TikTok has over 1.8 billion monthly active users worldwide, and up to 62% of U.S. adults under 30 admit to using the social media platform.
That means two things. One: You've got a lot to work with if you want to get more views with TikTok's staggering user base. Two: You'll need a good strategy to go viral on TikTok and increase your views because plenty of creators want the same thing.
You've come to the right place. You're here because you're wondering how to get more views on TikTok. We're here to show you exactly what to do. Let's go!
What is Considered a View on TikTok?
On TikTok, all it takes for a view to count is one second. As long as the video plays—automatically or by your design—for a second, you've got a view. Longer videos above 3 minutes must be viewed for at least 3 seconds. This sets TikTok aside from other platforms, as the views count even if you just scroll past a video that starts playing automatically in your feed.
You might be wondering whether self-views count, and the answer is not really. The view is counted the first time you view your own video, but subsequent times don't count.
On the other hand, if other TikTok users view your video multiple times, that's all good. Every view counts there.
Views from shares are also counted, so if, say, someone embeds your video on another platform and it's viewed over there, the view is still yours.
This fairly lax approach to view counts makes TikTok a good platform to try and build up your viewership! Keep in mind, though, that TikTok also emphasizes various engagement metrics apart from straight-up views, such as comments, shares, and watch times.
How much does TikTok pay per view?
TikTok doesn't share any official information on how much it pays per view, but many sources say that you can get around $0.02 to $0.08 per 1,000 views. This is done through the TikTok Creator Rewards Program, which lets you monetize content that's at least a minute long.
The final payout depends on many factors, with some creators claiming they get up to $8 per 1,000 views.
Should you buy TikTok views?
Buying views may seem tempting, but we advise against it. While it's true that there are some benefits, it's a short-term strategy that can easily backfire.
On the surface, buying views sounds great. It'll boost the initial visibility of your video and might even work in your favor within the TikTok algorithm. Your content might get recommended and thus attract organic views. Buying views also tends to be crazy cheap, but that depends on the source.
But like most things in life, growing your TikTok account takes time, and cutting corners might work against you. For starters, buying views is against the TikTok terms of service, and if the platform detects there's something wrong, you could get banned—even permanently.
Purchased views are also pretty useless in terms of genuine engagement. It's easy to spot if someone bought views because their video will have a lot of views but very few genuine comments. It's possible to buy comments too, but as they often come from bots, they're pretty surface-level and easy to tell apart.
As a result, buying views works against your long-term growth on TikTok. You may get a video or two that does well, in part due to the spike in views, but you'll have to keep buying views over and over to keep that up. It's just not sustainable.
Why TikTok Views Matter for Monetization
The number of views is one of the cornerstones of how much money you can make on TikTok. It might even be the most important piece because none of the other strategies can reach their full potential without views.
Most importantly, you need a certain number of views to even qualify for TikTok's monetization program. The Creator Rewards Program requires that you have at least 10,000 followers and 100,000 video views in the last 30 days. Given how views work on TikTok, that may not seem like that much, but it's still an important metric.
Besides, more views equals more money, and I don't mean just through TikTok's monetization. It also means that your account will thrive more, allowing you to collaborate with brands and make a lot of money from partnerships.
The TikTok algorithm also favors videos that have more views, sending some of them on a fast track to the For You page. There's no better way to get more views on TikTok, so this is a big one.
Finally, without views, you can't tick any other important boxes crucial to building your brand, such as engagement through comments and likes. This includes gaining followers, many of whom might follow you on other platforms, giving you many more ways to make money on TikTok.
15 Ways to Get More Views on TikTok
Because views play such a key role in your TikTok success, it's important not to leave them to chance. Below we'll cover some crucial steps to increasing your view count, but you can also find many communities on Whop covering ways to get more views on TikTok.
1. Define a niche audience
TikTok's been around long enough that simply dancing just doesn't cut it anymore. There are hundreds of thousands of creators, and some niches are truly saturated.
