How to Post on TikTok to Get Views

Trying to crack the TikTok algorithm can feel like you're guessing a password you forgot years ago. When a video flops, it's easy to think it's just bad luck. But getting views on TikTok isn’t a lottery, it’s about a repeatable strategy that combines smart B-roll with creativity, strong content creation skills, and an understanding of what makes people stop scrolling. This guide breaks down the actionable steps you can take to create and post TikToks that consistently reach new audiences.

Understand What Actually Feeds the 'For You' Page

Before you can get views, you need to understand where they come from: the 'For You' Page (FYP). This isn't a chronological feed, it's a hyper-personalized stream of content curated for each user by TikTok's powerful algorithm. The goal of the algorithm is simple: keep people on the app as long as possible. It achieves this by showing users more of what it thinks they'll like, based on how they interact with videos.

When you post a video, TikTok doesn't show it to all your followers at once. Instead, it tests your video with a small group of users. If that group responds well, TikTok pushes it out to a slightly larger group, and so on. This snowball effect is how videos go viral. So, what "good responses" is the algorithm looking for?

The Key Metrics That Matter

While TikTok keeps its exact formula a secret, we know it weighs certain user interactions very heavily. Your entire posting strategy should be designed to maximize these.

• Watch Time &, Completion Rate: This is the most important metric. Did a viewer watch your video all the way through? Did they watch it more than once (a "rewatch")? A high completion rate tells the algorithm your video is a success at holding someone's attention. Even a relatively short video with a massive completion rate can outperform a longer one that people swipe away from after a few seconds.
• Shares: A share is a massive signal of value. When someone shares your video - either by sending it to a friend, reposting, or using the "Stitch" or "Duet" feature - they're giving it a strong endorsement. It shows the content was so good, they wanted others to see it.
• Comments: Comments signal that your video sparked a conversation. This is why creators often ask questions or post slightly controversial takes, it gets people talking in the comments section, which the algorithm loves.
• Likes: While still a positive signal, likes are the most passive form of engagement. They're good to have, but the algorithm puts much more weight on watch time, shares, and comments.

The first few hours after you post are the most important for that initial test. If you can get strong engagement signals early on, your video has a much better chance of breaking out of that initial small test group and reaching a much wider audience.

Nail the First 3 Seconds (Or Get Scrolled)

On TikTok, you don't have a minute to win someone over - you have less than three seconds. The "hook" is the first part of your video that captures attention and convinces a viewer to stick around. Without a strong hook, even the most amazing video will get lost in the scroll. Your hook should immediately answer the viewer's subconscious question: "Why should I watch this?"

Hooks That Actually Work

Instead of just starting your video, think about how you can frame the content to create immediate interest. Here are some proven formulas:

• The "Problem/Solution" Hook: Start by stating a common pain point your target audience has.
  • Example: "If your houseplants are always dying, you're making one of these three mistakes."
  • Example: "Stop making your coffee like this. Here's a better way."
• The "Start with the Result" Hook: Show the amazing final product before you show how you got there. This is perfect for DIY, art, cooking, or transformation videos.
  • Example: A video starts with a shot of a perfectly decorated cake, then the text appears: "Here's how I made this for under $20."
• The "Create a Curiosity Gap" Hook: Say something that makes the viewer need to know what comes next.
  • Example: "There's a secret feature on your iPhone I can almost guarantee you aren't using."
  • Example: "I stopped doing my marketing this way, and my sales doubled."
• The "Unpopular Opinion" Hook: Make a bold or contrarian statement related to your niche to spark debate and engagement.
  • Example: "Hot take: Content calendars are actually killing your creativity."

Always complement your audible hook with clear, bold text on the screen. Many people browse with the sound off, and on-screen text ensures your message lands regardless. Keep the text concise and easy to read in the first couple of seconds.

Don't Just Post - Have a Content Strategy

Going viral once is great, but building a sustainable following that drives real results requires a consistent strategy. Throwing random videos at the wall and hoping one sticks is a recipe for burnout and slow growth. A good strategy starts with identifying who you're talking to and what you want to be known for.

Find Your Niche (and Your Content Pillars)

You can't be everything to everyone on TikTok. Your most successful content will come when you focus on a specific niche. Are you a real estate agent for first-time home buyers? A designer specializing in minimalist brands? A chef who only cooks with five ingredients or less? The more specific you are, the easier it is to attract the right kind of followers who will engage with all your content, not just one viral hit.

