How to Get Shares on TikTok

Getting likes and comments on TikTok is great, but shares are where real growth happens. A share is the ultimate signal to the algorithm that your content is so good, people feel a need to send it directly to their friends, family, or followers. This article breaks down the exact strategies you can use, from foundational principles to specific tactics, to create TikToks people can't help but share.

Why Shares Matter More Than You Think on TikTok

On TikTok, not all engagement is created equal. While likes are passive and comments show active discussion, shares are a powerful endorsement. When a user shares your video, they are personally recommending it to someone else. This action has a huge ripple effect:

• It Supercharges the Algorithm: A share tells TikTok's algorithm that your content has high value and is resonating deeply. The algorithm sees this as a strong positive signal, often pushing your video to an even wider audience on the For You page.
• It Creates Direct-to-Audience Marketing: Shares tap into "dark social" - private messaging apps like Messages, WhatsApp, and Instagram DMs. This is word-of-mouth marketing in its purest form, reaching people through a trusted source (their friend) rather than an algorithmic feed.
• It Builds a Stronger Community: Content that gets shared often creates an inside joke or a shared feeling among your audience. It's the kind of content that makes people feel seen, understood, or entertained on a more personal level.

Level 1: The Foundations of Shareable Content

Before you get into advanced tactics, you need a solid foundation. These principles are the non-negotiables for creating content that has a chance of getting passed around. If you ignore these, no amount of clever tricks will save your video.

Hook Them in the First 3 Seconds

The best video in the world doesn't matter if nobody watches past the intro. The single most important element of any TikTok is the hook. Your opening moments must immediately stop the scroll and create curiosity, pose a question, or make a bold statement. Your goal is to give the viewer a reason to stick around.

Examples of Strong Hooks:

• "You've been using your air fryer all wrong."
• "Here are three things I stopped buying to save over $500 a month."
• "This is the most underrated coffee shop in New York City."
• "POV: You're trying to explain a meme to your parents."

Use Trending Sounds and Formats (The Right Way)

Using trending sounds and formats is a great way to tap into what's already working on the platform. But there's a catch: you can't just copy and paste the trend. The most shareable videos add a unique twist or apply the trend to a specific niche.

Instead of just doing a popular lip-sync, ask yourself:

• "How can this trending sound apply to my experience as a programmer/nurse/real estate agent?"
• "Can I use this format to tell a funny story about my industry or hobby?"
• "Can I use this audio to highlight a common problem my audience faces?"

By blending the familiar (the trend) with something new (your unique perspective), you create content that feels both relevant and original - a perfect recipe for shares.

Prioritize Authentic, Value-Driven Content

People share content that provides them with some kind of value. This doesn't just mean educational content. "Value" on TikTok falls into four main categories:

• Entertainment: Content that makes people laugh. This is probably the biggest driver of shares. Think funny sketches, relatable skits, hilarious pet moments, or witty commentary.
• Education: Content that teaches someone something useful. This includes life hacks, quick tutorials, business tips, explanations of complex topics, or career advice.
• Inspiration: Content that makes people feel good. This could be a motivational speech, a heartwarming story, a stunning travel video, or an incredible personal transformation.
• Relatability: Content that makes people say, "That is so me." This content taps into shared experiences, awkward moments, or common frustrations that make others feel seen and understood.

Every video you create should aim to deliver at least one of these forms of value. If it doesn't entertain, teach, inspire, or make someone feel understood, they have no reason to watch it, let alone share it.

Level 2: Psychological Triggers That Drive Shares

Once you've nailed the fundamentals, you can start incorporating psychological triggers that make hitting the "Share" button feel almost automatic. This is about understanding the human element behind why people share.

Trigger Strong Emotions: Comedy and Connection

Videos that genuinely make people laugh are among the most shared on any platform. Laughter is a universal emotion, and sharing a funny video is an easy way for people to connect with their friends and brighten their day. This could be a well-timed skit, an unexpected punchline, a clever observation about daily life, or an absurd scenario.

On the other end of the spectrum, content that creates a deep sense of connection or empathy is also highly shareable. Heartwarming stories about kindness, videos capturing a touching family moment, or content about overcoming adversity build an emotional bond with the viewer that they want to pass on to others.

Actionable Tip: When brainstorming, think about the specific feeling you want your viewer to have. Do you want them to laugh out loud? To feel a sense of hope? To say "aww"? Leading with emotion is a direct path to the share button.

