How to Get More Views on TikTok Videos

Hitting publish on a TikTok you’re proud of, only to watch the view count stall in the low hundreds, can be incredibly discouraging. The good news is that breaking through that barrier isn't about secret formulas or overnight luck. This guide will walk you through actionable, practical strategies you can apply today to get your content in front of more people on their For You Pages.

Understand the TikTok Algorithm (In Simple Terms)

Before you can get more views, you need to understand the platform's goal. TikTok’s algorithm is designed to do one thing: keep users on the app for as long as possible. It achieves this by curating a highly personalized "For You Page" (FYP) for every single user. Your primary goal is to create videos that the algorithm believes its users will love enough to stick around for.

To decide what to show people, the algorithm watches for several key engagement signals on your video. These aren't hidden secrets - they’re a reflection of human behavior:

• Watch Time & Completion Rate: This is arguably the most important metric. Did a user watch your video all the way to the end? Even better, did they watch it more than once? A high completion rate tells TikTok that your content is compelling enough to hold attention.
• Shares: When a user shares your video (via text, an in-app share to a friend, or by reposting), it’s a powerful signal that your content is valuable or entertaining enough to share with others.
• Comments: Comments show that your video sparked a conversation or elicited a strong enough reaction for someone to stop scrolling and type.
• Saves: If a user saves your video to their favorites, it indicates they found it useful, inspiring, or funny enough to want to return to it later.

The system is remarkably simple in principle: make videos that people genuinely enjoy and interact with, and the algorithm will reward you by pushing your content to a wider audience.

Create Content That Captures Attention - Fast

On TikTok, you don't have minutes to win someone over - you have seconds. The average user scrolls quickly, and your entire job is to create a "thumb-stopping" moment that interrupts their scroll. This comes down to a few core content principles.

Hook Them in the First 3 Seconds

Your video's first one to three seconds are the most important part of your entire content strategy. If you don't grab your audience's attention immediately, they're gone. A strong hook piques curiosity and makes them wonder what's coming next.

Here are a few proven ways to create an effective hook:

• Start with the Final Result: If you're creating a DIY project or a recipe, show the beautiful finished product first before you explain the process. This answers the viewer’s immediate question: "Why should I watch this?"
• Ask a Controversial Question: Kick off your video with a statement or question that challenges a common belief in your niche. For example, "You've been folding your towels wrong your whole life."
• Use Bold On-Screen Text: A line of text that presents a problem can be powerful. For example, "Here’s the #1 mistake new entrepreneurs make."
• Create a Visual Disruption: Begin with an unusual, satisfying, or surprising visual that doesn't immediately make sense, forcing the viewer to watch to understand the context.

Ride the Wave of Trending Sounds and Memes

Using trending audio is one of the fastest ways to piggyback on existing attention. When a sound is popular, the algorithm is often more likely to show videos that use it. It's like joining a conversation that’s already happening.

How to Find Trending Audio:

1. While scrolling your FYP: If you hear the same sound multiple times in a short span, it’s trending. Tap the sound icon at the bottom of the screen to see how many videos have used it and save it for later.
2. In the Video Editor: When you tap "Add sound" in the editing screen, TikTok will present you with lists of trending and recommended sounds right at the top.

The key isn't just to use the sound but to adapt the trend to your niche. If a popular meme involves lip-syncing, think about how you can relate the words back to a pain point or inside joke your specific audience would understand. Don’t just copy, contextualize.

Master Storytelling (Even for 15-Second Videos)

Every good video, no matter how short, tells a story. Storytelling creates a psychological loop that viewers want to see through to the end, boosting your watch time. Most simple stories follow a classic structure: a beginning, a middle, and an end.

• Beginning (The Hook): Present a problem, a question, or a setup. "My client asked for the impossible..."
• Middle (The Process): Show the journey. This is where you work through the problem or build towards the punchline. "...they wanted a cake that could float. This is how I did it."
• End (The Payoff): Reveal the solution, the final result, or the joke. Show the incredible floating cake.