How do you get lots of views when you're still new to the platform and are faced with content creators with millions of followers?
Simple: Don't compete against those creators. Carve out your own niche to appeal to your little segment of the TikTok audience.
Choosing a niche helps you grow as a small fish in a big pond. It helps you tailor your content to an audience's interests more closely. This can be as simple as finding a niche that fits your interests and narrowing it down a bit.
For instance, say your videos are mostly centered around fitness and healthy meal prep. Think of how you can niche down a bit more, for example, by making how-to breathing guides or yoga exercise routines for people after injuries.
Your videos will then be shown to a more receptive audience who hasn't seen that exact same thing 10 times before from other creators.
2. Make high-quality videos
While there is a time and a place for that 100%-amateur, selfie-mode-camera, wind-blowing-in-microphone aesthetic, high-quality videos do tend to perform better.
To make the TikTok algorithm and your viewers happy, invest in a good filming setup. This can help you get on the FYP. Try some of these tricks:
- Film in HD. It's time to leave 720p behind and film at high resolution. Fortunately, most smartphones these days can film at anywhere between 1080p and 4K.
- Invest in good lighting or film in natural light.
- Use a tripod or smartphone stabilizer to avoid that shaky home video-esque look.
- Test various angles and perspectives. It's a good idea to avoid sitting in the same place from the same perspective throughout the whole video—dynamic shots do well on TikTok.
3. Upload multiple times every day
Did you know that TikTok itself recommends uploading new videos up to 4 times a day? There's no such thing as flooding your viewers' feeds too much. The general rule of thumb is the more, the better.
TikTok's algorithm tends to favor accounts that upload new videos every day. If you're uploading throughout the day, your chances of getting discovered increase exponentially.
Some viewers may be scrolling through their feeds in the mornings, and others during their lunch breaks, so uploading regularly means that all of those different people will get a chance to catch your content while it's still fresh out of the oven, so to speak.
Posting more videos also often translates to increased engagement with your existing (and future) followers. If your face keeps popping up on their feeds, they're more likely to become interested in your content and start commenting and sharing.
4. Use trending sounds
All of us who enjoy the occasional (or nearly perpetual) scroll through TikTok know when a sound is trending. It'll appear in a whole lot of TikToks until one day, it'll vanish into thin air for a few months, apart from the occasional creator who missed the memo that this particular sound is no longer trending.
Your best bet is to watch other people's TikToks and keep your ears piqued for what's trending in your niche. I know what you're thinking—we don't have to ask you twice, right?
In addition, you can check for trending sounds within TikTok in the Add Sound tab when you're making a new TikTok. The sounds that are on the rise will be under Recommended.
5. Pay attention to captions
Your viewers come to you for the content, but the captions are very much a part of that. A good caption goes a long way toward helping you retain engagement and making someone stay and watch to the end.
It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Just look at the caption above: It's the first thing viewers see in that particular video, and it accurately explains what they're about to see. Of course, the final result won't become apparent until the very end, and the TikTok algorithm likes that. The more your viewers stay and watch, the more likely it is that your videos will be recommended to even more users.
You can't say too much in your caption, though, and a huge part of it will go toward hashtags, so keep it short and sweet. TikTok caps the captions at a mere 150 characters.
6. Focus on your hook
While it's true that TikTok only counts the first second to give your video a view, that doesn't mean you shouldn't want your viewers to watch to the very end. It's good for many reasons, from the algorithm to engagement to being able to build your audience. High completion rates are good, but they're not easy to achieve, simply because our attention spans are now worse than ever before.
You only get around 3 seconds on average to hook a viewer before they swipe away. Not much, right? That's why your TikTok needs to be exciting or insightful right from the beginning.
Here's what you can do to achieve that:
- Make it clear that you're offering some useful information in the video. For instance, if posting a recipe, show the final result right at the beginning and make them watch to the end.
