TikTok is known as a platform where accounts can go viral and grow fast. But while some creators may strike it big from the start, for many, it takes a consistent effort to grow your follower count and establish a lasting presence.
So why put in the effort? Because TikTok is more than a place for viral trends and fun challenges. It’s also become a go-to resource for consumers looking for products and services. 55% of users say the app has helped them discover new things. And with TikTok Shop, its built-in e-commerce platform, it’s easier than ever for brands to convert those discoveries into sales.
To fortify your marketing funnel on the app, it’s smart to start by asking how to get TikTok followers. For that, you’ve come to the right place. Read on for dozens of tips to help your brand grow on the app.
Contents
- How to get TikTok followers: Our top tips
- How to get more TikTok followers using your page
- Ways to get TikTok followers using trending content
- Video tips and ideas to help you get more TikTok followers
How to get TikTok followers: Our top tips
Are you ready to build an audience on TikTok? At its core, growing your follower count requires two simple things: creating content your audience wants to see and publishing it regularly. But as with any social media platform, TikTok has its own nuances, tricks, and tips that can help you pick up followers more quickly. If your goal is follower growth, start here.
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1. Check out what your competition is posting
You’re not the first brand to get started on TikTok. In fact, chances are competitors from your industry or region are already finding success on the platform.
Competitive research is all about looking at those other accounts and asking:
- What are they doing?
- What works and what doesn’t?
- What can I borrow to use on my account?
- Where’s the white space where I can create something unique that stands out?
While it may feel like a formal exercise, it doesn’t need to be complicated. Just enter a term in the search bar your customers are interested in, find accounts posting about it, and see what other content they share.
See what types of content are working for your competitors.
Let’s say you’re a personal trainer and know that running form is a common concern for your clients. Search for “running form” in the app and see what comes up!
If you peep a post that resonates, click through to that user’s profile. What other topics is that creator posting about? What’s the aesthetic of their videos? What hashtags do they use?
Every existing post is a data point you can use to guide your TikTok posts.
2. Know your target audience
When you’re trying to grow your audience on TikTok, it can be tempting to create videos:
- With broad appeal in hopes of attracting everyone
- On the topics you personally find most interesting
- That require the least amount of time, energy, and resources to produce
But if you’re going to use TikTok as a business marketing channel, you can’t do that. You must create content with your target audience in mind. After all, your goal isn’t just to get TikTok followers. It’s building a following of prospective customers who can move through your social media funnel from awareness to advocacy.
So, as you would with any other channel, research which portion of your target audience uses TikTok. Identify their pains, goals, and interests for video content. Then, use that information to tailor your TikTok strategy to their preferences.
3. Post frequently and consistently
What happens if you hit a home run with an early post, and thousands of people view it?
They go to your page, don’t see any other content, and keep moving without hitting “follow.” To address that risk, it’s essential that you build up a strong catalog of content in your first few weeks on the app.
Once you have some posts that show what you do and can entice visitors to become followers, you can level off into whatever schedule fits your ability to create great content. But when you do, consistency is still the name of the game. Multiple posts per week keep the algorithm happy.
Posting consistently gives people a reason to follow you for future content.
Here you can learn the right frequency to post on TikTok for your goals.
4. Publish content when your audience is most active
TikTok content often has a short half-life, and posts that take off right after posting have a better chance of becoming a runaway viral hit.
That means timing your content to publish when you know your audience is most active can offer you a strategic edge as you look to get more TikTok followers. While there are some times that are generally better for posting on the app, the real trick is to get to know your specific audience. When are they online?
Whenever they’re most active is a smart time to post.
5. Collaborate with other brands
Sometimes the best way to expand your reach on social media is to team up with another like-minded business owner. By collaborating with a friendly fellow owner or entrepreneur, you create an opportunity to bolster each other’s reputation and grow your audiences together.
6. Partner with influencers
Influencers have an enormous presence on TikTok, and pairing with ones that speak to your ideal audience can help you get followers on the app.
Take some time to identify creators who are the right fit for your brand. No matter what you do, there’s likely an influencer who would be a smart partner based on their interests and audience. Then, approach them to ask what it looks like to work together. Investing in a few strategic influencer marketing partnerships can help build more awareness and increase your follower count.
7. Cross-promote your TikTok on other social platforms
If you have a long-established presence on other social media channels, you can leverage that to grow your TikTok followers fast! Share on your other social profiles that you’ve just joined the app, and invite those people to connect with you there.
Make it easy for people to take that step by including a link to your new TikTok profile, so they can find and follow you with just a few clicks.
8. Analyze TikTok metrics to refine your strategy
To get better at anything in life, you need feedback about where you are right now. TikTok metrics can help you understand how the content you create performs. You can see things like reach, engagement, and follower count.
Are there certain pieces of content that have performed really well? What attributes do they share? Answering those questions can help you create more high-performing content to drive up your follower count.
9. Experiment with different content formats
TikTok is probably best known as a platform for short-form video, but it’s expanded to encompass posts with photos, live video, and other formats.
