Whether you’re a brand or individual creator on TikTok, creating videos designed to maximize views helps you get the most value out of your content and expand your audience. 

TikTok’s “For You” page design caters to today’s users’ short attention spans, and the brands that end up getting views and remaining memorable take advantage of that. Check out our tips to hook viewers at the start of your post, keep them interested, and ultimately generated more views.

What is Considered a "View" on TikTok? 

Various social media platforms measure views in a lot of ways. However, on TikTok, it's pretty straightforward. Every second your video plays, it's already counted as a view. 

Moreover, if the video auto-plays, loops, or the viewer comes back watching numerous times, it's also counted as new views. However, views aren't counted if you're watching your own video. 

Because of this design along with the “For You” page concept, there’s a relatively low barrier to entry when it comes to getting your first views. The real challenge is getting your video above a couple hundred views by landing on more users’ feeds. This is where quality of content matters; while it might be easy to get your first few views, your content will only be exposed to a wider audience if it’s well-made and interesting to begin with.

Ways to Boost Your TikTok View Count

To get more eyes on your TikTok videos, you must create engaging and compelling content that entices people to return for more. That’s why having a TikTok marketing plan is key. By integrating the following tips into your marketing strategy, you'll be on your way to increasing your views on the platform.

1. Use Trending Music and Audio Clips

Various sound effects on the platform go through popularity cycles. So, make sure you look out for recurring sound clips trending on the platform. Some trends last much longer than others, and even sound clips that fade from popularity can still be remembered and recycled later on.

Delta uses the viral TikTok audio “negroni sbagliato with prosecco in it” from an interview with House of the Dragon stars Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke — driving over 200 thousand views.

One of the best ways that you can gain more views on your videos is by using these trending sounds with your videos while monitoring new popular sounds. Users like to look at videos that use these trending sounds. 

When you click on the sound from a video, you can see all other videos using that particular sound or effect. This widens the potential audience viewing your videos. 

It’s important here to note that brands must use royalty-free music or sounds in their TikTok ads, as ads are promotional materials. Keep brand safety in mind, don’t use other users’ music in your paid ads, and steer clear of explicit or otherwise negative audio.

2. Keep Videos Short and Sweet

The view time and the completion rate are vital. You want your videos to be short for people watching them, ideally between 15-30 seconds. 

If your videos are longer than 30 seconds, most people will lose interest before it ends. Meanwhile, if you have a video that's too short, typically less than 15 seconds, then there's a possibility that you might not have enough time to get your message across. 

Test out videos with slightly different lengths to determine what’s best for your brand’s specific audience. While there is a chance that longer videos may work depending on your niche and topics, most videos won’t be watched for more than just a few seconds.

In a TikTok for Business case study with StudioCanal, research found an average watch time of just over 5 seconds per video from the company. Hook your viewers immediately and get to the point fast to optimize for views. 

3. Use the Right Hashtags

TikTok operates the same way as Instagram. They let the algorithm know what your content and target audience can discover from your videos. According to Shopify, these are some of the most popular hashtags used regularly on TikTok, along with their view counts.

• #fyp: 23 trillion
• #foryoupage: 10 trillion
• #duet: 3 trillion
• #trending: 2 trillion
• #tiktokchallenge: 16 billion

When adding a hashtag from your video description, the algorithm will share it with users who have engaged with related videos that use the same hashtag. Thus, you need to choose hashtags closely related to your content instead of just trending ones. 

Overusing hashtags can make your account appear inauthentic and spammy. For brands, one way to avoid this is by creating a unique hashtag and encouraging members of your community as well as influencers you partner with to utilize your hashtag in their own videos.

Morphe fans use the #MorpheBabe hashtag to connect with the brand itself and other users. This strategy creates a positive feedback cycle of views, as users clicking on the hashtag from their video will be able to discover the brand’s videos, and vice-versa.

