On TikTok, one of the biggest goals is to grow the visibility of your account and get your brand out there. However, TikTok is a vastly competitive platform. You are competing against 1 billion people, which can be daunting. However, knowing how TikTok works can improve your chances of gaining the audience you deserve.
This article will explain how you can increase your engagement. Let’s begin.
What is Engagement on TikTok?
Before providing tips to improve your engagement, we should explain what engagement is. Engagement reflects how many comments, likes, and shares your video has. Here’s the formula.
- Add the number of likes, shares, and comments together.
- Divide this sum by your view count.
- Finally, multiply that sum by 100.
It’s easy as one, two, three! Say you have a video with 100 likes, 10 comments, 20 shares, and 1,200 views. Your engagement rate would be slightly above 10.83%. This engagement rate is quite good, with a good chunk of your audience participating.
Why does the engagement rate matter? TikTok uses this to recommend your videos to the public through its Discover page, also known as Friends. These are videos that you may enjoy based on your previous interactions.
If someone has a decent engagement rate, their videos may be recommended to other people based on what the people enjoy. Therefore, a person is likelier to enjoy the content and subscribe.
As a TikTok user, you aim to have a decent engagement rate to grow your brand. But how do you do this? Let’s explain.
Tips on Improving Your Engagement Rate: The Dos of How to Get Views on Your TikTok Videos
Now that you know what engagement rate is, let’s explain some ways that you can improve your engagement rate.
How to Boost TikTok Views: First, Post Content That Your Audience Will Love
The first rule is common knowledge. If you don’t post content that resonates with your target audience, they may view the video without engaging with it. This is where some market research comes in. You should know how to study your audience to form a complete picture of who they are, what they enjoy, and how they will react to your videos. You can click on profiles from people who are your target audience. What content do they post? What do they like? By knowing this, you can be on your way to creating some great content.
Another tip is to create content that farms engagement. Occasionally, post content that asks a question or has a poll. People will likely engage with your words, and you can improve your engagement.
Since each niche will be different, we cannot tell you what will work and what won’t. However, one universal rule is to ensure it’s high quality. Shoot your video with a quality camera, and be sure the audio is good. Also, have sounds that resonate with your audience. More on that later.
Engage With Your Audience
Another way you can improve your engagement is to interact with your audience. TikTok is a two-way street. If your audience is commenting on your videos, you should reply somehow. If they have a question, answer it. If they have a criticism, address it. Or, if the comment doesn’t need a reply, you should still heart-react it. This shows your audience that you care about them, and they will likely engage as a result.
When you engage in your TikTok videos, people will return the favor.
Post Often
The TikTok algorithm rewards people who post consistently. When you’re posting at least three times a week, the TikTok algorithm will keep promoting your content. Meanwhile, if you’re posting inconsistently, TikTok users may not see what you’re posting.
This is where you should…
Have a Content Calendar
A content calendar is one way to be ahead of the curve with your TikTok videos. You should know what you’re planning and when you will post it. TikTok creators should plan their videos at least a few weeks in advance. If you’re going to take a break, consider scheduling multiple videos.
Post When Your Audience is the Most Active
One way to get the most TikTok views is to post when your audience is active. Like other social media platforms, fresh content is prioritized. Using your analytics, you can see when your audience is engaged and schedule your videos according to that.
Get Their Attention in Three Seconds
Your TikTok video should immediately begin with an attention-grabber. TikTok is a social media platform where the audience usually has short attention spans. If your video is not immediately intriguing, they may go to another video.
When you create content, be sure the video begins with a question, a fact, or an action that intrigues other users. This way, people will watch until the very end, which looks good in the algorithm and ensures that people will like and comment on your content.
Not Violate TikTok’s Terms
Your TikTok account should be in good standing. If you get in trouble, TikTok may temporarily reduce the reach of your videos, meaning your TikTok content has less engagement. Before you create content, view the terms and services. They constantly update, so be sure you’re in the loop. An avid social media user usually has a base idea of what is kosher and what is not, but since they’re constantly updating, stay in the loop.
