How to Get More Views on TikTok

Feel like your TikTok videos are getting lost in the noise? You’re not alone. Cracking the code to getting more views can feel like trying to solve a puzzle with half the pieces missing. This guide will give you the practical, no-fluff strategies you need to stop guessing and start creating content that the TikTok algorithm and your target audience will love.

Understanding the All-Powerful "For You" Page

Every strategy for getting more views on TikTok revolves around one goal: landing on the "For You" page (FYP). This is the continuously scrolling feed of videos that TikTok’s algorithm curates for each user. It's the platform’s main discovery engine and the source of nearly all viral videos.

Unlike other platforms where your reach is limited to your followers, the FYP puts your content in front of strangers who are most likely to enjoy it. To do this, the algorithm tracks a handful of key user behavior signals to decide if your video is worth showing to a wider audience. If you want more views, you need to understand and win with these signals:

• Watch Time & Completion Rate: This is the big one. How long do people watch your video? More importantly, what percentage of viewers watch it all the way through? A high completion rate tells the algorithm your video is engaging from start to finish.
• Re-watches: If someone watches your video more than once, that's an even stronger signal that it’s valuable or entertaining. Creating "loopable" content or videos packed with information that people want to see again is a powerful technique.
• Shares: When a viewer shares your video with a friend, via text, or on another platform, it's a massive vote of confidence. Shares show the algorithm your content is so good that people are willing to endorse it personally.
• Comments: Comments signal active engagement. Videos that spark conversation are more likely to be pushed to a broader audience. Responding to comments on your videos also helps keep the engagement going.
• Likes: Likes are the weakest of these signals, but they still matter. A like is a quick and easy form of validation, and it contributes to a video's overall performance score.

Ultimately, your job is to create content that maximizes these positive signals. The remaining tips are all about how to do just that, consistently and effectively.

The 3-Second Rule: Hook Them Immediately

On the rapidly scrolling FYP, you have about three seconds to grab a viewer's attention before they swipe away forever. Your opening, or "hook," is the most important part of your video. If it's weak, nothing else matters.

Don't waste time on long intros, logos, or slow build-ups. Start with your most compelling information or visuals right away. Here are a few proven formulas for powerful hooks:

Start with the "After"

Instead of showing a slow tutorial or a boring beginning, start with the stunning final result. A baker shouldn't start with cracking eggs, they should start with a perfect slice of cake being pulled from the pan. Then, a quick line like, "Here's how you can make this incredibly fudgy chocolate cake in under an hour," hooks the viewer to see the process.

Example Hooks:

• "This is the view from the best hike you've never heard of." (Shows stunning panoramic view)
• "I turned this thrifted dresser into a $500 piece of furniture." (Shows the gorgeous final product)

Ask an Intriguing Question

Questions instantly engage the viewer's brain and make them curious about the answer. A question related to a common problem or desire in your niche is extremely effective.

Example Hooks:

• "Do you struggle to keep your plants alive in the winter?"
• "What if you could plan a week's worth of content in 30 minutes?"

Make a Controversial or Bold Statement

Saying something surprising or challenging a common belief can immediately stop a scroll. You want to pique curiosity and make people think, "I need to hear the rest of this."

Example Hooks:

• "You're using your air fryer all wrong."
• "Stop trying to find your passion. Here's what to do instead."

Speak Fluent TikTok with Trending Sounds & Memes

One of the fastest ways to get discovered on TikTok is to participate in current trends. The algorithm actively promotes content that uses trending audio or popular meme formats because it knows users are already engaged with them. This doesn't mean you have to do every silly dance that comes along.

The key is to adapt trends to your specific niche. Look at a popular sound or format and ask yourself, "How can I apply this concept to my industry or topic?"

For example, if there's a trending audio clip about "Things I just don't understand," a finance creator could make a video listing "Financial concepts people pretend to understand but really don't," while a personal trainer could "Exercises people do at the gym that just don't make sense."

You can find trending sounds on your "For You" page (if you hear the same audio multiple times, it’s a trend) or by tapping the "Add sound" button in the video creation screen, which will show you the current most popular tracks.

Develop a Smarter Hashtag Strategy

Hashtags on TikTok are not just for categorization, they help the algorithm understand your content and show it to the right people. But just using #fyp or #viral is a waste of time. Instead, use a tiered approach that combines broad, niche-specific, and video-specific tags.

