How to Gain a Following on TikTok

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Struggling to gain a following on TikTok?

You're not alone.

With 1.5 billion active users worldwide, standing out on the platform takes more than just posting videos—you need a strategic approach to grow your audience.

The good news?

TikTok's algorithm rewards engaging content, meaning you don’t need millions of followers to go viral.

But how do you gain a following on TikTok effectively?

In this post, you’ll learn:

Let’s get started...

Who’s Using TikTok?

While TikTok is hugely popular among younger users, its audience is expanding across all age groups:

This broad user base means your ideal audience is likely on TikTok—you just need the right strategy to reach them.

TikTok’s Unique Environment: What Makes It Different?

TikTok isn’t just another social media platform—it’s a video-first, algorithm-driven app where engagement matters more than follower count.

Here’s what sets it apart:

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Understanding these factors is key to growing your audience on TikTok.

Authenticity on TikTok builds trust; let your brand's true personality shine to connect deeply with your audienceClick To Post On

So how do you create content that grabs attention and builds a following? Let’s take a look...

How to Gain a Following on TikTok: Create Engaging Content

Want to grow your TikTok audience? It all starts with creating engaging content.

The more engagement your videos receive, the more they’ll be pushed by TikTok’s algorithm—increasing visibility and attracting more followers.

So, how do you create content that stands out?

Here are 10 proven strategies to help you gain a following on TikTok.

1. Be Authentic

Authenticity is key on TikTok. Users connect with content that feels real, relatable, and unfiltered.

2. Use Popular Video Types

Certain types of videos consistently perform well on TikTok, making them a great way to boost visibility and engagement.

TikTok Challenges: Join the Trend

Participating in viral challenges puts your content in front of a wider audience—many of whom might follow you long-term.

You can also create your own challenges. If you do so, encourage others to join in by using a unique hashtag and making the challenge fun and accessible.

Participating in trending challenges can amplify your brand's visibility and attract a wider TikTok audienceClick To Post On

TikTok Dances

Dance routines are hugely popular on TikTok, and your business doesn’t have to be in any way related to dance to be able to use the strategy.

It’s just a good technique for attracting attention and visibility. In fact, TikTok says about 25% of its most-watched content is dance videos.

Whether you make up your dance or copy a trending one, dance videos can go viral because they’re fun, engaging, and easy for others to try.

Adding trending music can make your dance even more popular, as people look up songs to see different dances.

TikTok Tutorials

How-to videos aren’t just for YouTube.

They can also be a great way to share your skills and knowledge on TikTok. Tutorials can grab attention whether it's makeup tips, cooking recipes, tech hacks, or DIY crafts.

Humorous Skits

Everyone loves a good laugh, and funny skits can quickly gain traction on TikTok.

Whether it’s a funny take on everyday situations, popular trends, or your original ideas, humorous content is highly shareable.

Think about skits you could use that are related in some way to your business, and help attract an interested audience.

3. Optimize Your Videos Before Publishing

There are various ways to optimize the quality of your videos for TikTok, helping to maximize the engagement they attract, and as a consequence, help you gain a following.

Use Proper Lighting

Good lighting is important for making your videos look great. If your video looks too dark, people will quickly skip past it for something they can view more clearly.

Proper lighting makes your videos look professional and more enjoyable to watch.

Natural light is best, so try to film during the day, either outside or close to windows that will illuminate you.

Second best, but still effective, is to use a ring or other artificial lighting to help brighten things up.

Have Clear Audio

As well as seeing your videos clearly, people also need to be able to hear your videos clearly.

Consider using an external mic if your device’s built-in microphone doesn’t pick up the sound properly for your videos.

And take account of background noise too. Try to film in a quiet place so that viewers aren’t distracted or confused by unintended audio.

Use the Right Music

Using popular or trending music can help boost your video's visibility:

Experiment with Voice Effects

Experiment with TikTok’s built-in voice effects to see the impact it has with engagement levels:

Experimenting with these voice effects can add a layer of creativity and fun to your videos, helping to keep your audience entertained and engaged.

Play around with these features to make your videos more dynamic and engaging. Well-edited videos can grab attention and keep viewers watching until the end.

Edit Your Videos

TikTok has some powerful in-app editing tools for enhancing your videos before publication.

Features include the ability to trim clips, add effects, and include music or voice overs.

But remember, don’t go overboard. Keep it real, authentic, and relatable.

4. Use Hashtags

When you use relevant and trending hashtags for your videos, you help increase their discoverability.

Hashtags help categorize your content and make it easier for people interested in those topics to find you.

Combine niche-specific hashtags with more popular, trending ones to maximize reach.

5. Post Frequently

Having a consistent posting schedule is essential for maintaining your presence on TikTok.

Aim to post at least a few times weekly to keep your audience engaged, but don’t sacrifice quality for quantity. It’s better to post high-quality content less frequently than to post mediocre content every day.

Consistent posting on TikTok keeps your audience engaged and signals algorithmic favorability for increased reachClick To Post On

6. Post at Optimal Times

When is the best time to post?

Generally, the best times to post on TikTok are in the evenings and weekends when more people are likely to scroll through their feeds.

However, this can vary depending on your audience.

According to research, some of the optimal times to post on TikTok are:

But this is just general advice—you need to find out the times that work best for your own audience. We’ll look into how to do this shortly.

7. Engage with Your Audience

As you may have guessed by now, to build a strong community on TikTok, engagement is key.

Doing something as simple as responding to comments is an effective way to connect with your followers and encourage ongoing engagement with your account.

A quick thank you or a like is often enough to show that you appreciate their interaction and value their opinions.

8. Learn From and Collaborate With Other Creators

Learning strategies and techniques from successful creators on TikTok can be useful.

But bear in mind that what works well for one account and audience might not work for another.

So it’s essential to test new strategies out for your own audience, and tweak your approach accordingly.

Also look for creators and brands whose content aligns with yours, and where they align with your values, and contact them with collaboration ideas, making it clear how they stand to benefit.

When contacting them, be honest and clear about your own audience’s demographics and engagement rates.

Whether it’s a duet, a challenge, or a joint live session, collaborations can help you reach new viewers.

9. Use TikTok Analytics

TikTok's built-in analytics help you track your performance and refine your strategy.

The analytics dashboard provides valuable insights into how your videos are performing.

Monitor metrics like views, likes, shares, and follower growth.

These metrics can help you understand what type of content resonates with your audience and what doesn’t.

Similarly, if a particular hashtag or song seems to boost your views, use it more often.

Utilize TikTok's analytics to refine your content strategy, focusing on what resonates most with your audienceClick To Post On

So monitor your analytics, and experiment and adjust your strategy accordingly. The insights gained can guide you on:

10. Cross-Promote Your TikTok Content

Cross-promoting your TikTok content on other social media platforms can both drive more traffic to your TikTok profile, and boost the visibility of (and engagement with) your other social profiles.

So share your TikTok videos on Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and other platforms.

However, sharing the exact same video might not always work. Also think about sharing a teaser that encourages people to check out the full video on TikTok.

As well as increasing your reach, this helps to keep your content fresh and engaging across different platforms.

To Conclude

As discussed, when considering how to gain a following on TikTok, the #1 strategy is to create engaging content.

That gets you noticed, and will automatically attract followers to your account.

While this post has shown you exactly how to approach it, don’t forget that, like most platforms, TikTok is always changing. Stay flexible, watch for new trends, and don’t be afraid to adjust your approach based on what works for your own audience.