Short-form videos are all the rage lately.

Spearheaded by platforms like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and, of course, TikTok, they represent a real opportunity to be found.

In this post, we'll focus exclusively on getting more views on TikTok.  

What actually counts as a "view" on TikTok?

First and foremost, remember that different social media and streaming platforms measure views differently. 

For instance, on Instagram, a single "view" is logged after the clip plays for at least three seconds. 

On YouTube, it's either 30 seconds or half of the entire clip, whichever's shorter. 

On TikTok, a single view is recorded as soon as the video starts playing. In other words, your video gets awarded a view each time it auto-plays on someone's feed. 

Of course, not all views are valuable from a commercial standpoint.

That's why TikTok allows you to perform a more in-depth analysis of your video's watch time. If you open your video, tap 'More insights,' and scroll down to the "Retention rate" section, you'll get a more detailed look at your views. 

Does TikTok pay for views? 

The short answer is yes, TikTok pays per view, but only if you're part of the Creator Fund program. 

In terms of rates, payouts range from $0.02 to $0.04 per 1,000 views. 

Let's say your video gets a million views on TikTok. With the current rate, you could earn between $20 and $40.

That's definitely not nearly enough if you focus solely on creating content on TikTok. However, if you have other monetisation strategies, like TikTok affiliate marketing, getting paid per view is a bonus.

What about TikTok profile views?

TikTok profile views can be more valuable than video views because: 

  • Profile visitors can view more of your videos, resulting in increased potential for video views.
  • TikTok profile views are more effective for increasing your brand awareness and attracting more followers.
  • Profile views will help you promote links in your TikTok bio. 

Growing TikTok video views and profile views may involve different strategies, but they all revolve around captivating your target audience through great content. 

Should you pay for TikTok views? 

Although there are mixed opinions online regarding the practice of "buying" TikTok views, in my opinion, I'd always recommend against it.

Paying for likes, followers, or views is, in itself, a direct violation of TikTok's Community Guidelines (see "Fake Engagement"). 

In addition, paid or fake views don't provide any real value to your business. They might appear attractive to more impressionable users, but the risks far outweigh the potential benefits of purchasing fake engagement.

How to get more views on TikTok: 11 practical tips you can do today

Here are 11 strategies that will help you get more views on TikTok:

Trends play a huge part in TikTok culture. 

They can come out of nowhere, bring a ton of attention with them, and provide an opportunity for everyone to participate (including brands). 

Trends come in various forms, including challenges, dances, captions, and audio. Businesses can also examine trending keywords in advertising campaigns to determine which content types are currently driving results. 

You don't need to look far to find trends that are easy to get into. Browsing through your "For You" feed for a few minutes should give you a handful of ideas. You can also look at search suggestions or check the "Trends" tab on TikTok Creative Center.

This feature lets you look for trends by song, creator, video, or hashtag.

Alternatively, use the Keyword Insights tool to take a peep at the keywords advertisers are bidding for within a specific period. 

Want to stay ahead of trends pertaining to specific brands? 

Use a tool like Brand24 to set custom alerts whenever someone mentions your brand on social media. This will help you be among the first to know about the latest trends, conversations, and user sentiment surrounding your company and products. 

Use relevant hashtags

Using popular hashtags isn't useful for just obtaining trends. You can also use those hashtags in your TikTok videos to boost their visibility.

Remember, hashtags are almost universally used across social media to help algorithms identify the topic and context behind posts. 

If you use the right hashtags, TikTok is more likely to recommend your videos to the right viewers. Hashtags also make your posts more discoverable through the built-in search tool. 

The best part is, you don't need to search hard for potential hashtags that can give you the reach you need. 

Whenever you create a new post on TikTok, just tap 'Hashtags' when you're about to write a description.

From there, start typing anything related to your post, and TikTok will generate popular hashtag ideas for you in seconds.

Add your location

Location tags function similarly to hashtags, offering the same benefits. 

Pinning your location will help your TikTok video appear to users who enter location-based queries in the built-in search bar. 

Location tags are great if you're posting from a popular destination or event. Otherwise, tagging your location will give your posts a boost in searchability for users in your area.

Aside from jumping into trends, another way to piggyback on the success of other TikTok creators is to use the "duet" feature. This allows TikTok users to attach their own clips directly next to the original uploader's video, then upload the result as new content. 

To duet a video, tap the 'Share' button and look for the 'Duet' option if it's available. Note that some users may choose to disable duets on their posts. 

While the duet feature is designed for songs, you can also use it to post reactions, responses, or commentary. This allows you to share your original thoughts, establish your credibility, or perhaps segue into a promotion, all while leveraging the popularity of the original video to capture attention.

Stitch in your follow-ups

On TikTok, "stitching" is similar to doing duets.

You can find a popular post, add something original (e.g., insightful commentary or genuine reaction), and start drawing more attention to your business. The main difference is, a stitched clip plays right after the original video, not alongside it. 

