How to Increase TikTok Views

Getting your TikToks in front of more people isn't about chasing viral luck, it's about strategy, creativity, and understanding what makes the platform tick. If you feel like you're creating great content that just isn't getting the reach it deserves, you're not alone. This guide breaks down the actionable steps you can take to stop guessing and start growing your views by working with the TikTok algorithm, not against it.

Hook Your Audience Within Seconds

On TikTok, you don't have a minute to make an impression - you have about three seconds. The "For You Page" is a fiercely competitive feed where users scroll relentlessly until something grabs their attention. If the beginning of your video is slow, vague, or uninteresting, you've already lost. Your primary goal is to create an immediate "scroll stop."

Front-Load the Value or a Big Promise

Start your video with a direct statement that tells the viewer exactly what they’re going to get. Think of it as the headline for your video. If you’re sharing a tip, state it immediately. If you're telling a story, start at the most exciting part.

• Bad Hook: "Hey guys, so today I'm going to show you how I make my coffee..."
• Good Hook: "Here’s how to make the best iced coffee you’ve ever had with one simple ingredient."

Use Text Overlays Wisely

An on-screen text hook is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal. People often scroll with the sound off, so a compelling text overlay can catch their eye and make them turn the audio on. Make it short, bold, and curiosity-driven. To learn more about this, read our guide on how to add text to TikTok videos.

Examples of Strong Text Hooks:

• "3 Marketing Mistakes Costing You Sales"
• "You've Been Meal Prepping Wrong Your Entire Life"
• "The Story of How I Quit My 9-5 with Zero Savings"

These hooks create an immediate information gap or promise a solution to a problem, making the viewer want to stick around for the answer.

Master the Art of Storytelling

Even a 15-second video needs a narrative arc. A random collection of clips won't perform as well as a video that takes the viewer on a tiny journey. People connect with stories, and the TikTok algorithm rewards content that keeps users watching until the very end (a metric known as watch time or completion rate).

Every video, no matter how simple, should have a beginning, a middle, and an end.

• Beginning: The hook that grabs their attention (as we just discussed).
• Middle: The core value of your video - the steps, the information, the transformation, the joke.
• End: The reveal, the punchline, the final result, or a call to action that encourages them to engage.

A classic and effective storytelling format on TikTok is the Problem &, Solution structure. Start by presenting a relatable problem, then spend the rest of the video showing how you, your product, or your idea solves it. This format works for everything from cleaning hacks and SaaS demos to personal finance tips.

Leverage Trending Sounds and Music

TikTok is a sound-on platform at its core. Trending audio isn't just background noise, it's a discovery tool. When a sound goes viral, people often click on the audio link at the bottom of the video to see other creations using that same sound. Getting your video into that feed is like free advertising. Learn more about how to find trending audio on TikTok.

How to Find and Use a Trending Sound:

1. Scroll Your For You Page (FYP): The best way to find trends is to simply be a user. When you start hearing the same song or audio clip three or four times in a single scrolling session, you've found a trend.
2. Look for the Arrow: TikTok now places a small upward-pointing arrow next to sounds that are gaining popularity. If you see this, it’s a good sign to hop on it.
3. Don't Force It: The key to using a trending sound effectively is making it feel native to your video. Don't just slap a popular song onto a random marketing video. Find audio that fits the mood, complements your message, or can be adapted for a humorous take in your niche. Your video should add to the trend, not just borrow from it.

Use Hashtags Strategically

Hashtags on TikTok serve a specific purpose - they help the algorithm understand what your content is about and who might want to see it. Thinking of them as mere keywords is a mistake. They are categorization tools. For a comprehensive guide, check out how to use hashtags on TikTok effectively.

Ditch `#fyp` and Go Specific

While hashtags like `#fyp` or `#foryou` were once thought to be a secret code to get on the For You page, they are now too broad to be useful. Your video gets lost in a sea of millions. A better approach is to use a mix of hashtags that helps TikTok narrow down your audience.

