TikTok has seen tremendous growth in Germany over the past few years, becoming one of the most popular social media platforms in the country. As of January 2023, TikTok had around 10 million monthly active users in Germany, making it the 5th largest market for TikTok globally.
With so many users on the platform, timing your posts well is crucial to reach as large an audience as possible. The TikTok algorithm decides which videos get shown to users, so understanding when your followers are most active can help increase your chances of going viral.
TikTok Algorithm Basics
The TikTok algorithm is designed to determine which videos users will find most engaging and entertaining. It analyzes many different factors to personalize each user’s For You feed. Some key factors that influence a video’s reach include:
User interactions – The more likes, comments, shares, follows, etc. a video gets, the more the algorithm will promote it. Videos that get people engaging will be shown to more users.
Watch time – If people watch a video all the way through, the algorithm sees it as engaging content. But if people click away quickly, that’s a signal the content is not interesting.
User interests – TikTok collects data on what each user likes to watch and will serve them more of that type of content. Interests are identified from hashtags, sounds, creators followed, etc.
Recency – Newly posted videos often get a boost to see if they will attract engagement quickly. If they do, they may continue to be promoted.
Overall, the goal is to keep users happily scrolling through personalized, entertaining content. Understanding how the algorithm works can help creators optimize their videos for better reach.
Best Times to Post
According to TikTok, the peak hours for engagement in Germany are weekdays between 5-7 PM and weekends between 1-4 PM. You are likely to get more views and engagement during these hours when more Germans are active on the platform.
There are some differences between optimal posting times on weekdays vs weekends. On weekdays, the prime time is after work hours in the early evening. Posting around 5-7 PM allows your content to be seen by Germans relaxing after their workday. On weekends, late mornings to mid-afternoons tend to perform best from 11 AM – 4 PM when people have free time.
Certain types of content may do better at specific times. For example, funny or entertaining content tends to get more traction on evenings and weekends when people are more relaxed. Educational and informational content can work well during weekday daylight hours. And trending challenges, dances, and sounds are often best for weekend afternoons and evenings when engagement peaks.
Avoid Bad Times
According to recurpost, Germans are least active on TikTok during the middle of the workday, between 11 AM – 2 PM CET, so you should avoid posting then. Competition is also high during the late evening after 10 PM due to an influx of other content and more TikTok ads. It’s best to stay away from posting between 10 – 11 PM CET.
Some of the worst times to post on TikTok in Germany, according to the research, are Thursday night from 9 PM – 12 AM CET, Friday night from 10 PM – 1 AM CET, and Sunday night from 10 PM – 12 AM CET. These times see dips in engagement.
Trending Sounds
Understanding and leveraging trending sounds is key for driving engagement on TikTok in Germany. According to TikTok’s trending sounds page, some of the most popular sounds include the “Voyce – Dir gehört mein Herz” and “AK AUSSERKONTROLLE – Lau Lau Lau” songs. Viral sounds like these can help your content reach a wider audience if used properly.
To tap into trending sounds, check TikTok’s trending sounds page regularly to see what is resonating with users in Germany. You can also search for relevant hashtags like #germansounds to find popular sounds. When you find a trending sound that aligns with your brand, create content using that sound and lean into the meme or theme associated with it. This allows you to put your own spin on viral content. Tag your content with mainstream hashtags associated with the sound so it surfaces for people interested in that trend.
Leveraging popular sounds can help increase visibility, but make sure to use them in a way that authentically fits your brand voice and content strategy.
Hashtags
Using relevant hashtags is crucial for reaching viewers on TikTok in Germany. Some popular hashtags used in Germany include:
- #deutsch – For content in German or about German culture. This hashtag has over 1.3 million views. [1]
- #germany – For content related to Germany. This hashtag has 10 million views. [2]
- #deutschland – For content about Germany. This hashtag has 9.4 million views.[3]
It’s best to use between 5-10 relevant hashtags in your caption or comments to reach the right viewers. Using too many hashtags can seem spammy. Focus on quality hashtags in your niche rather than quantity.
