Despite any controversy, TikTok has become arguably the most prominent and important social media network out there, at least when it comes to connecting with younger audiences. Because of TikTok’s importance, millions upon millions of videos are uploaded to the platform every single day, and as a result, it can be difficult to stand out from the rest.
The bad news is that TikTok’s algorithm isn’t public and likely changes on a regular basis. The good news, however, is that there are still basic things you can do to ensure your content is reaching as many people as possible. Here are 10 ways you can grow your TikTok audience.
10 Ways to Grow Your TikTok Audience
1. Understand Your Target Audience
It’s important to understand who your audience is before you ever start making content — because what’s the point in creating content for a different audience than the one who actually views it? Ask yourself, are you simply looking to reach as many people as possible, or are you trying to reach people in particular regions or of particular ages? Beyond that, does your audience respond better to humor or to good production value?
While the content in your videos might require some experimentation, you can get an overview of your account’s demographics by opening the TikTok app and heading to TikTok Studio, opening the Analytics section, and then tapping on the Viewers tab. Alternatively, you can view the same information in the TikTok Studio app, by simply tapping on the Analytics tab at the bottom of the screen.
If you’re just getting started and don’t really have any analytics to take a look at, a good exercise might be to write down four or five things about your desired audience, including the kinds of videos you think they might be interested in, their overall demographics, and so on, then work from there.
2. Post Consistently
Posting consistently is one of the most important aspects of growing a TikTok following. There are a few reasons for this: For starters, consistency signals to the TikTok algorithm that your channel is active and likely to stay on top of posting. Not only that, but consistency means you have a better chance of posting videos that make an impact. Not every video will go viral, but if you post regularly and consistently, you’re more likely to get some traction.
So how often should you post? Speculation suggests that TikTok’s algorithm generally favors accounts that post at least once per day. If that’s not achievable for you, set a posting schedule and stick to it, whether it be a few times per week or a few times per month. Remember, you can save time by producing multiple videos at once and then posting them over the course of a week or a month.
3. Use Trending Hashtags
TikTok largely revolves around trends, and participating in those trends can have a big impact on the growth of your following. One way you can signal to TikTok that a video is participating in a trend is through hashtags. You can get an idea of what kinds of trends are happening by opening the search page in the TikTok app using the little magnifying glass on the top-right of the Home page. This will give you an idea of trending topics — you can then tap on those to see videos and look at their hashtags.
Keep in mind, of course, that you’ll want to make videos within your niche, and within that niche, there might be separate trending topics. Make sure to follow creators in the same niche as you and keep an eye on any trends from those creators that you can take advantage of, using the same hashtags.
4. Use Trending Music and Sounds
A major way that trends proliferate on TikTok is through trending music and sounds. Remember, TikTok started as a video platform for dancers, and music is still deeply embedded in the identity of the platform. You can find trending music the same way you’ll find trending hashtags: By looking in the search tab or other videos within your niche. You can simply use the same sound as one of those videos by tapping on the small circular music button on the bottom right-hand corner of the video and then pressing the “use sound” button.
5. Use TikTok’s Built-In Creator Tools
TikTok has a range of tools to take advantage of when you post videos, and it’s a good idea to take advantage of as many of them as possible. For example, try editing your videos directly within the TikTok app, using AI tools and other editing features. This is because TikTok seems to prioritize videos that were edited in the app rather than those edited outside of the app and then posted.
When editing your video, make use of video effects, text, audio, and more. Apart from the basic editing tools, it’s also worth using the TikTok Live feature, which will involve you live-streaming directly to your audience. Speaking of which…
6. Interact With Your Audience
Posting the video isn’t necessarily the end of the TikTok pipeline for modern creators. After you post your video, keep an eye on things like comments and other engagement, and reply to comments regularly. Of course, you might have to wade through spam to do so, but it’s worth interacting with constructive comments from your audience as it helps create a connection with your viewers that otherwise wouldn’t be there.
7. Collaborate With Other Creators or Brands
Collaborations are an excellent way to grow your TikTok account, especially when it comes to those with a large following. That’s because when you collaborate with someone, your videos will not only be seen by your audience but by their audience, too.