- Start your video right in the middle of the action. Don't introduce yourself or set up the scene—just go for it and let the viewer figure it out.
- Ask a provocative question that will make your audience want to watch and find out your thoughts.
- Use text overlays to emphasize your point.
- Forge a connection with the viewers by immediately asking them if they've ever been in a specific situation or what they think about a specific topic.
7. Keep videos short and memorable
TikTok rose to fame for its short-form content. Those who want long-form videos still turn to YouTube.
As a result, your videos should be short, punchy, exciting, and to the point. Even if you're making educational content, it's better to keep it short on TikTok.
TikTok creators face a dilemma: Given the platform's preference for short-form content under 1 minute, you might have to decide between getting monetized (which only applies to videos 1 minute and over) and getting on the FYP.
This is why your best bet is to mix it up. Since you're likely uploading more than once a day, make really short TikToks alongside longer, more in-depth content.
8. Make educational content
You don't need a 20-minute YouTube tutorial for many things, and this is why educational content is still highly popular on a platform like TikTok. How-to videos ranging from trading tips to crochet tutorials are popular, and if you can condense your knowledge into a short-form video, you'll be golden!
In fact, with educational content, making money on TikTok becomes even easier. You can share your knowledge on TikTok and advertise places where your followers can learn more, such as your own ebooks or online courses.
It's no secret that getting views on TikTok helps, but the real gold mine lies in your knowledge and what else you want to do with it.
9. Take part in TikTok trends
TikTok trends are plenty, from various dances to sketches. They won't all fit what you're doing and the brand that you're building but don't be afraid to peek outside of your comfort zone and indulge in trends that aren't necessarily related to your niche.
Even large companies that appear serious on the surface participate in TikTok trends, and more often than not, their followers eat it up.
To keep up with the latest trends, try some of the following:
- Have a scroll through the FYP and check out what's trending.
- Scope out the competition and see what's trending in your niche and industry.
- Use trending hashtags—again, checking out the competition will help here.
- Don't be afraid to put your own spin on these trends and adapt them to what your content is primarily about.
- Try to identify new trends early.
- Participate in trending challenges.
- Use trending sounds.
Typically, the sooner you take part in a new trend, the better your view counts.
10. Collaborate with other creators
Don't be afraid to share the spotlight and team up with other creators. Both channels will benefit, yours and theirs.
Collaborating with established influencers is especially great, as you'll get a whole lot of new eyeballs on your content—hopefully, their entire fan base will want to check out your channel.
If you're not sure how to go about it, the first step is to think about the kind of creator you'd want to work with. This doesn't have to be done in person, by the way. Many TikTokers film sketches or even educational videos with creators without being in the same room.
Scope out people who seem like they'd be a good fit for your content and reach out. Some of them may ask you to pay them for a guest appearance or promotion, but others may be up for trading videos for mutual benefit.
11. Stitch or duet videos
If you're a TikToker, Stitches and Duets hardly need an introduction—but did you know that using them regularly can get you a boatload more views?
Stitches, especially when announced ahead of time (with a popular "stitch incoming", which might sound very concerning to an infrequent TikTok user), tend to do very well because they provoke discussion. You're sharing your thoughts on something someone else did or said, and if it's slightly controversial, all the better. It also lets you participate in trends without doing it yourself.
Remember that the clip you're stitching can only be 5 seconds long, so choose carefully.
For Duets, your video will appear alongside the original content in a split-screen format. You can use it for all sorts of things, from reaction videos to collaborations.
Both of these boost engagement in major ways, so don't overlook their impact when you work on your view counts.
12. Make a TikTok playlist
Playlists are an awesome way to get people watching more of your stuff. If someone likes one of your TikToks, they shouldn't have to form a search party to find similar content. You can help them by creating useful playlists.
Playlists appear at the top of your profile, and they let you group up videos. This boosts views across the entire stack, so it's great. The downside? You need to have at least 10,000 followers to create playlists, so you might not be able to do this right away—but if you can, it's totally worth it.