Capitalize on the Latest Trends
If You want TikTok views to be high in TikTok’s algorithm, you should create trend-based videos. See what trending topics are happening, view the trending hashtags, and then capitalize on them. Since trends happen quickly, you want to act on them accordingly. If you’re late to the trend, it can be seen as being uncool to the TikTok community.
TikTok trends can include TikTok challenges or putting trending music in your videos if they fit what’s happening. Another tip is to make your videos stand out by adding your own twist or branding.
Have Captions
Another way you can increase your engagement is to have captions on your video. As you probably know, captions can help hard-of-hearing people enjoy your content. However, there are reasons why captions can appeal to those who can hear just fine. For example, someone may be watching the video in an area without headphones and don’t want to disturb others. Also, captions help get your videos up in the algorithm due to the words in your videos.
Have a Clear Call to Action
If you have plenty of TikTok views but little video engagement, you may not create a call to action that captures the viewer’s attention. Asking your audience to like, comment, and follow is a standard digital marketing technique for many sites because it works.
Try Live Streaming
If you want to reach a wider audience, consider live streaming. TikTok streaming is a great way to catch your audience’s attention and increase engagement. People are likely to watch and comment on your stream if you have a good personality. You’ll get more views this way.
Have a Complete Bio
Another way you can have more engagement is to have a full bio. Use a clear profile picture, have a description that tells people what your brand is about, and have relevant links where people can learn more about you. A full bio looks good in the algorithm, and people are likelier to follow and engage with your videos.
You can look at the competition to see how they fill out their bios. When you create your own, add your branding and give it a bit of your unique voice.
Change Your Content Strategy
What if you don’t see a difference in your pages’ reach? Then, you should rethink your content strategy. If you want viral videos, you should change your approach every once in a while. TikTok is constantly evolving, so to keep relevant to the Discover page, be sure that your strategy is changing.
How to Get More Views on TikTok Videos: The Don’ts
Now, let’s briefly go over some of the don’ts.
Don’t Repost YouTube Shorts or Other Old Content
TikTok pays attention to duplicate content. As a result, your content’s discoverability may be vastly lowered if you’re reposting content from other sites.
Not only is it lazy, but it may not work. What will go viral on one site may not work well on another. This is because your target audience’s tastes may differ depending on what site they’re on. So, experiment with different content to see how people enjoy it. This is how to increase the views on your TikTok account.
Don’t Make Your Videos Overly Long
In 2022, TikTok made their videos up to 10 minutes long. So, think of it like old-school YouTube in that regard. However, the majority of TikTok audiences still enjoy short-form content. If your videos seem too wordy, people may click off of them. So keep them as short as possible.
This rule is not to say that long-form TikTok content cannot succeed. However, you must be very careful with constructing long content. Also, because it’s longer, it may take longer to make. As a result, keep it under a minute long.
Don’t Be Fake
Some people think the best way to get views on TikTok is to create a fake personality. While you may have a persona different from your typical attitude in real life, you should always be yourself as much as possible. Authenticity is what drives many people to TikTok stardom.
Avoid Using Music Not on the Platform
TikTok has a library of sounds that you can choose from. Not only can you become viral if you utilize these sounds, but it can also prevent your video from getting in trouble because of copyright. If you upload music not on the platform, TikTok may mute your video because they don’t want to face the legal repercussions. As a result, people will be less likely to engage with your content because there is no sound.
Some people will use the video’s natural sounds, which can work if you’re talking. However, beware if you’re recording in an area that is playing music. This may lead to you being copyright-struck.
How to Get More Views on TikTok Videos: Final Thoughts
TikTok is a vital platform for engagement, yet many people don’t know how to get engagement. The best way to grow on the platform is to create high-quality content that appeals to your target audience. Follow the trends, yet do so in a way that is being yourself.
By following these rules, you can grow on the platform. If you’re still having issues, you can rethink your content strategy. We hope this article was helpful to you.