Why Videos Get Zero Views on TikTok
With over 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. However, creating a viral TikTok video with millions of views is easier said than done. In fact, many TikTok creators are confused and disappointed when they post a video that receives zero views.
There are several potential reasons why a TikTok video may get no views. In this article, we’ll explore the main factors that could be preventing your TikTok videos from getting views and provide tips to help solve the problem.
Reason 1: Bad Timing
Posting at the right time is crucial for reaching your target audience on TikTok. According to research, the best times to post on TikTok for maximum views in the USA are weekdays around 12-4 PM and 8-11 AM [1]. The optimal posting times can vary depending on your audience demographics. For example, late morning and early afternoon tend to work well for reaching younger audiences when they are out of school. Evenings can be good for targeting working professionals after traditional work hours. Analyze when your followers are most active on the app and align your posting schedule accordingly.
Overall, you want to avoid posting late at night or early morning when fewer people are likely to be scrolling on TikTok. The platform’s algorithm also begins surfacing new content to viewers around 8-9 AM. So you’ll want to post new videos during peak hours for the best chance of them being picked up by the algorithm and shown to a wide audience right away.
Reason 2: Poor Thumbnail
Your thumbnail is the first thing viewers see when scrolling through TikTok, so it needs to stand out and grab attention. According to research, thumbnails with faces tend to perform better than those without. Additionally, colorful and contrasting backgrounds help thumbnails pop. Some other best practices for creating clickable TikTok thumbnails include:
Using bold, contrasting colors that stand out on a small screen. Stay away from busy patterns or distracting backgrounds. Focus on a focal point like your face or a key visual.
Making sure your text is large, easy to read, and uses an eye-catching font. Limit text to a few impactful words. All caps, emoji, and text effects can help grab attention.
Incorporating movement or animation to signal there’s a video behind the thumbnail. Quick zooms, overlays, or subtle motion work best.
Featuring yourself or other people. Faces naturally draw the eye. Make sure they take up significant space in the frame.
Trying different thumbnail options and using TikTok analytics to see which thumbnails have higher CTRs. Iterate based on data.
Using relevant visuals related to the content. Match the tone and topic of your video.
Following current trends and memes for certain content types. This gives an instant signal about the nature of the video.
Testing contrasting colors, positions of elements, text styles, etc. even small changes can make a big difference.
See this resource for examples of high-performing TikTok thumbnails: https://jemsu.com/designing-high-impact-thumbnails-for-tiktok-videos-in-2023/
Reason 3: Irrelevant Hashtags
One of the main reasons a TikTok video may get 0 views is having irrelevant or ineffective hashtags. Hashtags help the right audience find your content, so choosing ones that are unrelated to your video topic or niche will lead to poor performance.
Experts recommend using 3-5 relevant hashtags so you still have space for an engaging caption (https://sproutsocial.com/insights/tiktok-hashtags/). The hashtags should be directly related to the content itself and the interests of your target audience. Mixing popular hashtags with less competitive niche ones can help increase reach without getting lost in too much noise (https://buffer.com/library/tiktok-hashtags/).
Following hashtag trends and ensuring hashtags are current is also key – outdated or irrelevant tags will not lead viewers to your video in their searches (https://boosted.lightricks.com/a-guide-to-hashtags-on-tiktok/). Overall, carefully choosing the right hashtags based on your content and audience is critical for getting views and engagement on TikTok.
Reason 4: Low Engagement
Engaging with your audience in the comments is crucial for increasing views and engagement on TikTok. When you take the time to respond to comments, like comments, and encourage discussion, it signals to the TikTok algorithm that your content is resonating with viewers. This can boost your future distribution and help more users discover your videos organically.
According to experts, simply hearting comments can increase engagement by over 200% [1]. Replying to comments in a new video is also highly effective, as it provides users added value and incentivizes them to return. The more you interact, the more the algorithm will reward you.
If your video has 0 views despite a strong thumbnail and hashtags, low engagement is likely the culprit. Spend time responding to any comments you do have, and make it a regular habit moving forward. Engagement is the key to unlocking long-term TikTok success.
Reason 5: Weak Captions
Captions are incredibly important for grabbing attention and conveying the main message of your video on TikTok. Weak, boring or missing captions can lead to low views.
An effective caption makes your video stand out in a sea of content. It gives viewers context, highlights the main point, and encourages engagement. A bad caption does none of those things.
