How to Get People on TikTok Live

Hitting that ‘Go Live’ button on TikTok only to see a viewer count stuck at zero is a feeling no creator wants. You have great ideas and valuable things to say, but how do you get people to actually show up? This guide breaks down the actionable strategies that get real, engaged viewers into your stream, moving from preparation and promotion to the on-air tactics that keep them watching.

First Things First: Why Go Live on TikTok?

Before jumping into the "how," it's helpful to understand the "why." TikTok Live isn't just another content format, it's a powerful tool for connecting with your audience in a way that pre-recorded videos can't. Lives are unfiltered, immediate, and personal. They allow for direct, two-way conversations with your followers, who can ask questions and get answers in real time. This unfiltered interaction builds a tremendous amount of trust and community around your brand or profile. Furthermore, the TikTok algorithm loves when you keep users on the app, and successful Lives - those with high engagement and long watch times - can give your entire account a visibility boost.

Phase 1: Your Pre-Live Checklist for a Packed House

The success of your TikTok Live is often decided long before you ever hit the broadcast button. A great Live rarely happens by accident, it's the result of thoughtful planning and promotion. Neglecting this phase is the single biggest reason creators go live to an empty room.

1. Plan Your Live’s Purpose and Value

People need a reason to tune in and, more importantly, a reason to stay. Ask yourself: "What value am I providing to my audience?" Vague, unstructured Lives tend to lose viewers quickly. Your Live should have a clear purpose. Here are some proven formats that work:

• Q&A Session: A classic for a reason. Offer to answer questions about your niche, your business, your creative process, or a specific topic you're an expert in.
• Tutorial or Demo: Show people how to do something. This could be a makeup tutorial, a recipe, a software walkthrough, or how to use your product.
• Behind-the-Scenes (BTS): Give your audience a peek behind the curtain. Show them your workspace, introduce your team, or walk them through a day in your life. This builds intimacy and familiarity.
• Interviews or Guest Features: Bring on another creator or an expert in your field. This is a fantastic way to cross-promote and expose both of your audiences to new content.
• Product Launch or Unboxing: Build hype by revealing a new product or service. The live format allows you to answer immediate questions and gauge reactions.

Once you have a topic, create a simple outline. It doesn’t need to be a word-for-word script, but a bulleted list of talking points will keep you on track, prevent awkward silences, and ensure you deliver the value you promised.

2. Promote Your Live Like It's a Main Event

You wouldn't throw a party without sending invitations, so don't go live without telling people about it. A robust promotion strategy is non-negotiable.

• Create Announcement Videos: At least 2-3 days before your Live, post short, energetic videos announcing it. Clearly state the day, time (including time zone!), and what viewers will gain by tuning in. Use a strong call to action like, “I’m going Live this Friday at 7 PM EST to answer all your questions about starting a podcast. Drop your Questions below!”
• Use the Countdown Sticker: In the 24 hours leading up to your Live, post to your TikTok Story using the interactive countdown sticker. Followers can tap it to set a reminder for when you go live.
• Cross-Promote on Other Platforms: Don't limit your promotion to TikTok. Announce your Live on Instagram Stories, X, your Facebook group, or email newsletter. Your super-fans on other platforms will often be your most engaged Live viewers.

3. Choose the Right Time to Go Live

Going live when your audience is asleep or at work is a guaranteed way to see low numbers. You need to broadcast when your followers are most active. Here's how to figure that out:

1. Go to your TikTok profile and tap the three lines in the top-right corner.
2. Select "Creator Tools" and then "Analytics."
3. Navigate to the "Followers" tab.
4. Scroll down to "Follower activity." This will show you the days of the week and the hours of the day when your audience is most active.

Plan your Lives around these peak times to maximize your initial viewer count. The more people who join early, the more likely TikTok is to push your stream to a wider audience.

4. Check Your Tech and Set the Scene

Technical glitches can kill the vibe of a great Live. A few minutes of prep can make all the difference.