Create "This is So You" Content

This is arguably the most powerful tactic for generating direct shares. "This is So You" content is anything that makes a viewer immediately think of a specific person in their life. When they see it, their first instinct isn't just "this is funny," but rather "omg, I have to send this to [Friend's Name]."

Hyper-Specific Content Ideas:

• Astrology/Personality Types: "Signs that a Libra is mad at you," or "Things you do if you're an ENFP."
• Niche Hobbies: "The worst feeling for a D&D Dungeon Master," or "Things people who love crochet will understand."
• Relationship Dynamics: "Send this to the friend who is always late," or "When your partner leaves just one sip of juice left in the carton."
• Generational Humor: Content about the differences between Millennials and Gen Z, or things that only people who grew up in the 90s will remember.

The more specific you can get, the stronger the urge to share it will be with the person it reminds them of.

Offer Unique or Actionable Information

Informational content gets shared because it’s genuinely useful. People send these videos to friends who they think could benefit from the tip, or they share it to their own story as a public service announcement. The key is to make it quick, easy to understand, and valuable.

Examples of Shareable How-To Content:

• A 15-second recipe for a high-protein breakfast.
• A tutorial on a little-known Canva design hack.
• Tips for packing a carry-on for a week-long trip.
• How to properly negotiate a salary increase using a specific script.

People love content that solves a problem for them. By becoming a trusted source of helpful information, you create videos that become shareable resources.

Level 3: Strategic Tactics to Ask for the Share

Sometimes, the easiest way to get something is to simply ask for it - or at least make it incredibly obvious what you want the viewer to do. These tactics bake the "share" action directly into the content itself.

Use Direct Text Overlays and CTAs

Don't be shy about guiding your audience. Simple on-screen text or a clear call-to-action (CTA) in your caption or voiceover can dramatically increase shares. It removes any guesswork and suggests a specific action.

Popular and Effective CTAs:

• "Send this to someone who needs to hear it."
• "Share this with the friend who acts just like this."
• "Tag someone who would love this recipe."
• "Don't gatekeep - share this with your group chat."

This works best when the CTA is directly related to the content. A funny video about friendships is the perfect place for "Send this to your best friend."

Create Polls or "Us vs. Them" Content

Content that sparks a lighthearted debate is a goldmine for engagement and shares. By presenting two opposing viewpoints, you encourage viewers to pick a side and share the video with their friends to see which side they're on. This creates conversation and interaction centered around your content.

Ideas for Low-Stakes Debates:

• "Is a hot dog a sandwich? Settle this debate in the comments."
• "Which The Office character is the best? Send this to a friend to see what they think."
• Text overlay reading: "Pineapple on pizza" with Yes/No options presented in the video. The CTA can be "Share this and end the argument once and for all."

The key here is to keep it fun and low-stakes. Avoid overly controversial topics that can lead to negative engagement and instead focus on universally recognized pop culture or food debates.

Leverage "Saveable" Content Formats

While "Saves" are a separate metric, there is a massive overlap between content people save and content people share. Content that is designed to be a durable resource - a checklist, a guide, a list of recommendations - often gets shared for the same reason it gets saved: it's incredibly useful. People want to share resources that make their friends' lives better or easier.

Creating Saveable and Shareable Content:

• Lists: "5 books you need to read this year," "Top 3 apps for productivity," "7 travel destinations that won't break the bank."
• Tutorials: Present information in a step-by-step format that’s easy to follow.
• Templates & Guides: "Use this template for your next cover letter" or "A complete workout plan you can do at home."

Structure your video so the information is packed and easily digestible. These types of posts have a long shelf life, accumulating shares and saves long after they were first posted.

Final Thoughts

Boosting your TikTok shares comes down to making content that delivers genuine value. Whether you’re making someone laugh, teaching them a new skill, creating a sense of connection, or starting a fun conversation, your primary goal is to create a video so impactful that viewers feel an urge to pass it on.

We know that consistently brainstorming, planning, and scheduling a pipeline of share-worthy video content is a challenge, especially when trying to stay active on multiple platforms. We built Postbase with a visual content calendar specifically for today's social reality. Our design prioritized video formats like TikToks and Reels from day one, helping you plan your content, schedule it reliably, and track what’s working from one clean dashboard - so you can focus more on creating and less on the administrative headache.