Collaborating with another creator doesn’t have to mean meeting up with them in person, either. TikTok has some built-in tools that can be used for collaborations, including the TikTok Duet and TikTok Stitch features. Duet lets you create a split-screen video with another video that’s already on the platform, while Stitch allows you to combine an existing video with a new one that you create.
To use these features, open the video that you want to Duet or Stitch with, then press the share button, and scroll to the Duet or Stitch button. Then follow the on-screen prompts to edit your video with the existing one.
8. Use Video Captions
You may not think that video captions are important, but they actually make a huge difference when it comes to video engagement — and when engagement on a video is higher, TikTok will show it to more people. That’s largely because plenty of people watch TikTok videos with the sound off, and captions allow them to still follow what’s happening in the video, instead of simply scrolling past it.
TikTok has a pretty good AI caption feature built right into it that you can use when you post a new video. When you’re editing your video, simply hit the Captions button on the right-hand side, and the app will create captions that you can then edit if there are any mistakes. You can change the style of the captions and the location of them in the framing of your video, too.
9. Keep Content Authentic
Generally speaking, TikTok users prefer authentic and casual videos to highly produced ones. So while you may want to promote your brand using shiny and well-edited videos, those kinds of videos won’t always do the best on the platform. It’s worth experimenting with different tones and styles when it comes to creating videos, but above all else, make sure the videos you create are authentic to your specific style. It makes a big difference, and users can tell when a video seems inauthentic.
10. Pay Attention to Video Analytics
I’ve already talked about how to monitor analytics for your channel as a whole, but analytics for specific videos can be very helpful as well. In the same analytics section, you can see which videos are being viewed most from your channel. This can help inform what kinds of videos you might want to make in the future. You don’t have to regurgitate the same content over and over, but if a video does very well on your channel, it’s worth at least putting out a couple of videos that have a similar tone and style, and seeing if they also do well.
Why You Want to Grow Your Following on TikTok
Brand Awareness
If you’re creating videos on behalf of a brand, then brand awareness is obviously the biggest reason to grow your TikTok following. The fact is, young people aren’t on Facebook anymore; they’re on platforms like TikTok. If you want to reach newer generations of potential customers, you need to go where they are instead of trying to convince them to go to where your brand already has accounts.
Promoting Your Other Social Channels
So, maybe you’re a creator who already posts regularly on other platforms like YouTube. You may not view TikTok as your primary channel right now, but even so, growing a TikTok following can have an impact on the number of views you get on your YouTube channel. Remember, most people aren’t just on one social media platform, they’re on multiple. If someone has already seen your TikTok content, they might be more inclined to subscribe to your YouTube channel.
Monetization
TikTok offers a number of tools that can allow you to monetize content. For example, there’s the TikTok Creativity Program, which can reward you for videos that get a lot of views and that are over a minute in length. And, of course, you can gain brand sponsorships that will involve you promoting a product or service in exchange for payment. If your audience is large enough, you could end up getting a decent amount of money from your TikTok account.
Key Takeaways
Growing a TikTok audience doesn’t have to be a full-time job, and most of the methods above shouldn’t necessarily add too much time to what you already put into creating videos on the platform. The main things to keep in mind are that you want to consistently make content that your audience likes, and that leverages TikTok trends. It’s important to remember that your account likely won’t explode in followers overnight: It will take months or even longer to build a decent-sized following. You can always explore TikTok alternatives to enhance your chances of driving more of your marketing goal results.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I get 1,000 followers on TikTok fast?
To get 1,000 followers on TikTok fast, focus on consistency, new trends, and engagement on your videos. Post at least once a day (if not more), using trending sounds, challenges, and hashtags to boost discoverability. Most importantly, experiment with different video styles, and double down on what works.
Why is my TikTok following not growing?
If your TikTok following isn’t growing, it’s likely that you’re not posting consistent, engaging content. In this case, don’t keep simply posting the same kinds of content — it’s not working for you. Change things up and make content in different styles, focusing on the methods above.
How do I boost TikTok followers for free?
Simply make more content. None of the methods above require the use of paid tools — they all involve using TikTok’s own tools and services. Post content consistently, focusing on trends and engagement, and your following should grow, all for free.
