How to Promote a Live on TikTok

Going LIVE on TikTok can feel like throwing a party and just hoping people show up. But with a solid strategy, you can turn that hope into a packed house with an engaged audience every single time. This guide breaks down the simple, actionable steps you need to take before, during, and after your broadcast to promote your TikTok LIVE and maximize its impact.

Before You Go LIVE: Build Hype and Set the Stage

The success of your LIVE often depends on the work you put in before you even press the button. A little bit of planning goes a long way in letting your followers know that something exciting is about to happen.

1. Pinpoint Your Topic and Timing

First things first: what are you going to talk about, and when? Don’t overthink the topic, but aim for something your audience genuinely wants to engage with.

• Popular LIVE formats: Q&A sessions, tutorials or walkthroughs, behind-the-scenes looks, interviews with special guests, product unboxings, or simply chatting while doing a task (like packing orders or creative work).
• Find your best time: Dive into your TikTok analytics to see when your followers are most active. Go to your profile >, three-line icon >, "Creator tools" >, "Analytics" >, "Followers." Scroll down to the "Follower activity" section. This shows you the hours and days your audience is most engaged. Aim to go live just before or during these peak times.

2. Announce Your LIVE with a Dedicated Video

Don't let your LIVE be a surprise. Create a dedicated TikTok video to announce it 1-3 days in advance. This acts as your official invitation and sets clear expectations.

• Keep it simple and direct: Your video doesn't need to be fancy. Just talk to the camera and let people know you're going live.
• What to include:
  • The Hook: Start with an exciting statement like, "You've been asking me how I do [X], so I'm going LIVE to show you..."
  • The Big 3: Clearly state the date, time (with time zone!), and the main topic. Use bold text overlays for this information so it's impossible to miss.
  • Call to Action: End by saying something like, "Bring your questions and get ready! I’ll see you there."

A good example would be a creator making a 15-second video that says: "I'm going LIVE this Wednesday at 8 PM EST to build a travel itinerary from scratch. Got a destination in mind? Drop it in the comments and I might plan your trip LIVE on air!"

3. Use TikTok’s LIVE Event Feature

TikTok has built-in tools to help you promote, so be sure to use them. The LIVE Event feature is one of the most effective ways to build a registered audience.

How to Set It Up:

1. Go to your profile page and tap the calendar icon in your bio area, or go to the LIVE screen and tap the "Calendar" icon.
2. Fill in the “Event name,” “Start time,” and a brief “Description.”
3. Once you create the event, TikTok generates a unique page for it.

The beauty of this feature is that followers can click "Register." When they do, TikTok will send them a notification just before you go live. You can also link your announcement video directly to your LIVE Event, creating a seamless promotional experience for your followers who see the video.

4. Cross-Promote on Other Platforms

Your promotion shouldn’t just live on TikTok. Use your other social channels to drive traffic and make sure your entire audience knows what’s happening.

• Instagram Stories: A day or two before, post a quick story with a countdown sticker. Then, about 15 minutes before you go live, post one more story saying "Going LIVE on TikTok in 15 minutes! Here’s the link!"
• Email Newsletter: If you have one, your newsletter list is full of dedicated followers. Send them an email about the upcoming LIVE.
• Other Socials: A simple post on X (formerly Twitter), Threads, or your Facebook page can grab viewers who may not have seen your TikTok content.

5. Prepare Your Environment

This is less about promotion and more about making sure your LIVE is an enjoyable experience for viewers once they show up. A bad setup can make people leave quickly.

• Check your connection: A strong Wi-Fi connection is non-negotiable. A lagging, pixelated stream is a huge turn-off.
• Lighting and Audio: You don't need a professional studio, but people need to see and hear you clearly. Sit in front of a window for natural light or use a simple ring light. A pair of headphones with a built-in mic is often better than your phone's default audio.
• Minimize Distractions: Find a quiet space, maybe put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on your door, and silence your phone's notifications (other than TikTok-related ones).

During the LIVE: Keep Them Watching and Engaging

You’ve done the prep work and people are showing up. Now, it's about delivering a great experience that gets them to stay, interact, and come back for more next time.

1. Start Strong and Greet Everyone

The first 30 seconds are critical. Don't sit in silence waiting for the viewer count to go up. As soon as you’re live, start talking with energy.

