Originally published in Portuguese on July 29, 2020. Read the original.
How do you get followers on TikTok?
You may be wondering why TikTok is so hot right now. Like every new social network, it faces a lot of resistance from older generations and huge success with younger ones. That has a lot to do with generations wanting their own spaces (a kid doesn’t want to be on the same network as their grandma). And since every social network has its own language — and I’m your friendly TikToker — I’ll share what I’ve learned and how to get more followers on TikTok (I’m at 17K followers today =P).
A quick look at TikTok
The app
You can sum TikTok up as a platform for live creativity and easy virality. If you want to try it, you don’t even need an account: just download it, pick the topics you like and start scrolling. You can make videos from scratch (just filming things from your life), lip-sync to audio (songs or existing videos on the platform), or simply upload videos you’ve already made (less recommended).
In Brazil it’s used a lot by kids and teenagers, which can be a problem if your audience is older. But it can be very interesting if you want to build a brand presence.
FY. For You. That’s your goal
TikTok has one big difference from other social networks, and it’s called “For You”. It’s the app’s main page, designed specifically to encourage new discoveries. Content is picked by the algorithm and shown to people who may or may not like it. For my content, for example, with a typical number of views (2,000 to 5,000), 70% comes from users on the For You page. To reach as many people as possible — and get more followers — that’s the page to focus on.
Now that you know what this network is about and what we’re aiming for, let’s get to the tips!
So, Likus, how do I make my videos blow up?
01. Understand the network and the content
A good tip before producing anything is to understand the platform. So USE the app as your main social network — but not like a regular user. Study profiles you like: number of likes, comments and followers. Follow hashtags, see who the go-to creators are (I’m sure there’s a TikToker for every topic in existence 😂). The point is to understand the different approaches on the platform: humor, DIY, informative videos. You can stick to one style or mix. What matters is knowing what you’re doing and communicating something, making it clear it’s content made for TikTok.
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02. Make people feel something
Picture this: on YouTube, when an ad shows up, the platform gives you 5 seconds to decide whether it’s interesting. That’s 5 seconds to hook the viewer. Now imagine TikTok has no such limit, and the next video is one swipe away. See how you have less than 5 seconds to grab your audience?
So the bet is to grab attention very fast — and to hit your audience the right way. Here’s an example: I posted an animation I’d made (Cuphead-style), and it wasn’t performing well. I believed my audience would like it, but they probably didn’t connect with who made it or how. So, to get people’s attention, I made a “how to” video showing my steps to put the animation together. Result: people could relate to me, they liked my content and, on top of that, I gained 5,000 followers.
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03. Post regularly
I confess I’m not the best example when it comes to posting regularly. But if you don’t have an audience yet, this approach works — A LOT! Assuming you have a format, if you make many videos, the odds of one taking off are huge. If one in six videos goes viral on For You, that’s a great result! Rebeca Pfau is proof. She started around the same time I did and within months had 70,000 followers and was featured in the newsletter as a rising TikToker. It’s a great way to get more followers.
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04. Don’t use too many hashtags
TikTok has a limitation: the video description only allows 150 characters. There’s no room for long captions here. So try to use about 4 hashtags at most, and mix well-known hashtags with less-known ones. That way your video shows up both for people who like the big hashtag’s content (but probably won’t find you by searching) and for people searching a smaller hashtag, where your video will rank well.
Another tip: if your content is for a specific audience, DON’T USE #FY #FORYOU. It might work for comedy, at best. Everyone uses it, the audience is very diverse (usually kids looking for followers), so it doesn’t reach the audience you want and doesn’t help you show up in searches — in other words, it’s pointless.
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05. Use TikTok sounds in your videos
Another way to get more views is through the platform’s music. TikTok shows which sounds your followers have been listening to most in the last few days, which helps both the algorithm push your content on For You and you understand what kind of music makes your followers stop and watch.
This shouldn’t limit your creativity! If you can’t use TikTok sounds, that’s fine — you’ll have fewer chances to reach more people, but it’s no big deal. The problem is bringing in music from outside the app: it detects possible copyrighted music and won’t let you post. So decide case by case.
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06. Make friends and partnerships — it’s a SOCIAL network
Always remember TikTok is a social network, so relationships matter a lot on the platform. Building connections with people, whether in your niche or not, makes you a more active member of the community — which is great! Being present in the comments boosts your visibility, and if the creator replies or your comment gets lots of likes, it may end up “featured”. Visibility is everything.
07. Go LIVE
I confess I don’t love going LIVE, but I understand why it matters for creators. LIVEs are the platform’s new focus and one of the few ways to make money on TikTok (without third-party brands), through donations (coins). When someone goes live, all their followers get notified, which helps you keep closer contact with your audience (since most people use the For You page, not the Following page).
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Wrapping up + a bonus tip
So you ask: “Likus, if I follow all these steps, will I get lots of followers?” Yes — or no. Let me explain: many people try to make content on TikTok and don’t get results because their content isn’t engaging for the platform. Show your face, try to connect with your viewers. If you put effort into that and apply these tips, then I’ll feel much more confident saying the followers will come.
I hope this helps you somehow. These are some of the things I learned during my time on TikTok, but if you feel something’s missing that you know about, please comment on the original post. I’ll be very happy to reply!
That’s it for me.
Love, Likus.