Some tips for writing better TikTok captions include:
- Keep it short, catching and conversational – like you’re talking to a friend
- Ask a question to get people curious
- Use humorous or unexpected phrases to grab attention
- Leverage trends and viral sounds when relevant
- Highlight the payoff or surprise that awaits in your video
Additionally, avoid being too salesy or promotional in your captions. Viewers want to be entertained on TikTok.
Studying what’s working for top creators in your niche and testing different caption styles is key. The most popular TikTok videos often pair creative captions with engaging visuals.
According to entertainment website CelebTattler, “Captions should be written to grab a viewer’s attention within the first few seconds of seeing a video.”
Reason 6: Boring Content
One of the main reasons a TikTok video may get 0 views is because the content is simply not interesting or engaging enough. In today’s oversaturated social media landscape, viewers have endless options for entertaining videos. To stand out, TikTok creators need to make content that grabs attention within the first few seconds.
What makes a TikTok video “boring”? Often it’s repetitive content, overused trends, or concepts that have been done to death. For example, lip-syncing popular audio or using filter effects may have been novel early on, but now come across as derivative. According to social media strategists, the most viral TikTok videos showcase creativity, originality, and high production value (Source).
To create compelling content, research trending topics but give them a unique twist. Think outside the box for engaging video ideas. Utilize high-quality editing, dynamic captions, and appealing visuals. Most importantly, focus on making videos that showcase your personality and creativity. Videos that feel impersonal, rushed, or sloppily produced will fail to captivate viewers. Spend time developing concepts that highlight your skills and passions. With strategic, distinctive content, it’s possible to break through the noise.
Reason 7: Copyrighted Audio
Using copyrighted music without proper authorization is one of the main reasons a TikTok video may get zero views. TikTok has strict policies around copyrighted content and will restrict the reach of videos that infringe on copyrights.[1][2]
You can only legally use short clips of copyrighted music, usually about 5-10 seconds. Any longer than that risks getting flagged by TikTok’s algorithm. You also cannot use the most recognizable parts of songs as that is still considered copyright infringement. The safest option is to use music from TikTok’s own audio library as that has been licensed for use on the platform.
If you want to use a popular song not in TikTok’s library, you’ll need to get permission directly from the rights holder. TikTok has deals with major record labels to allow use of their music catalogs. But for independent artists, you need to reach out to them directly.
The best way to avoid copyright issues is to use original music or sounds not protected by copyright. TikTok recommends creators use music they have personally created or licensed legally. Overusing mainstream hits will cause your account to be flagged by the algorithm.
Reason 8: Shadowbanned Content
A common reason why TikTok videos get 0 views is because the content has been shadowbanned by TikTok’s moderation algorithm. Shadowbanning is when TikTok restricts a user’s content without their knowledge, so it essentially hides their videos from being seen by others.
There are a few main things that can trigger a shadowban on TikTok:
- Posting content that violates TikTok’s community guidelines – https://later.com/blog/tiktok-shadowban/
- Spamming followers or using bots
- Reposting or stealing other people’s content
- Using copyrighted audio without permission
To avoid getting shadowbanned, carefully review and follow TikTok’s rules. Post original, high-quality content consistently, and engage genuinely with other users. It’s also important to avoid posting multiple videos too quickly, as this can seem like spam behavior to TikTok.
If you believe your account has been shadowbanned, you can appeal to TikTok through their support options. But the most effective strategy is being proactive and making sure your content adds value to the platform before posting.
Conclusion
In summary, there are several key reasons why a TikTok video may get 0 views. Most commonly, it could be due to bad timing of when the video is posted, a poor thumbnail that doesn’t grab attention, irrelevant hashtags that don’t target the right audience, low engagement and comments on previous videos causing the algorithm to bury it, weak captions that don’t entice viewers, boring content that doesn’t resonate, copyrighted audio, or being shadowbanned.
To get more views on TikTok, it’s important to optimize your timing based on when your target audience is most active, create eye-catching thumbnails using bold colors/text, use a mix of popular and niche hashtags tailored to your content, encourage engagement by responding to comments and using captions that invite responses, make entertaining videos using trends/challenges/original concepts, use original audio or songs cleared for commercial use, and avoid spammy behavior that could get you shadowbanned.
With careful strategy and captivating content, you can overcome the common pitfalls causing 0 views. Pay close attention to the algorithm patterns and keep experimenting until you find what resonates with the TikTok community.