As you build out your content calendar, incorporate these other forms of content into your plans. Testing out different formats can help you see what your audience responds to most. Watch those analytics to see how things perform! If you notice a pattern where one type of content wins lots of followers or a particular topic performs well in a certain format, lean into that for future content.
Carousels are great for photo collections
10. Try TikTok ads to broaden your reach
So far, we’ve covered how to get TikTok followers for free. If you have the budget for it, TikTok ads let you get on your audience’s radar faster.
Since 72% of users feel TikTok ads are inspiring and nearly 70% say they’re enjoyable, they’re an effective way to make people want to follow you. Even better: they can make people want to buy. In one study, 67% of respondents said TikTok inspired them to shop when they weren’t planning to. So, well-done TikTok ads can also produce near-immediate returns on investment.
Ads, like paid partnerships, get your message to the right people.
The key to success is understanding how to pick the right TikTok ads bidding strategy.
How to get more TikTok followers using your page
Your account page holds several growth opportunities. Here are a few of our favorites.
11. Optimize your profile and bio
Picture this: a new video you post starts going viral, gathering thousands of views well beyond your circle of existing followers. Someone sees your video and likes it, so they wonder to themselves, “Is this account worth a follow?”
To answer that question, they’ll likely navigate to your profile and check out your bio. By including your selling proposition and what content you like to share, you can help convert this viewer into a follower. And, as a bonus, if you include a link to your website, they might even take things one step further and explore your brand off the app!
12. Pin your best content
To get TikTok followers, you need to let people know what your page is all about. Pinning foundational or popular videos at the top of your page can help new visitors quickly understand what you do and who your business serves.
Consider pinning videos that set the stage for your brand. It may be a welcome message from the owner, a walk-through of your brick-and-mortar location, a “meet the team” video, or anything else that helps people get to know you.
13. Reply to comments on your posts
Whether you’ve prompted them by including a question in your content or not, people may still share their thoughts on your content in the comments. Whenever people leave comments on your videos, take the time to respond.
It doesn’t need to be anything deep or complicated. If they’re saying something complimentary, a simple “thanks!” goes a long way. Again, the algorithm favors content that’s generating engagement, and you can contribute to engagement on your own post by replying to anyone who adds their thoughts.
14. Comment on others’ content
While you’re already in the commenting flow, why not navigate off your page and leave thoughts on other people’s content?
Target other pages that your audience might find relevant, and keep it positive. By sharing something considered and constructive, you introduce yourself to anyone reading the comments as a knowledgeable and kind voice. If they see you often enough in the comments and like what you have to say, you may just earn a follow from them.
15. Build a recognizable brand style
People who aren’t following you yet might still be regularly interacting with your content. The algorithm might repeatedly serve your content to someone who’s interested in the topics you cover.
These posts from Newton Nissan South all share a visual vocabulary.
By establishing a clear brand style, with consistent visuals and a defined structure to your content, you can help those non-followers come to recognize your business’s posts. As they see you appear again and again in their feeds, they may eventually navigate over to your page and give you a follow—but only if they know all of the content they enjoy is coming from you.
16. Repost your best-performing videos
Content has a short half-life on TikTok, and maintaining a steady posting cadence requires ongoing attention and creativity. If you can make your life a little easier, why not do it?
Simply repost evergreen content. Or, refresh content like this, which speaks to a specific moment, and share a new version at the start of each year.
This tactic eases your content creation burden while helping you capitalize on your best videos. Reposting something that did well can give it a second (or third or fourth!) life and help it reach new people who could become followers.
Ways to get TikTok followers using trending content
People tend to follow trends, so these tips will help you ride the wave of popularity of the next big thing.
17. Follow trending sounds and challenges
TikTok is a platform built around viral content, and the vehicle for that virality is often trending sounds and challenges. You superimpose an audio clip from a song, show, or pop culture moment onto your content, and more and more accounts are seeking to join the trend. Or, a set of dance moves or another type of challenge goes viral as people participate.
Getting involved in trending moments on TikTok has the potential to distribute your content to a wider audience that’s engaging with the trend. Be sure to use related trending hashtags and to strike early in the trend to increase your potential reach.
Looking for potential trends to follow? Check out TikTok’s Creative Center, which tracks what’s popular right now.
18. Move quickly when trends arise
The median lifespan of a TikTok trend is three days.
With things moving so quickly on the app, it’s vital that you move just as fast to ensure your content isn’t stale by the time it publishes. If your team has extended review processes, consider creating an expedited approach for viral content so you can contribute to the trend before the wave crests.
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19. Create duet and stitch content
Several TikTok features encourage users to create content in direct response to others’ output. The duet and stitch options allow you to take a snippet of someone else’s post and share your own reaction or addition to the original content.
By jumping onto content that’s trending and adding your commentary or contribution, you again create an opportunity for your post to reach beyond your existing audience, to others who are following the trend.
Duets are a fun way to build off existing ideas.
