similar interests based on their videos, and choose to follow them if desired.
For example, if you like a comedy video, you might find that several of the users who also liked that video have their own funny content. By tapping through to their profiles and checking out their videos, you could discover new comedic creators to follow. This helps connect you with a community of users who are likely to post content you’ll also appreciate in your Following feed.
According to Reddit users, engaging with smaller accounts by liking and commenting can be an effective way to get more likes and views in return. So you may wish to follow some lesser-known users that you discover via likes and comments as a way to support up-and-coming creators (source). Overall, regularly exploring profiles of users who engage with videos similar to your interests is a simple but smart habit for finding relevant people to follow.
Suggested Users
One of the main ways TikTok suggests new accounts to follow is through the Suggested Users feature. Based on your activity, likes, comments, searches, and the accounts you already follow, TikTok’s algorithm will recommend accounts you may be interested in following.
As explained on TikTok’s Help Center page, the app’s Suggested Accounts feature analyzes your preferences to recommend relevant accounts to you. This is why you may notice the suggested accounts change over time as your interests shift.
You can tailor the suggestions you see in your Following feed by using the settings. Go to your profile, tap the 3-dot menu icon, choose Settings and Privacy, then Suggested Users. Here you can indicate language preferences, categories, and accounts you want to see less of.
Overall, TikTok aims to enhance your experience by suggesting accounts to follow that match your tastes based on how you interact with content on the platform.
In-App Recommendations
TikTok will suggest accounts to follow directly within the app through pop-ups and recommendations. As you use TikTok, pop-ups may appear suggesting relevant accounts based on the content you view. TikTok states these recommendations are based on factors like the videos you watch, accounts you already follow, and hashtags you engage with.
Following hashtags and interacting with content you find interesting is a great way to get recommendations for similar accounts. Liking, commenting on, sharing, or clicking on hashtag pages or videos can lead TikTok’s algorithm to suggest related accounts. For example, regularly viewing cooking videos may lead to chef account recommendations.
You can also proactively find and follow accounts through TikTok’s search tool. Searching for relevant keywords like your interests, hobbies, or favorite topics is a quick way to discover accounts to follow.
Sources:
https://support.tiktok.com/en/account-and-privacy/account-privacy-settings/suggested-accounts
https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/how-tiktok-recommends-videos-for-you
Cross-Platform Discovery
One way to find TikTok users to follow is by leveraging other social media platforms and connections. Many popular TikTok creators also have a presence on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc. If you already follow influencers or friends on other platforms, you can check if they also have an active TikTok account and follow them there.
Similarly, you can search by hashtag or location on other platforms, find creators you like, and then search for their TikTok handle to follow them. For example, searching for #fashionblogger on Instagram and finding accounts you like, then looking up their TikTok accounts.
Some influencer marketing platforms like Upfluence and Promoty also allow you to search for influencers across multiple social platforms, including TikTok. This makes it easy to find and vet creators before following them on TikTok.
Leveraging your existing social network and influencer/creator connections can help jumpstart who you follow and interact with on TikTok. Just make sure the creators you want to follow are active TikTok users as well.
Conclusion
To recap, there are several main ways to find and follow new users on TikTok:
– Use the search bar to look up usernames, sounds, or hashtags that interest you
– Check out the Discover and For You pages, which showcase content and accounts TikTok recommends
– Browse the Following and followers lists of accounts you already follow
– Pay attention to accounts that like and comment on your videos
– Check out the Suggested Users list in your profile
– Follow recommendations from the app itself and in-feed suggestions
– Find TikTok creators you like on other platforms and follow them on TikTok
To customize your For You feed, like videos that appeal to you and engage with creators you want to see more of. Use keywords, hashtags, and sounds to better tailor your recommendations. Limit your engagement with content you don’t enjoy, and make use of the “Not Interested” option. Follow a diverse range of accounts that post content related to your interests.