A good hashtag strategy includes 3-5 tags in this formula:

• 1-2 Broad Hashtags: These relate to your high-level industry. (e.g., `#marketing`, `#smallbusiness`)
• 2-3 Niche Hashtags: These describe the specific topic of your video. This is the most important category for reaching your target audience. (e.g., `#socialmediamarketingtips`, `#contentstrategy`, `#brandingtips`)
• 0-1 Location or Branded Hashtag: If relevant to your brand or a specific campaign you're running. (e.g., `#nycfood`, `#yourbrandchallenge`)

By categorizing your video with niche hashtags, you're essentially telling TikTok, "Show this to people who are interested in this specific thing." That leads to higher engagement from a more qualified audience, which signals to the algorithm that your content is valuable.

Create High-Quality Content (Even Without Expensive Gear)

"High-quality" on TikTok doesn't mean a perfect, studio-shot video. In fact, overly polished content can sometimes feel like a corporate ad and make users scroll away. On TikTok, high-quality means:

• Clear Audio: People will forgive shaky video before they tolerate muffled, background-heavy audio. Film in a quiet place or invest in an inexpensive lavalier mic that plugs into your phone. Seriously, it's a game-changer.
• Good Lighting: You don't need a professional lighting kit. Just face a window. Natural light is your best friend and it costs nothing. Avoid backlighting (where the light source is behind you), as it puts your face in shadow.
• Crisp, Clear Footage: Simply wipe your phone's camera lens before you start recording. You'd be amazed how often a fuzzy video is just a smudged lens.
• Fast-Paced Editing: Keep your cuts quick. Don't let a single shot linger for more than a few seconds unless it’s for dramatic effect. Use a variety of camera angles if you can, and incorporate text, zooms, and stickers to keep the visuals dynamic and engaging.

Engage With Your Community and Niche

TikTok is a social network, not a broadcast channel. The algorithm favors creators who are active participants in the community. If you just post content and close the app, you're missing a massive opportunity.

Respond to Comments (Especially Early On)

When your video first goes live, the first hour is a critical window. The algorithm is testing your content with a small group of users to see how they react. A high volume of early comments and your replies is a strong positive signal. Try to respond to as many comments as you can and use your response to ask another question to keep the conversation going.

Ask Questions in Your Videos and Captions

End your video or caption with a direct question that prompts a response. This simple trick can dramatically increase your comment count.

Use Stitch and Duet Features

Stitch and Duet are built-in features for collaborating and reacting to other videos. Using them is one of the easiest ways to create timely, relevant content. For example, learn how to duet on TikTok to react to another user's content.

• Stitch It: Use Stitch to add your commentary after a clip from another user's video. It’s perfect for debunking a myth, adding your expertise to a viral discussion, or sharing a funny reaction.
• Duet It: Duet places your video alongside another user's. It's great for side-by-side reactions, challenges, dance videos, or tutorials where you follow along with the original creator.

Both features automatically tag the original creator, tapping you into their audience and showing the algorithm you're actively engaging with the platform.

Post When Your Audience is Watching

You can create the most amazing video in the world, but if you post it when your audience is sleeping, it will fall flat. That’s why posting times matter. While plenty of blogs will give you "best times to post on TikTok," the real answer is more personal.

To find *your* bespoke posting time, you need a TikTok Business or Creator account (which is a free setting to switch on). This gives you access to Analytics.

1. Go to your profile and tap the three lines in the top right corner.
2. Select "Creator Tools" or "Business Suite".
3. Tap "Analytics" and go to the "Followers" tab.
4. Scroll down to the "Follower Activity" module which shows the hours and days your followers are most active.

Look for the peaks in activity and schedule your content to go live about an hour before those peak times. This gives the algorithm enough time to start pushing your video out just as your active followers begin opening the app.

Final Thoughts

Increasing your TikTok views comes down to a consistent strategy. Grab attention quickly, tell a clear story, use platform features like trending audio and hashtags to your advantage, and pay attention to what your own analytics tell you. When you focus on creating value for a specific audience, the algorithm starts to work for you, not against you.

To stay on top of the kind of consistency that TikTok demands, a solid plan is necessary. Our team uses Postbase to map out all our video ideas on a single visual calendar. We plan weeks ahead, noting trends we want to try and key messages we need to hit. Then, we schedule the finished videos to post at those peak times we found in our analytics, ensuring we never miss a beat without being tied to our phones.