• Internet Connection: Test your Wi-Fi speed. If it's unstable, consider using a direct ethernet connection or moving closer to your router. A choppy, buffering stream is an instant viewer-dropper.
• Audio: Your phone's built-in microphone can work, but an external microphone (even a simple lapel mic) dramatically improves audio quality. Test it to make sure you sound clear and there's no distracting background noise.
• Lighting: Good lighting makes you look more professional and keeps viewers engaged. Sit facing a window for natural light or use a simple ring light. Avoid being backlit (having a bright light source behind you).
• Stability: Prop your phone up on a tripod or a stable surface. A shaky, handheld stream is distracting and can even be nauseating for the viewer.

Phase 2: On-Air Strategies to Engage and Retain Viewers

You've done the prep work and people are starting to file in. Now, the real work begins. Your goal is to turn those initial viewers into engaged participants who stick around.

1. Hook Them in the First Minute

The first 30-60 seconds are make-or-break. People are scrolling quickly and need to know immediately if your stream is worth their time. Wait for a small group of people to join (e.g., 10-20 viewers) and then clearly state the purpose of your Live.

Example hook: "Hey everyone, welcome in! I'm so glad you could make it. For the next 30 minutes, we're going to break down the three biggest mistakes creators make when editing short videos. If you stick around to the end, I'll be sharing my favorite free editing app."

This does three things: it tells people what the Live is about, how long it will be, and gives them a reason to stay until the end.

2. Acknowledge and Interact Constantly

A TikTok Live is a conversation, not a monologue. Make your audience feel seen and heard.

• Welcome New Viewers: As people join, welcome them by their username. A simple "Hey, [username], thanks for being here!" goes a long way.
• Read Comments Aloud: When answering a question or responding to a comment, read it out loud. This provides context for everyone else watching and validates the person who commented.
• Ask Questions: Don't just wait for questions to come to you. Actively prompt engagement by asking things like, "Where is everyone tuning in from tonight?" or "Let me know with a '1' in the chat if you've done this before."
• Give Shout-Outs for Gifts: When someone sends you a Gift, thank them by name. It encourages others to do the same and creates a positive feedback loop.

3. Utilize TikTok’s Live Features

TikTok gives you tools to make your streams more interactive. Use them!

• Live Q&A: This feature organizes viewer questions in one place, so you don't lose them in the main chat feed. Tell your audience to submit their questions there.
• Polls: Create polls to let your audience direct the conversation. For example, "What should we talk about next? A) Content ideas or B) Hashtag strategy."
• Invite a Guest: Use the "Multi-Guest" feature to bring someone else onto your Live. This is perfect for interviews, collaborations, or simply having a casual chat with another creator. It adds a new dynamic and brings in their audience as well.

4. Keep Looping in New Viewers

People will be joining your stream at different times. Every 10-15 minutes, do a quick "re-intro" to orient newcomers without boring your long-time viewers.

Example loop-in: "For those of you just joining, welcome! I'm Jane, and right now we're talking about the best practices for promoting your videos. So far we've covered [Topic 1] and [Topic 2]."

Phase 3: The Post-Live Strategy

The work isn't over when the Live ends. You can extend the value of your broadcast long after it's finished.

1. Save and Repurpose Your Content

After your Live, you can download a replay. Go through it and find the highlights: the best questions, the funniest moments, or the most valuable tips. Edit these snippets into standalone TikTok videos. A one-hour Live can easily become five or more individual pieces of short-form content to post over the next week, reaching a brand-new audience.

2. Analyze and Learn

After your broadcast, review your Live analytics. Look at metrics like total viewers, new followers, and average watch time. Pay attention to when viewer counts peaked or dropped off. This data will tell you what's working and help you refine your strategy for the next broadcast.

Final Thoughts

Building a successful TikTok Live audience is all about creating a valuable, interactive experience. By planning your topic, promoting it ahead of time, and actively engaging with your viewers in real-time, you turn a monologue into a community event people actually want to attend.

Effectively promoting your Lives requires scheduling a mix of different content types, from announcement videos to behind-the-scenes teasers. As we were building Postbase, we focused on creating a visual planning calendar that makes this simple. You can see your entire content schedule at a glance, drag and drop posts to get the timing just right, and make sure your promotional content for TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms goes out exactly when it needs to - so you can hit "Go Live" with confidence.