This structure keeps viewers invested and satisfies their curiosity, which is exactly the kind of behavior the algorithm wants to see.

Optimize Your Videos for Discovery and Engagement

Making a great video is only half the battle. You also have to give the algorithm the right signals so it knows who to show your video to. This happens through the captions, hashtags, and other elements you add before you post.

Use Relevant and Trending Hashtags

Hashtags help categorize your video and tell the algorithm what your content is about. A good strategy is to use a mix of 3-5 hashtags that serve different purposes.

• Broad Hashtags (1-2): These relate to your general topic but are widely used. (e.g., #digitalmarketing, #homecooking). They have high volume but also high competition.
• Niche Hashtags (2-3): These get specific to your video and appeal to a dedicated community. (e.g., #seotipsforsmallbusiness, #veganrecipeseasy). They help you reach a more targeted, and often more engaged, audience.
• Trending Hashtag (1, if relevant): If your video fits a currently trending hashtag or challenge, including it can give you a quick visibility boost.

Avoid generic spam hashtags like #fyp, #foryou, and #viral. While they won’t hurt you, they do very little to tell the algorithm who should see your specific content.

Write Captions That Encourage Interaction

Your caption is your chance to start a conversation. Simply describing your video isn’t enough. Encourage viewers to take action.

• Ask a Question: End your caption with a direct question that's easy to answer. "Which of these three outfits is your favorite?" is more effective than "Here are my outfits."
• Include a Call-to-Action (CTA): Tell your viewers what you want them to do next. "Share this with a friend who needs to hear it" or "Check the link in my bio for the full recipe."

Add On-Screen Text and Burned-In Capsions

A huge percentage of users watch videos on their phone with the sound off. If your video relies on you speaking, you'll lose them instantly without captions. Always use TikTok's auto-caption function to transcribe your audio.

Beyond that, use stylized on-screen text to highlight key points. This helps viewers follow along, reinforces your message, and acts as another visual hook to keep them engaged, especially if they’re watching in a noisy environment.

Publish at the Right Time and Stay Consistent

When you post can be just as important as what you post. Putting your video live when your target audience is most active gives it the best initial shot at gaining momentum.

Find Your Audience's Peak Active Hours

TikTok gives you this information for free. If you have a Business or Creator account, just follow these steps:

1. Go to your profile and tap the three lines in the top right corner.
2. Select "Creator Tools" or "Business Suite."
3. Tap on "Analytics."
4. Switch to the "Followers" tab.
5. Scroll down to the "Follower activity" section. This chart will show you the exact days and hours your audience was most active on the app over the last week.

Aim to post about an hour before these peak times to give the algorithm time to start processing and distributing your video just as your followers start logging on.

Post Consistently, But Prioritize Quality

Consistency signals to the algorithm that you're an active creator. However, "consistency" does not mean you have to post three times a day. It means finding a realistic publishing cadence that you can stick to over the long term without burning out or sacrificing video quality.

Find what works for you. Maybe that's three to five quality videos per week. That’s far more effective than posting seven mediocre videos a week just to hit a quota. A posting schedule helps the algorithm learn your rhythm and builds anticipation with your audience.

Final Thoughts

Getting more views on TikTok is an ongoing process of creating valuable, attention-grabbing content, understanding the simple mechanics of the algorithm, and engaging with your community. By focusing on creating strong hooks, telling brief stories, using the right keywords and sounds, and posting when your audience is online, you can move beyond frustratingly low view counts and start building real momentum.

With consistency being so important, managing a content calendar can start to feel chaotic, especially when juggling multiple platforms. For our process, we’ve found that batch-creating content ahead of time and scheduling it is the only way to stay sane and avoid missing key posting times. That's a core reason why we built Postbase, seeing our TikTok videos, Reels, and other posts on a single visual calendar helps us maintain a steady rhythm, and an effortless-to-use scheduling tool means our content always goes out on time, whether we're at our desks or not.

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