• Welcome people by name: As viewers join, give them a shout-out. "Hey, Sarah, welcome in!" or "Great to see you, Tom!" This small touch makes people feel seen.
• Ask an easy-to-answer question: Get the chat warmed up immediately. Ask something simple like, "Where is everyone watching from tonight?" or "What's an emoji that sums up your day?"

2. Engage with Comments and Questions

A LIVE is a two-way conversation, not a broadcast. Your main job is to interact with the audience.

• Acknowledge and respond: Read comments aloud and respond to them in real time. Make it clear you're listening.
• Use the Q&A feature: Encourage viewers to submit questions through the Q&A sticker. This organizes them in one place so you don't lose good questions in a fast-moving chat.
• Bring on a co-host or guest: TikTok allows you to invite a guest to join your LIVE. This can instantly boost engagement by combining two audiences and creating a more dynamic conversation.
• Have a moderator: If you expect a large crowd, ask a trusted friend or team member to be a moderator. They can help pin important comments, filter out inappropriate ones, and keep the energy positive.

3. Periodically Re-Introduce Your Topic

People will be joining your LIVE at various times. To avoid confusion, take a moment every 5-10 minutes to 'reset' the room.

Say something simple and quick: "Hey, for everyone just joining us, you’re just in time! We're talking about [your topic]. We just covered [X], and next we’re moving on to [Y]." This tiny step helps new viewers feel included and up-to-speed instead of lost and likely to scroll away.

4. Don't Be Afraid to Remind People to Engage

Sometimes, your audience just needs a gentle nudge. Throughout the stream, sprinkle in friendly prompts:

• "If you're getting value from this, tap the screen to send some likes!"
• "If you know someone who needs to hear this, hit the share button and bring them in!"
• "Wow, over 200 people here! If you aren't following yet, make sure you hit that plus sign so you don’t miss the next one."

After the LIVE: Repurpose and Follow Up

Your LIVE doesn’t end when you hit "end broadcast." You now have a piece of long-form content filled with micro-moments that are perfect for repurposing.

1. Save and Edit Your Replay

Always save your LIVE replay! Inside that hour-long broadcast are several high-quality, snackable clips waiting to be discovered.

• Mine for gold: Skim through your replay and identify the best moments. Look for answered questions, valuable tips, funny tangents, or powerful statements.
• Create standalone videos: Use a simple video editor to trim these moments into 20-60 second clips. Add some captions using TikTok's editor, place a bold title on top like "Hot Take from My Last LIVE 🔥," and post it as a regular TikTok video.
• This does two things: it provides content for people who missed the LIVE, and it acts as an endorsement for the value of your next one.

2. Announce the Results and Thank Your Audience

The day after your LIVE, post a quick follow-up. This can be as simple as another short video or even a TikTok Story.

Say something like: "Thanks so much to everyone who joined the LIVE last night! We had over [X number] people tune in, and the questions were amazing. Here’s a quick recap of the best question I got..."

This post-event wrap-up makes your community feel appreciated and strengthens their connection to you, making them even more likely to tune in next time.

3. Look at the Data and Plan Your Next Move

After your LIVE ends, TikTok gives you a simple analytics summary. It shows you the total number of viewers, how many diamonds you received, new followers gained and other important stats.

Pay attention to the questions that were asked. What topics generated the most engagement? What did people seem most excited about? Use this direct feedback from your audience to come up with ideas for your future content and your next LIVE event.

Final Thoughts

A successful TikTok LIVE is a cycle, not a one-off event. It requires smart pre-promotion to build an audience, genuine engagement to keep them hooked, and strategic repurposing to extend the content's life and promote the next one. By following these steps, you create a system that builds on itself, growing your audience and impact with every broadcast.

As creators and social media managers, one of the biggest challenges we face is orchestrating all the promotional content required for a successful LIVE - the announcement videos, the repurposed clips, the cross-platform posts. Keeping it all straight can quickly become overwhelming. At Postbase, we built our visual planning calendar specifically to solve this. It lets you see your entire content plan, for all of your platforms, in one uncluttered view, so you can schedule out your LIVE promo series with total clarity and get back to what matters most: creating and connecting with your audience.