You'll also find the 'Stitch' option by tapping the 'Share' button.

Just a friendly reminder: duets and stitches aren't considered original content on the platform, making them ineligible to earn from the TikTok Creativity Program. But if that's not a concern, both stitches and duets are great for expanding your reach and potentially fostering connections with other TikTok creators. 

Experiment with how-to videos

Educational content is a great way to establish a strong brand.

Not all users appreciate extracting all their information from long-form blog posts. Some people would rather watch quick, 15-second tutorial videos that highlight the important steps.

That's exactly why TikTok creators are generating hundreds of thousands of views with educational content.

How-to videos are also a great way to build your reputation as an expert, which is perfect for funnelling traffic to your own website. Since TikTok only allows links in your bio, don't forget to include a CTA in your video that invites viewers to your profile. 

Please note that there are a couple of caveats to consider. 

First, you need a business account. And second, you can only include one clickable link. 

The workaround that most TikTok influencers and brands use is to create a mini-website or "link hub," which contains all the other links your viewers need to see. This should definitely include links to your other social media profiles and website (if any). 

Cross-promote your social media content

Adding a link to your bio is one way to bring your TikTok viewership to your other social media profiles. 

Since social media cross-promotion is a two-way street, you should also make an active effort to promote your TikTok videos on your other profiles. 

You don't really need to do anything special to do this right. Just tap the 'Share' button, select the right social network, modify your caption, and you're done. 

It's also important to passively promote your TikTok profile through social media links, whether on your website or in YouTube post descriptions. 

Work with influencers

Influencer marketing is a tactic that often requires more time, effort, and investment than the other strategies on this list. But as far as potential results go, a single campaign can elevate your TikTok brand's reach and influence within a short amount of time. 

The game plan is simple - look for a credible influencer who can align with your company's vision, have them promote your brand, and watch your viewership numbers skyrocket. 

Above all, pick a partner who brings a lot of creative value to the table. 

Take your time to personally explore the feeds of potential influencers and ensure they can come up with something fun and original. That's what will really help your brand turn heads on TikTok. 

There are plenty of influencer marketing platforms out there that will help you find the right partner. Depending on your budget and campaign objectives, you can choose between the following:

Schedule your TikTok posts at the best times

Timing is an often-overlooked factor that can determine the reach of your TikTok content. 

The idea is to align your posting schedule with your target audience's activity. Based on an analysis by Buffer, TikTok posts tend to reach their peak reach and engagement at the following times: 

  • Sundays at around 2 p.m. 
  • Tuesdays at around 4 p.m. 
  • Fridays at around 8 a.m.

In the past, you needed to use a third-party post scheduling platform with direct publishing support for TikTok. Now, you just need to access TikTok from a desktop browser, create your post, and toggle the 'Schedule' option under "When to post." 

While using the suggested posting times above is a great first step, you need to fashion a personalised posting schedule tailored to your existing audience's behaviour. 

To do this, use TikTok's built-in analytics to reveal your viewers' most active times on a month-to-month basis. 

Use custom thumbnails

Appearing on your audience's feeds is typically enough to score views. But if the user has auto-play disabled, you're faced with the extra challenge of getting them to click your video. 

This is where the thumbnail comes into play. 

Custom thumbnails allow you to set a cover image as well as present CTA or title overlays. 

As a result, viewers will know exactly what the video is about from the jump. It's also a great way to promote a unique selling point or special offer to TikTok users before they swipe on through.

You can set a custom thumbnail when creating a new TikTok post. Just tap 'Edit cover' at the bottom of the preview panel, scrub through your video to find the perfect still image, and create a stylised title. 

Launch TikTok ads 

TikTok advertising is the easiest and fastest way to accumulate hundreds or thousands of views. 

Anywhere else, advertising can quickly deplete your budget. But on TikTok, getting measurable results through advertising is actually quite cost-effective.

For one, the platform charges less than platforms like Meta Ads. It's also easier to optimise your campaign settings based on your advertising goals, be it to increase sales, boost your reach, or generate leads. 

Click here to get started with TikTok ads. 

Bonus Tips to Get More TikTok Views

  • Use TikTok tools to level up your content strategy and win more views
  • Use tools like OpusClip to instantly convert your YouTube videos into multiple clips for TikTok
  • Ramp up engagement by responding to comments and reacting to other posts
  • Explore other low-cost marketing strategies (e.g., running a hashtag contest, leveraging user-generated content, and creating a blog)

Final Words

Growing your TikTok viewership is a significant amount of work, but it doesn't require substantial technical skills or a substantial budget. 

It's simply a matter of how badly you want to grow on the platform and whether TikTok is the right channel to promote your brand. 

With the strategies above, the only barrier you need to worry about right now is when you'll start. Just remember to stay true to your brand's core message and focus on delivering value to your target audience.