4. Reshare User-Generated Content (UGC)

Sharing your own videos on TikTok is important, but for brands, so is interacting with and resharing content from your brand community on and off the short-form video app. UGC refers to media created by community members (like passionate customers) instead of your brand internally. 

This type of content is 35% more memorable and 50% more trusted than any other media type. Plus, with the right technology and strategy, it can be easy to source and reshare! With Pixlee TurnTo, brands like DMC can automatically collect TikTok videos from customers via hashtag, handle, or mention, and publish that content on the brand’s own profile or in various on-site displays.

Once you begin resharing TikTok videos from members of your brand community and interacting with their content, the algorithm is more likely to surface your videos to new users like them. 

Lastly, UGC is the best content type for TikTok as it blends in with the raw, authentic videos users love from the app instead of sticking out like an advertorial sore thumb. Keep this in mind when creating your own brand content alongside resharing UGC.

5. Partner With Niche TikTok Influencers

Getting more people to post about your brand on TikTok is one way to gain more views and win over new followers. By partnering with content creators who like your product and can showcase how they use it in their day-to-day lives, you can generate a buzz in their audience and gain more followers. Content creators can also partner with other influencers to cross-promote each other’s content.

Did you know 80% of influencers use the products they promote regularly? Check out more in our 2022 Influencer Trend Report.

Before building your TikTok influencer marketing strategy, make sure you find the right TikTok creators with whom you can partner. Research whether or not their audience aligns with your ideal customers so that you're attracting the right audience demographic. 

This is where quality over quantity plays a role; while a bigger celebrity on TikTok like Bella Poarch may have millions of followers watching her videos, a smaller-scale creator will likely be more in touch with their narrower audience and see better engagement.

For creators and brands alike, you may want to consider partnering with a UGC Creator when determining how to get more views on TikTok. These creators are skilled at crafting content that appears like authentic UGC, but spotlights your brand and can be posted directly to your brand’s TikTok profile.

6. Participate in Challenges

Participating in TikTok challenges is an excellent way to use trends to your advantage and bring exposure to your videos. These challenges may come in the form of pranks, dances, and video edits, or they might simply be a trending sound.

When you make a challenge video, TikTok's algorithm will show it to users who have already liked a similar challenge. Make sure that you interact with users from your TikTok account instead of just posting your own content. That way, your videos will be shown to a broader audience. 

Check out these 8 TikTok challenges started by brands to get more ideas for your next challenge campaign, and make sure you’re using any relevant hashtags that other users feature in their challenge videos.

7. Post Frequently and Consistently

Consistency is vital if you want to get more views on the platform. Although every social media platform demands that you publish regularly, users on the platform want to see more videos. 

In fact, the platform's top content creators are publishing multiple times daily. A good thing about videos on TikTok is that they don't necessarily need to be polished or professional to succeed. While posting at ideal times throughout the day changes depending on your location and audience habits, there are a few good general practices that can help you determine the best time to post on TikTok.

While likes and follows are important engagement metrics to consider, you’ll ultimately want to narrow down posting times by view count and time to build the strongest schedule.

Two of the most popular brand TikTok accounts, Ryanair and Duolingo, post at least once a day to their profiles.

Another way to publish multiple videos daily is to create a longer video for several minutes, then break it down into smaller chunks. You can then release your content within a couple of hours from each other to get more views.

8. Switch to a Business Account

Switching to a business account won't help you get more views, but it enables you to create a strategy and boost your growth potential. 

It also allows you to access analytics tools to understand how viewers interact with your content and how you can improve it. Apart from this, business accounts give you access to exclusive sounds and a creative business hub. 

To switch to a business account, go to settings, and click "Manage Account." You'll then come across the "Switch to Business Account" option. You can easily switch to a business account within minutes. 

Whether you're a keen content creator or a brand wanting to expand your audience and get more views, TikTok is a fantastic platform. Still. It can be challenging for your videos to be seen by others since half of the users upload their content.

But following these tips will help you boost your views, overall reach, and engagement. Good luck!