How to Get More Views on TikTok: A Complete Guide for Brands and Creators

TikTok has become a social media powerhouse, with its user base projected to reach 1.6 billion monthly active users (MAUs) before the end of 2025. For brands and creators looking to maximise their social media impact, understanding how to increase views on TikTok is essential for success. 

With the average engagement rate across all TikTok content at 5.3% in 2025, the platform offers unprecedented opportunities for viral growth. Even though anyone can go viral on TikTok, getting that viral traction isn’t easy. 

TL;DR: Key strategies to get more TikTok views

• Master the algorithm: Focus on the completion rate (the number of people who watch a video all the way through), shares, and rewatches over likes and follows;
• Create strong hooks: Grab attention in the first 1 to 3 seconds to stop the scroll.

💡 Your hook is usually the difference between TikTok success and failure! 🚀

• Optimise video length: Keep content between 15 and 60 seconds to maximise completion rates.
• Use trending audio: Jump on trending sounds at the right time for algorithm boosts (time and trends are literally everything on TikTok).
• Post consistently: Aim for 1 to 4 posts daily to maintain algorithm visibility every single day.
• Strategic hashtags: Use 3 to 5 relevant hashtags; mix popular, niche, and branded hashtags.
• Engage actively: Respond to comments and collaborate with other creators (TikTok is meant to be a community, so you’ve got to be active when it comes to engagement). 
• Provide value: Focus on entertainment, education, or inspiration in every video. It’s not an infomercial or an advert; your content has got to stop the scroll. 

In this comprehensive guide, we walk you through the eight steps you need to take to get more views on TikTok. Starting with understanding how the algorithm, views, and clicks work.

Understanding the TikTok algorithm: How views work

The TikTok algorithm operates as a sophisticated recommendation system that curates the "For You Page" (FYP) for each individual user.

Everyone’s personalised feed is the primary discovery mechanism on the platform. Making it crucial to understand how the algorithm promotes certain videos, while others get far fewer views. 

TikTok’s algorithm analyses every interaction, video element, and user preference to create a unique experience for each person. It prioritises content based on user interactions and preferences rather than followers or popularity. 

User interactions: The key ranking signals

User interactions form the backbone of TikTok's algorithmically-generated ranking system. The algorithm closely monitors how viewers engage with your content, with certain actions carrying significantly more weight than others in determining your video's reach potential.

While likes and comments are important engagement signals, shares and rewatches hold significantly more influence in the algorithm's decision-making process. When users share your content, it indicates exceptionally high value and relevance, prompting the algorithm to show your video to exponentially more people. 

Shares essentially act as votes of confidence that your content deserves wider distribution.

Completion rate stands as one of the most critical metrics in determining algorithm success. Videos with captions generate 23% more likes on average than those without, suggesting that providing context and encouraging viewers to watch until the end significantly impacts performance. 

Video information and technical factors

TikTok's algorithm analyses various elements of your video's metadata to understand its content and context. Captions provide crucial information about your video's topic and intent. 

Alongside those, hashtags help categorise your content for relevant audiences who are interested in specific topics or niches.

Trending sounds play a particularly important role in TikTok's ecosystem. When you use popular audio clips, your video becomes part of a larger trending conversation. The use of audio trends increases a video’s chances of discovery by users already engaging with that sound. 

Trending topics and challenges offer similar algorithmic benefits. Taking part in current conversations, viral challenges, or cultural moments increases your content's potential reach and engagement across diverse audience segments.

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Eight ways to create TikTok videos that get views

Creating content that consistently attracts views requires a strategic approach that combines creativity with algorithm-friendly practices. Successful TikTok creators understand that every element of their video, from the opening seconds to the final frame, plays a crucial role in determining its success on the platform.

1. Create a strong hook: Grabbing attention in the first 1—3 seconds

The opening moments of your TikTok video are absolutely crucial for success. This is because the attention span for social media content has decreased to approximately 8 seconds. Research consistently shows that viewers make the decision whether to keep watching within the first 3 seconds.

Users scroll rapidly through their For You Page, making split—second decisions about which videos deserve their precious attention. Your hook must immediately communicate value and intrigue to stop the endless scroll.

Effective hooks can take many different forms and approaches:

• Asking compelling questions that create curiosity gaps
• Making surprising or controversial statements that challenge expectations
• Showing unexpected visuals that immediately capture attention
• Promising valuable information with clear benefit statements
• Creating urgency or FOMO with time—sensitive content

Consider starting with proven hook formulas like: 

"You won't believe what happened when..." or; 

"Here's the secret that no one tells you about..." 