Once you have your niche, define 3-5 content pillars. These are the main topics or themes you'll be creating content about. For a fitness coach, the pillars might be:

• Quick at-home workouts
• Healthy meal prep ideas
• Myth-busting fitness advice
• Motivational B-roll clips to trending audio

Having content pillars keeps your content focused and helps you brainstorm ideas, creating a predictable and valuable experience for your followers to latch onto.

Ride the Trend Wave Smartly

Using trending sounds, effects, and challenges is one of the most effective ways to get your content discovered by new people. When a user has engaged with a few videos that use a particular sound, the algorithm is more likely to show them your video if it uses the same one. Effectively, a popular audio track can give you a lift in visibility and attention retention. Think of audio selection as just one lever among other important signals.

How do you find trends?

1. Scroll the 'For You' Page and note any sounds or formats you see repeatedly.
2. Tap the sound in the bottom corner of a video, if it's accompanied by an upward-trending arrow, it’s gaining popularity.

But don't just copy a trend. The best-performing trend-based videos adapt the trend to their niche. If everyone is doing a specific lip-syncing skit, how can you do it in a way that relates to your audience of software engineers or small business owners? Generic copying can get some views, but niche-adapted trends build a following. Keep your content creation as native as possible!

Provide Value Through Entertainment or Education

Every video you post should provide some form of value. "Value" doesn't just mean a dry, educational tutorial. It can be:

• Educational: Teach something quickly and clearly (e.g., a camera setting tip, a spreadsheet hack, a marketing secret).
• Entertaining: Make someone laugh, feel inspired, or experience a "wow" moment (e.g., a funny skit about your industry, a stunning time-lapse, a relatable #fyp meme).
• Inspirational: Share a success story, your unique journey through life and work, or a behind-the-scenes look at your process to motivate others.

Optimize Your Posts for Maximum Reach

Once you've created a fantastic video, how you package it makes all the difference. Optimizing the technical elements of your post is just as important as the content itself.

Post When Your Audience is Watching

The "best time to post" is simply when your followers are most active. Blanket advice you read online is a decent starting point but useless compared to your own data. To find your personalized best times, you need a TikTok Business or Creator account.

To access it, go to your profile, tap the three lines in the top right, and go to "Creator Tools" >, "Analytics." In the "Followers" tab, you'll find a chart showing the days and hours your audience is most active. Aim to post 15-30 mins just before those peak activity times to give your video a better chance of picking up initial momentum as users are organically coming on site and scrolling from your active posts.

Write Captions That Encourage Engagement

Your caption supports your video, it shouldn't be an essay. Keep it short and to the point. The best captions create a conversation instead of just describing your content. Instead of saying, “Here I am making lunch!”, spark a little human curiosity with a short story or question: “Here’s the #worklunch I’ll be enjoying every day this week!”

1. Ask an inviting, open-ended question to your TikTok viewers that they feel curious and inclined to answer.
2. Create intrigue by creating a "part 2," cliffhanger, telling the community that another useful and engaging post is around the corner.

Use Hashtags Strategically

Hashtags help TikTok categorize your video and show it to people interested in that topic. Avoid spamming irrelevant tags like #fyp or #viral, in favor of a much more balanced, thoughtful approach:

• Use a mix: Aim for 3-5 hashtags that provide important context to your content.
• Add context for your community to latch onto: Add in specific hashtags that reflect your niche or industry (#smallbusinesstips), what the specific video is about (#contentideas), and something about your target audience (#socialmediamanager).

Harness the Power of Sound

TikTok is an audio-first social platform, for videos, especially native ones, sound is non-negotiable. Using a trending or popular sound places your video into a de-facto discovery feed associated directly with that particular audio. Some will specifically seek out content created with a certain trendy sound or song. Always browse the sound discovery tab through the app, find quality audio clips, and then you can add your video!

Final Thoughts

Getting more views on TikTok comes down to a consistent practice of creating valuable content tailored to a specific audience, starting with a powerful hook and optimizing your post for discovery. It's a blend of creative content creation with a clear understanding of the platform's mechanics, focusing on what keeps your viewers watching.

As you plan and build out your content pillars using this social strategy, consistency is paramount. We built Postbase to tackle the frustrating parts of managing that consistency, especially when you're also juggling other platforms. With a simple visual calendar, you can plan your TikToks weeks in advance and see gaps in your schedule instantly (plus, scheduling works for video-heavy formats). This keeps you on track so you can dedicate your energy to making great videos, not just managing a workflow, while also handling DMs along the way.