13. Cross-promote your TikTok on other channels
Pretty much every TikToker under the sun is also on other forms of social media, and they're right to be. It really helps!
Get into the habit of regularly sharing your content across all of your channels. Posted a new TikTok? Get it on Instagram as well. New tutorial? Time to get that on Facebook so that you can reach an even wider audience.
Don't forget you can use this in other ways too. For example, promoting your ecommerce shopfront through your TikTok can get you a lot of sales. If you have your own whop, you can make a lot of money by directing an audience to your digital products and services, like a paid private community or behind-the-scenes content.
14. Choose the right time to post
Finding the right time of day to post your video is crucial. If you drop it when most of your audience is fast asleep, come morning, there'll be new content for them to watch and your TikTok will get buried underneath a pile of others.
Typically, the best times to post a TikTok are between 6 AM to 10 AM and 7 PM to 11 PM, but this can vary wildly depending on your audience. Besides, you need to take into account where your audience is from. If they're from an entirely different time zone, be ready to adapt to when they're awake. Also, weekend afternoons are typically great posting times universally.
This is why it's so good to post a few times per day. You can test different hours and see when you get the most views and engagement. Make sure to keep tabs on your competitors and check their posting hours too.
15. Create a TikTok Business Account
If you meet the requirements for a Personal (or Creator) account, you can get paid for views. As we've established, there's not that much money to be made from views alone unless you're a super-popular creator. If you'd rather focus on building your own business, consider switching over to a TikTok Business Account.
You won't get paid for views anymore, but you'll get a lot of cool benefits, such as:
- Detailed analytics, such as follower demographics and engagement trends.
- Ad tools and promotions.
- Extra business-oriented profile features.
- Branded content tools, such as branded effects or hashtag challenges.
Being able to run paid ads and get some key data on your followers can be huge in building your profile. The downside, other than not getting paid for views, is that you won't be able to use the General Music Library.
As a business, you risk copyright infringement if you're using copyrighted music. This locks you out of certain trends.
Find More TikTok Advice and Education on Whop
Becoming a TikTok creator can be extremely rewarding, but before you reach the top and start raking in thousands (or millions) of views on every clip, there's a lot of work to be done.
If you're doing this to make money online, it's important to know all the latest strategies and trends. Learning how to get more views on TikTok is just the tip of the iceberg, although it's an important part of building your business.
Seeing as TikTok (and social media in general) is so fast-paced, it's best to learn from creators like you who have been there and done that. This can help you avoid the many pitfalls that lie ahead and become a successful TikTok creator.
Where do you find all those TikTok pros who want to share their knowledge on making money, growing your audience, affiliate marketing, and other social media platforms? Why, on Whop, of course!
Whop is home to many highly successful creators who know all about boosting engagement and getting more followers. With Whop, you can learn more through ebooks, courses, and TikTok creators and experts providing private communities and one-on-one advice.
Don't hesitate—success awaits. Level up your TikTok game and learn more with Whop today.
FAQs
What is a good like-to-view ratio on TikTok?
Most creators and brands aim for a 10% like-to-view ratio. This means that for every 100 views, you're getting at least 10 likes. This works in favor of the TikTok algorithm, which is more likely to promote videos that are getting engagement. A low like-to-view ratio is also a tell-tale sign of buying views.
What is a profile view on TikTok?
A profile view is when someone visits your TikTok profile. TikTok lets you track who's visited your profile with the Profile View History feature, but it's only available if you have fewer than 5,000 followers. Accounts that have Profile View History disabled are not visible even if they visit your profile.
Why do I have no TikTok views?
If your video has absolutely zero views, there might be issues with your content or your account that have caused your videos to not be listed. If you're getting views, but not as many as you'd like, this could be down to inconsistent posting, low engagement, poor quality, or incorrect posting times.