Challenges & Trends
Some of the most popular challenges on TikTok in Germany include:
- The Wipe It Down Challenge – Users pretend to wipe a mirror that transitions into a different outfit or look.
- The Flip the Switch Challenge – Two people stand in front of a mirror, turn the lights off, and switch places, clothes, and attitudes.
- The Blinding Lights Challenge – Dancing or lipsyncing to The Weeknd’s song Blinding Lights.
- The Savage Challenge – Dancing to Megan Thee Stallion’s song Savage.
To tap into trends on TikTok in Germany, keep an eye on the Discover page and hashtags for trending sounds, songs, and challenges. When a particular song, dance, or meme starts going viral, quickly create your own version to ride the trend while it’s hot. The Discover page highlights many of the top trending German songs and viral effects. You can also check out the trending sounds page to see which music and audio clips are being widely used in videos. Additionally, look at the most popular German TikTok creators and the content they are posting to identify rising trends and challenges.
Location Tagging
Location tagging is an important feature on TikTok that allows users to get discovered locally and reach a targeted audience in specific cities or countries. When tagging your location, it’s best to focus on major cities and regions where you want your content to be seen.
Tagging Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, and Dusseldorf is recommended if you want to reach a German audience. These cities have the largest TikTok user bases in the country. Using neighborhood tags within these cities can further target locals.
When viewers are browsing TikTok and see a video tagged in their city, they are much more likely to watch, engage, and follow you. TikTok’s algorithm favors content that is geotagged and serves it to users located in that same area.
Strategic location tagging will get your videos shown to local TikTok users in Germany. This helps you gain more views, likes, comments, shares, and followers from your target audience.
TikTok Ads
TikTok ads can be a great way to reach a new audience in Germany. Some best practices for running effective TikTok ads in Germany include:
– Use fun, engaging video ads that align with the TikTok platform. Short videos that showcase your brand’s personality tend to perform best.
– Test different ad formats like TopView, Brand Takeover, and In-Feed Video ads to see which resonate most with your target audience.
– Target your ads based on user demographics, interests, and behaviors to ensure you reach the right people. You can target users by age, gender, device, interests, and more.
– Measure the results and optimize towards conversions or other goals. Look at metrics like CTR, views, engagement rate, and conversions.
– Create ads that are culturally relevant in Germany. Localize content with German text, voices, imagery, etc.
– Use interactive elements like polls, quizzes and challenges to boost engagement.
Some of the most effective ad formats on TikTok for German audiences include:
– In-Feed Video Ads – short video ads that play as users scroll through their feed. These capture attention and work well for branding.
– Hashtag Challenges – sponsored challenges that encourage users to create content around a branded hashtag. This drives user generated content and engagement.
– Branded Lenses/Filters – sponsored lenses and AR filters that users can apply to their own content. This brings brands to life in a fun way.
– TopView Ads – full screen video ads that appear when users first launch the app. This ad format leaves a strong first impression.
Measuring Performance
To determine if your TikTok strategy is successful, it’s important to track key metrics. Some important metrics to follow include:
- Views – The number of times your video has been watched.
- Likes – How many users have liked your video.
- Comments – The number of comments left on your videos.
- Shares – How often your video gets shared to other platforms.
- Followers – Tracking follower growth indicates your content resonates.
- Engagement rate – Likes + comments / views shows how engaging your content is.
Helpful analytics tools to leverage include:
- TikTok Analytics – Built-in analytics within TikTok Creator and Business accounts.
- Socialinsider – Provides analytics on views, fans, engagement, and more.
- Iconosquare – Tracks growth, engagement, followers, and demographic data.
Analyzing performance data from the start helps optimize your approach over time. Focus on creating engaging content that converts viewers into followers. Consistently monitor analytics to identify top-performing videos to replicate success.
Source: https://www.ggblog.com.ng/tiktok-growth-and-lead-marketing-secrets-you-need-to-know/