How to get more views on TikTok is a serious concern for brands and creators, especially now that TikTok SEO and its influence on AI-generated answers to questions are so powerful.
TikTok has become a social media powerhouse, with its user base reaching 1.9 billion monthly active users (MAUs) at the start of 2026. For brands and creators looking to maximise their social media impact, understanding how to increase TikTok views is essential to success.
With the average engagement rate across all TikTok content was 5.3% in 2025, the platform is a great one for brand engagement, and even viral growth. Getting views is crucial because 40% of Gen Z use TikTok as a search engine, and this trend is only going to increase across all demographics in 2026.
💡 Your hook is usually the difference between TikTok success and failure! 🚀
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.
In America, TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, was forced to divest its U.S. division, retaining only a 19.9% stake in the TikTok USDS Joint Venture alongside Oracle, Silver Lake, and an Abu Dhabi investment firm, MGX.
The transfer started badly with fears of censorship and server errors. People start deleting the app as quickly as they could. Thankfully, it seems after a shaky start, TikTok in the U.S. has stabilised. According to media reports:
Daily active usage in America is now 95% of what it was the week before the transfer, at the end of January 2026.
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 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 have a significantly greater influence on 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 is one of the most critical metrics for determining algorithm success. Videos with captions generate 23% more likes on average than those without captions, suggesting that providing context and encouraging viewers to watch until the end significantly impact performance.
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. Participating in current conversations, viral challenges, or cultural moments increases your content's potential reach and engagement among diverse audience segments.
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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.
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 decide 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:
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! 🚀
According to HubSpot, “73% of B2B buyers prefer short-form video to learn about products. If your brand isn’t leveraging TikTok, you’re leaving engagement—and leads—on the table.”
With that in mind, here are 3 real-life B2B short-form TikTok examples.
1. HubSpot
They do brilliant behind-the-scenes, relatable short-form videos with hooks that make many of us feel, “Yes, that’s me!”
These videos are especially relatable and relevant for anyone in sales and marketing roles, which is why they work so well: they connect the product to the target audience.
2. Loom
Another B2B app is doing a great job at creating and promoting relatable short-form videos. Again, they connect the pain point to their target audience and straight through to the product.
3. MailChimp
MailChimp’s content is a mix of POV and edutainment from its social media team, business influencers, and content it generates to promote events, like FWD. It works well because the edutainment and informational content align well with their audience's needs, primarily marketers.
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.
The only metrics that matter now and boost your brand presence are the completion rate and "Save" velocity (the number of times your videos are saved).
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.
Successful TikTok content consistently falls into three primary value categories:
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 a range of sources, including humour, compelling storytelling, visual appeal, and 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 offers hope also consistently generates strong engagement. Users appreciate content that improves their mood, perspective, or motivation levels.
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, engaged creator worth promoting to your audience. 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.
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 actively searching for it.
TikTok's search functionality has become increasingly sophisticated and robust, making keyword optimisation absolutely crucial for long-term discoverability success. This is even more useful when you use TikTok to support SEO and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), also known as Answer Engine Optimization (AEO).
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.
You can also use the search bar to find keywords for captions.
Consider the authentic language your audience uses when discussing your topic area. For example, if you're creating fitness content, include terms like:
This comprehensive keyword approach increases your chances of appearing for a range of 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.
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) offer broad exposure but face intense competition from millions of other creators. Balance these mega-popular tags with:
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.
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 critical roles in helping users find your account through search.
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.
Building a strong community around your content is essential for sustained TikTok success. Community engagement creates a virtuous cycle in which greater engagement drives better algorithm performance.
Success on TikTok depends on building a growing and engaged community around your content.
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.
Collaboration through duets, stitches, and partnerships can expose your content to new audiences and 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.
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, including those who are initially curious, who then sign up as fans and followers.
Do you have a social media content guide for TikTok? If not, make sure to download and use one of our templates.
TikTok's Photo Mode (also known as carousel posts) consistently achieves higher completion rates than traditional video content.
This is because users swipe through images faster than watching even a 10-second video, triggering the algorithm's completion metric while keeping viewers engaged longer on your post.
How to execute:
Create 5-10 image carousels with text overlays that tell a story or provide value.
Each image should build on the previous one, encouraging users to swipe through the entire sequence. Add trending audio in the background—the algorithm treats photo posts identically to video for trend participation.
Stitching larger creators' content lets you tap into their existing audience and algorithmic momentum. When you Stitch a trending video, TikTok's algorithm tests your content with a portion of the original video's audience first—instant qualified traffic.
Strategic approach:
Participating in trends isn't about jumping on the first viral sound. It's about catching the 24-48 hour window when a trend transitions from "emerging" to "peak momentum."
The framework:
Success on TikTok involves:
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.
The optimal number is 3-5 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.
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 (FYP). Participate in audio trends while they're gaining momentum, not when they're declining.
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.