Openings like this create a psychological "curiosity gap" that compels viewers to watch the complete video. Visual hooks work equally well — showing the dramatic end result first, then explaining the process creates natural curiosity.

The most successful creators often test multiple hook variations for similar content to identify what resonates best with their specific audience demographics and interests.

Pro Tip: 💡 Your hook is usually the difference between TikTok success or failure! 🚀

For more ideas about how to create viral and attention-grabbing video hooks, take a look at our article about this. 

2. Keep videos short and engaging: Optimal video length strategy

Videos between 15 and 60 seconds tend to achieve higher engagement rates because they're more likely to be watched completely multiple times, sending strong positive signals to the algorithm. You can do videos up to 10 minutes long, but they’ll rarely do well on TikTok. Save longer-form videos for YouTube and other channels. 

The key is matching your content length precisely to your message value. If you can deliver meaningful value in 30 seconds, don't artificially stretch it to 60 seconds. On the other hand, if your topic requires more time to explain properly and provide genuine value, don't rush through important information just to keep it artificially short.

Focus intensively on pacing and energy maintenance throughout your entire video. Even longer videos can maintain high completion rates if they're properly structured with multiple engaging moments, smooth transitions, and consistent value delivery. The main thing is to keep the audience engaged, no matter how long or short the video is. 

3. Provide value: Entertainment, inspiration, or education

Successful TikTok content consistently falls into three primary value categories: 

• Entertainment
• Inspiration
• Education. 

The most effective and viral videos often strategically combine elements from multiple categories, creating content that's simultaneously informative and engaging.

➡️ Entertainment value can emerge from various sources, including humour, compelling storytelling, visual appeal, or emotional connection. Users enthusiastically share entertaining content because it makes them feel good, and they want to spread those good feelings to their network and friends.

➡️ Educational content performs exceptionally well on TikTok, with users actively seeking quick tips, tutorials, life hacks, and actionable insights. TikTok’s short-form format is perfectly designed for bite-sized learning, making complex topics accessible and highly shareable across diverse audiences.

This is why people are turning to TikTok instead of Google for information, answers, and advice. 

➡️ Inspirational content that motivates, uplifts, or provides hope also generates consistently strong engagement. Users appreciate content that improves their mood, perspective, or motivation levels.

4. Leverage trends and post consistently for algorithm success

Participating in trends and using trending audio significantly increases your content's discoverability potential. The algorithm actively recognises when you're using popular sounds or participating in viral challenges, often providing algorithmic boosts to help these videos reach broader audiences beyond your existing followers.

However, timing is absolutely crucial when leveraging trends effectively. Jumping on a trend too early may result in limited reach before it gains momentum, while joining too late means missing the peak engagement period when most users are actively participating. 

Regularly monitor the TikTok Discover page and trending sounds to identify optimal participation opportunities.

Consistency signals to the algorithm that you're an active and engaged creator worth promoting to your audiences. The average brand posted around 4 times per week in Q1 2025. This may largely come down to the time/investment required to create video content. 

However, many successful creators post 1 to 4 times daily for maximum algorithm exposure and audience engagement.

5. Optimising your profile and content for search (TikTok SEO)

TikTok is rapidly evolving beyond pure entertainment into a legitimate search engine, particularly among Gen Z and younger millennial demographics. Understanding and implementing TikTok SEO principles can significantly improve your content's discoverability and help you attract viewers who are actively searching for your specific type of content.

Use relevant keywords strategically

TikTok's search functionality has become increasingly sophisticated and robust, making keyword optimisation absolutely crucial for long-term discoverability success. 

Users frequently search for specific topics, step-by-step tutorials, product reviews, and actionable information, making your content findable through strategic keyword placement throughout your content ecosystem.

Consider the authentic language your audience uses when discussing your topic area. For example, if you're creating fitness content, include terms like: 

• "workout” 
• "exercise" 
• "fitness tips"
• "home workout routine" 
• "beginner fitness" 
• "quick abs workout." 

This comprehensive keyword approach increases your chances of appearing in various search queries across different user intent levels.

Research trending keywords in your niche using TikTok's search suggestions and analyse what terms successful creators in your space are using consistently. This competitive intelligence can inform your keyword strategy and help you identify content gaps you can fill.