20. Use relevant hashtags
Hashtags are one of those little additions to a post that can make an outsized difference in expanding its reach. They help make your content more discoverable by telling the algorithm what your content is about so it can surface it to the right audience.
When you develop your hashtag strategy, opt for a mix of broad, trending, and audience-specific additions to your posts.
Video tips and ideas to help you get more TikTok followers
Want some ideas for content that’ll attract new people to your page? Read on.
21. Create a hook in the first three seconds
Attention spans are shorter nowadays, and on a platform like TikTok, which encourages the endless scroll, they’re even shorter.
TikTok makes it easy for viewers to flick past content that doesn’t catch their eye quickly, so starting each post with a strong hook is essential. As you script out your video or draft your accompanying copy, ask yourself: What’s the one thing that would get my ideal customer to stop and watch? Then, work that into the first few seconds of your content.
And make sure your hook shows up in the thumbnail image as well, so when people search a topic they’ll tap your video.
22. Share educational content
Good marketing helps people come to know, like, and trust your brand so they become confident that you’re the one to solve their problem or need. Sharing educational content can position your team as experts in your field.
By regularly posting honest, accessible information, you create the opportunity to win new TikTok followers and build trust with that audience over time.
23. Keep your videos short and engaging
Research published by TikTok says the ideal length for a video on the platform is 21 to 34 seconds. That’s short!
As you draft your content calendar, keep these guidelines in mind. TikTok won’t be the right fit for all of your content ideas. A long explainer video may be better suited to YouTube, while an extended comparison of your product and a competitor’s might fit better on your blog.
24. Lean into TikTok SEO in captions
SEO has traditionally been a tactic to help brands get discovered on search engines. However, in the age of the TikTok algorithm, SEO is now a tactic you can employ on the social media app.
The brow-focused keywords here help this content appear among those who are interested in beauty content.
TikTok SEO is a strategy to help your content get discovered on both the TikTok app and in search results, since social media content is now something that appears in SERPs. By doing your keyword research and creating captions that describe your content and resonate with your audience, you have a chance of being discovered by audiences on and off the app.
25. Create your own branded challenge
Once you’ve gotten the hang of participating in other viral challenges on TikTok, why not create one of your own?
A branded challenge is a great way to draw attention to your business in a fun and engaging way. Design your challenge around something fundamental to your TikTok presence or your product or service. And don’t forget to create a branded hashtag for participants to add to their own content as they join in!
26. Go live to build a connection in real time
Going live on TikTok gives people an opportunity to interact with you in real time. It adds a more personal element to your relationship with your audience that can:
- Reel in new followers who stumble across your video.
- Encourage people who haven’t followed you yet to do it.
- Prompt people to mention your account to others who may be interested in following you.
27. Share behind-the-scenes content
Sometimes, the best way to win new followers is to establish a personal connection. Letting people on TikTok get to know your team can help encourage them to convert from viewers to followers.
Give people a glimpse into what a day in the life of your business looks like. Show one of your popular offerings being made, introduce the team members who are the lifeblood of your organization, or share videos of a team-wide volunteer outing.
28. Encourage comments with questions
The TikTok algorithm tends to favor content with higher engagement rates, so if you can encourage people to interact with your videos, you increase their potential reach.
To drum up comments on your videos, include a provocative or engaging question in the video itself and in the accompanying caption. Encourage viewers to provide their point of view on the query you’ve raised.
29. Use high-quality lighting and audio
TikTok is a platform that encourages people to move on from content they don’t like. When they flip by one video, there’s an endless stream of others waiting to be watched.
If your content has audio or visual issues, people may skip by. That’s why investing in high-quality lighting and audio is essential. That doesn’t mean you need a Hollywood studio setup. A simple lavalier mic and ring light can do wonders in creating content people want to stick around and watch.
30. Include a benefit-focused CTA
If you’ve ever watched a YouTube video, you’re familiar with the trope of the host asking viewers to “like and subscribe.” You can end your TikTok content with a similar call to action (CTA), inviting those who’ve happened upon your content to give your account a follow
But your ask can’t be all about you. Instead, be sure to provide viewers with an answer to the question, “What’s in it for me?” Let them know what kind of content you create and why following you will be a win for them.
Even a simple CTA like “Shop now” can help.
31. Create a multi-part video series
With the suggested length of videos clocking in at well under a minute, what do you do when you want to share longer-form content?
One option is to do that elsewhere, like on YouTube. But another is to create a multi-part video series. This works best with content that has a great narrative throughline. End each bite-sized video on a cliffhanger that encourages users to catch the next chapter. Once people are hooked, they’ll give you a follow to hear the end of your tale.
Keep learning how to get more TikTok followers
Social media marketing is an ongoing strategy that takes consistency. And that’s not just referring to your content calendar. You should keep learning new ways to add more followers and keep the ones you have engaged.
Actively watch what your competitors do, read about new feature releases on the app, and connect with other brands and creators to see what they do for growth. That investment in education will pay off as you watch your follower count grow.
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