If you are reading this, it is probably because you already know the potential offered by TikTok to gain followers and generate many views in a very short time. Unlike other social networks, it is not necessary to have a relatively known account to be able to viral what you publish here.
Now, to get followers on TikTok you need to know how this digital platform works and follow a series of steps to differentiate yourself from the rest, which is not easy and, of course, requires some effort: the magic recipes to be a famous TikToker overnight still do not exist. However, here we will make it easier for you.
This is a platform full of opportunities; if you know how to take advantage of them, they can provide you with a large number of followers and views in a short time. Keep in mind these guidelines and recommendations for gaining followers on TikTok, adapting them to your needs and your particular case.
1.Define your branding as a TikToker
Although you have not considered selling any specific product or service, you should conceive your TikTok profile as a brand; that is, you should develop a branding process, even if it is just an initial amateur sketch (and without the need to hire anyone to help you). This will allow you to offer a clear idea of what people can find on your account, what interesting aspects you contribute that may be worth their time and attention, and what they will not find in your videos.
Remember that if there is not a minimum consistency in your image, in the topics you address and in your way of communicating, this will generate rejection. There will always be time for rebranding if circumstances change, but this should be something planned and measured.
To do this, it is key that you keep in mind the type of audience you want to reach (by age, gender, level of education, and country or countries of origin and/or residence). In addition, you should also minimally define what your visual and aesthetic identity will be (in what type of spaces you will record your videos and what will be your appearance in them?) and what type of language you will use (more or less casual, more or less professional, using a lot of humor resources or not, etc.).
2. Participate in the viral challenges of the moment.
This digital platform is fed by the new and by what generates viral trends. That is why another key tip for gaining followers on TikTok is to participate in the challenges that are becoming fashionable in this influencer ecosystem. Although it is a phenomenon especially popular among young people, the good thing about this type of “chains” is that each TikToker can make their own a trend and adapt it to their way of being (in fact, precisely that spontaneity and originality is what makes them successful).
To join a challenge, you just have to search for the corresponding hashtag, record a video in which you show your version of it and upload it to the platform. It is important that you do not copy the content of others blindly, but that you add your own touch, your own personality and your own creativity. If you manage to make an original and funny video, chances are that it will be shared and will reach a larger audience.
3. Publish very frequently
Some people, in an attempt to offer perfect videos capable of quickly making them famous, end up letting weeks pass between one publication and another. This is a mistake; another of the most important tips on how to have more followers on TikTok is to have the frequency of publication as one of the basic priorities.
Although both digital platforms are based on audiovisuals, the logic of TikTok’s operation is totally different from that of YouTube, and people who use one or the other expect to find very different content on each. Although as a TikToker you have the possibility to publish videos of several minutes, in most cases it is more advisable to make your publications very short, especially in your first steps in your project to gain followers on TikTok. This will benefit you in two ways: on the one hand, it will be easier for you to publish very frequently and without the need to invest hours of time and effort in each video, and on the other, it will be less likely that the audience will stop watching the video before finishing it, something that will please the algorithm and give you more options for visibility.
4. Create a “hook” at the beginning of each video.
As we have seen, TikTok puts a lot of emphasis on offering very short and very frequent publications; this makes it very easy to generate content, but in exchange, it also makes users enter this social network with a very selective mentality, with a high predisposition to “discard” most of the videos that appear in their feed due to the constant bombardment of information they are receiving. In addition, they make these types of decisions in a few seconds, or even in hundredths of a second.
That is why it is important that in the first couple of seconds of your video you put something that captures people’s attention, such as a phrase that poses a question (written or spoken), or a very striking and iconic image.
5. Avoid overproduced content, focus on spontaneity.
The culture of content creators that prevails on TikTok today is that of young and casual people who share semi-improvised videos with others and filmed with few means. In fact, if you decide to invest in offering a more professional image, it is possible that precisely this will generate rejection, since currently the worst moments of social networks are associated with those years in which brands enter them and displace “normal people” by paying money.
6. Do not neglect music and sound.
Even from its origins, TikTok made clear its strong link with music; it is not by chance that it is known as “the social network of dances”. Although the platform has changed recently, this concept continues to influence our way of understanding it, so you should not neglect the importance of music and sound in your videos.
A good tip is to look for songs and sound effects that are in trend, and that can help you to add value to your content and make it more attractive. In addition, you should not be afraid to try different options and see what works best for you and your audience.
7. Collaborate with other TikTokers.
Another way to gain followers on TikTok quickly is to collaborate with other TikTokers, especially with those who have a similar target audience to yours. By doing this, you can reach a larger number of people and expose your content to a new audience, which can help you to increase your followers.
To find other TikTokers to collaborate with, you can use the search function of the platform and look for accounts that are related to your niche, or you can also use hashtags and participate in events or challenges organized by other users.
8. Complement your TikTok account with other social networks.
Okay, you have set out to grow mainly on TikTok; however, this does not mean that you should give up taking advantage of the rest of the social networks. Think that the videos you publish on this digital platform can be “recycled” to have quick and easy posts on the others.
Above all, you will be interested in Instagram and YouTube, which are the ones with the youngest and most visually interested user profile. The important thing is that on all your accounts you put a link to the TikTok account or at least indicate your username there, to redirect a part of that traffic and make those who discover you this way able to start following you.
It is well known that although TikTok offers a lot of ease to generate viral content, at the moment its monetization system offers fewer advantages than other similar social networks. Even the most important influencers on this digital platform earn relatively little money on it directly, taking into account their large audience. But in addition, before seeing the first cent it is necessary to meet certain requirements in terms of views and followers, as well as submit an application to the TikTok Creator Fund.
However, this does not mean that you cannot monetize your TikTok account relatively quickly and without the need to have hundreds of thousands of followers, and a clear example of this is Filtroo. If you combine TikTok with the Filtroo app, you can accumulate coins while using unique and exclusive filters for your posts.
How does it work? To use it, simply download the app, go to the locations or events associated with Filtroo (restaurants, concerts, festivals, bars, clubs…) and scan with your mobile one of the special QR codes for the application; each time you do this, you will earn access to an exclusive filter that will allow you to accumulate coins when using it to generate content published on your TikTok or Instagram account. You can redeem these points for rewards such as invitations to events, discounts, gifts, participation in raffles, and more.
In other words, you will be benefiting from something you were already doing anyway when using your social networks, but this time monetizing the time you spend on them. To start using Filtroo.