6. Create a strategic hashtag mix: Popular, niche, and branded tags

An effective hashtag strategy strategically combines different types of hashtags to maximise both reach potential and audience relevance. According to research, 3 to 5 hashtags per post are ideal, ensuring they are genuinely relevant and useful rather than just popular.

Popular hashtags like #fyp (meaning “for you page,” with 79.54 trillion views, as of February 2025) provide massive broad exposure but face intensely fierce competition from millions of other creators. Balance these mega-popular tags with:

• Niche hashtags- that target your specific audience with significantly less competition
• Branded hashtags- that build community around your content and make discovery easier
• Trending hashtags- related to current topics, challenges, and cultural moments
• Location-based hashtags- if your content has geographic relevance, and this works well for multi-location businesses, too 
• Sector-specific hashtags- that connect you with professional or interest-based communities

Research hashtag performance thoroughly before using them. Analyse the volume of posts using each hashtag, the type of content that performs well with those tags, and the engagement levels typical users achieve. This research helps you select hashtags that align perfectly with your content goals and target audience interests.

7. Add on-screen text and optimise your profile

The TikTok algorithm can analyse and understand on-screen text and captions to better comprehend the topic, context, and value proposition of your content. 

This text analysis helps the algorithm categorise your video accurately and show it to users genuinely interested in similar content topics.

Your username and profile description play critically important roles in helping users find your account through search functionality. 

Choose a username that's easy to remember and clearly reflects your brand or niche. Include relevant keywords whenever possible, without appearing spammy or unnatural.

Your profile description should clearly and compellingly communicate what type of content you create while strategically including relevant keywords that your target audience might search for. 

8. Boosting your views through community engagement

Building a strong community around your content is essential for sustained TikTok success. Community engagement creates a virtuous cycle where increased engagement leads to better algorithm performance. 

Success on TikTok depends on building a growing and engaged community around your content. 

➡️ Engage with your audience

Active engagement with your audience signals to the algorithm that your content generates meaningful interactions. Respond to comments promptly and ask questions in your captions to encourage conversation. 

You can even create content that specifically responds to common questions from previous videos.

➡️ Collaborate with others

Collaboration through duets, stitches, and partnerships exposes your content to new audiences and can significantly increase your reach. Duets and stitches are particularly effective because they place your content directly in front of another creator's audience in a native way.

➡️ Cross-Promote your content

Sharing your TikTok content on other social media platforms can drive additional views. Instagram Stories, Reels, X (Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn can introduce your content to new audiences and people who are initially curious, then sign up as fans and followers. 

Getting more views on TikTok: Conclusion

Success on TikTok involves: 

• Understanding the algorithm
• Creating engaging content
• Optimising for search
• Building genuine community connections
• Making an engaging hook (first 1-3 seconds; and videos no longer than 15-60 seconds).

The average TikTok video receives 18 comments, 243 likes, and 12 shares. The best times to post are Wednesdays between 2 and 5 p.m., though your specific audience may have different peak activity periods.

💡 Remember: Your hook is the difference between TikTok success and failure! 🚀

TikTok's unique algorithm gives every creator the opportunity to reach massive audiences, regardless of follower count. Focus on authenticity, consistency, and genuine value creation, and you'll be well-positioned to achieve your TikTok growth goals.

💡 Want to grow your TikTok channel, followers, and multi-platform social presence? Get started with a Free Sendible Trial. 

Sendible: Benefit from one of the 10 best tools on G2; we’re a marketer’s best friend for scheduling, monitoring, and reporting on social media.

Getting more views on TikTok FAQs

What is the best number of hashtags to use on TikTok? 

The optimal number is between 3 and 5 hashtags per post, ensuring they are relevant and useful. Focus on quality over quantity by mixing popular hashtags for broad reach with niche hashtags for targeted engagement.

How do I find trending sounds on TikTok? 

Regularly check TikTok's Discover page, browse the "Trending" tab within the sound selection menu, and monitor what's appearing frequently on your For You Page. Participate in audio trends while they're gaining momentum rather than declining.

How does the TikTok algorithm work for new accounts? 

New accounts have advantages, as TikTok typically provides new creators with a "honeymoon period" that offers additional exposure to test audience response. 

Focus on creating high-quality, engaging content from the start, as early videos can significantly impact long-term algorithm performance.