• Broad Hashtags (1-2): These are high-traffic tags related to your overall industry. They have a massive audience but are also very competitive. Examples: #marketing, #fitness, #cooking.
• Niche-Specific Hashtags (2-3): These get more targeted and community-focused. They help you reach people actively looking for content like yours. Examples: #contentstrategy, #kettlebellworkout, #sourdoughbaking.
• Video-Specific Hashtags (1-2): These describe exactly what's happening in your particular video. This helps the algorithm find a hyper-relevant audience. Examples: #socialmediaaudittips, #romaniandeadlifttutorial, #howtomakefocaccia.

This balanced strategy gives your video a chance to compete in big ponds while securing visibility among a more dedicated, relevant audience that is more likely to engage fully with your content.

Post When Your Audience is Actually Online

You can create the best video in the world, but if you post it when your audience is asleep, it won’t get the initial traction it needs to get picked up by the algorithm.

To find your ideal posting times, you need to switch to a free TikTok Pro or Business Account. This gives you access to analytics. Here's how to use them:

1. Go to your profile page.
2. Tap the three lines in the top-right corner to open Settings and Privacy.
3. Tap "Creator tools" or "Business suite."
4. Select "Analytics."
5. Navigate to the "Followers" tab.
6. Scroll down to the "Follower activity" section.

This module shows you a graph of the hours and days when your followers were most active over the past week. Identify the 2-3 hour block each day with the highest activity and schedule your posts to go live right before or during that window. Combine this with a consistent posting schedule - whether that's three times a week or once a day - to train both the algorithm and your audience to look for your content regularly.

High-Quality Content Puts You Ahead

TikTok is raw and unpolished, but "low-fi" doesn't mean low-quality. The bar for video creation has risen, and clear video and audio are now table stakes. You don't need a fancy camera - your smartphone is powerful enough - but you do need to master the basics:

• Good Lighting: The easiest and cheapest way to improve video quality is with good light. Film facing a window to get soft, natural light on your face. A simple, affordable ring light can make a huge difference if natural light isn't an option.
• Clear Audio: People are more forgiving of mediocre video than they are of bad audio. Avoid recording in echoey rooms or areas with lots of background noise. If possible, use an external microphone, but even just speaking clearly and standing closer to your phone's built-in mic will help.
• Clean Your Lens: It seems obvious, but it’s the most common mistake. Your phone goes in your pocket and your bag, and the lens gets smudged. Wipe it with a soft cloth before every single take.
• Native-Style Editing: Use TikTok's built-in text styles, captions, stickers, and transitions. Videos that look and feel like they were made *on TikTok* tend to perform better than overly polished, corporate-looking content edited in external software.

Tell a Coherent Story

Humans are wired to connect with stories. A cohesive narrative, even in a 15-second video, significantly increases watch time. A simple way to structure your videos is with a beginning, middle, and end.

• The Beginning (The Hook): Presents a problem, a question, or a goal. Example: A completely disorganized home office space.
• The Middle (The Journey): Provides the solution, shows the process, or builds suspense. Example: A sped-up montage of implementing three simple organization hacks.
• The End (The Payoff): Delivers the resolution, answers the question, or reveals the outcome. Example: The final shot of the clean, beautiful, and functional home office.

This simple narrative arc keeps viewers invested until the very end, which is exactly the signal you want to send the algorithm.

Engage Intelligently with Your Community

Growing on TikTok isn't just about what you post, it's also about how you interact with others. While replying to comments on your own videos is important, you should also spend time engaging with content *within your niche*. Go to videos under your target hashtags and leave thoughtful, insightful comments on other creators' posts. Don't spam with "Follow me!" Instead, add value to the conversation. A well-written comment often piques the curiosity of the creator and their audience, who may then click on your profile to see who you are.

Final Thoughts

Gaining traction on TikTok comes down to understanding what the platform values: content that holds attention and creates community. Focus on mastering your video's first few seconds, providing genuine value, telling a clear story, and taking part in the platform’s culture. These strategies give you a framework for making smarter content choices that get results.

If you're creating all this great content, staying consistent can feel like a full-time job. I've found that having a tool built specifically for today's visual, video-heavy world makes all the difference. That's why we designed Postbase to make an active TikTok presence manageable. Being able to see our entire content strategy on a visual calendar and reliably schedule our videos - especially since Postbase was built video-first - stops our workflow from becoming chaotic and lets us focus on what really matters: creating great content.