How to Get More Views on TikTok: Beyond the Algorithm's Black Box
Scrolling through TikTok at 2 AM, watching someone's random video rack up millions of views while your carefully crafted content sits at 247, might feel like witnessing some kind of digital sorcery. There's this peculiar democracy to TikTok's distribution system—a 14-year-old filming in their bedroom can outperform a professional production team with a $50,000 budget. Yet beneath this apparent randomness lies a sophisticated ecosystem where timing, psychology, and algorithmic preferences dance together in ways that creators are only beginning to understand.
The Algorithm Isn't Your Enemy (But It's Not Your Friend Either)
Let me share something that took me embarrassingly long to figure out: TikTok's algorithm operates more like a matchmaker than a judge. It's constantly trying to pair content with viewers who'll find it irresistible. Every swipe, every pause, every replay feeds data into this massive recommendation engine.
The platform tracks completion rates obsessively. If viewers watch your entire video, that's gold. If they watch it twice? Even better. But here's what most creators miss—the algorithm also notices when people share your video through DMs. Those private shares carry tremendous weight because they signal genuine enthusiasm, not just passive consumption.
I've noticed something fascinating about posting times that contradicts much of the conventional wisdom floating around. While everyone preaches about posting during "peak hours," some of my most viral content went live at seemingly terrible times—3 PM on a Tuesday, 11 PM on a Sunday. The secret? Those off-peak hours sometimes mean less competition for initial attention. Your video gets a cleaner shot at finding its audience without drowning in the flood of prime-time content.
The First Three Seconds Are Everything (And Nothing)
Here's a truth that might sting: most viewers decide whether to keep watching within roughly three seconds. Not five, not ten—three. This brutal reality has spawned an entire meta-game of hooks, where creators front-load their videos with promises, questions, or visual spectacles designed to arrest the thumb mid-scroll.
But I've discovered something counterintuitive. Sometimes the best hook is no hook at all. Raw, unfiltered moments—someone genuinely laughing, a cat doing something unexpected, a cooking fail happening in real-time—these authentic snippets often outperform carefully orchestrated openings. Why? Because they feel real in a sea of manufactured content.
Pattern interruption works wonders. If everyone in your niche starts videos the same way, do the opposite. Dance creators who begin with stillness. Comedians who open with silence. Educators who lead with the punchline. These inversions grab attention precisely because they violate expectations.
Sound Selection: The Hidden Multiplier
Most creators treat audio as an afterthought, but TikTok is fundamentally a sound-first platform. The app literally started as Musical.ly, remember? That DNA still influences how content spreads.
Using trending sounds gives you a massive advantage, but not for the reason most people think. Yes, the algorithm does seem to favor videos using popular audio. But more importantly, users actively seek out different interpretations of sounds they enjoy. They'll click that spinning vinyl record icon and scroll through dozens of videos, dramatically increasing your chances of discovery.
Here's a pro tip that changed my approach: preview trending sounds before they peak. TikTok's Creative Center shows audio trends by region, and you can spot sounds gaining momentum before they saturate the platform. Jumping on these rising sounds early positions you at the front of the wave rather than chasing it.
But don't sleep on original audio either. Some of my highest-performing videos use no music at all—just my voice or ambient sound. When you create original audio that others can use, every video made with your sound becomes a potential traffic driver back to your profile.
The Paradox of Consistency
Everyone preaches consistency, but I'm going to argue for something more nuanced: strategic inconsistency. Yes, posting regularly matters. The algorithm needs fresh data to understand your content and find your audience. But robotic adherence to a schedule can lead to creative burnout and formulaic content.
I've found a rhythm that works: batch creation during inspired periods, then strategic release during dry spells. Some weeks I'll post daily. Others, I'll go dark for three or four days. This variability seems to create anticipation among followers while preventing the algorithm from taking your content for granted.
Quality beats quantity every time, but here's the catch—you often don't know what quality looks like until you've produced quantity. My most viral video was the 47th take of an idea I almost abandoned. The practice of regular creation hones your instincts for what resonates.
Engagement Isn't Just Hearts and Comments
The engagement metrics that really matter might surprise you. Sure, likes and comments help, but TikTok's algorithm weighs different interactions differently. Shares carry enormous weight. So do profile visits. And here's one most people miss: how many viewers follow you directly from a specific video.
Creating content that prompts specific actions can hack these metrics. Videos that ask viewers to "wait for it" boost completion rates. Content that sparks debate in the comments (without being inflammatory) increases engagement time. But my favorite technique? Creating videos that people want to show their friends—relatable situations, inside jokes for specific communities, or information so useful people feel compelled to share.
I've noticed response videos and duets often outperform standalone content. There's something about joining a conversation rather than starting one that resonates with TikTok's collaborative culture. Find videos in your niche with high engagement but few responses, then add your unique perspective. You're drafting off their momentum while contributing something new.
The Niche Dilemma
Here's where I might ruffle some feathers: the advice to "find your niche" is simultaneously essential and limiting. Yes, consistency in content type helps the algorithm understand who to show your videos to. But rigid adherence to a niche can stifle the creative experimentation that leads to breakout moments.
I've seen creators explode by deliberately breaking their own patterns. A fitness influencer who suddenly posts about their struggles with anxiety. A comedian who shares a genuine moment of vulnerability. These departures from the expected often go viral precisely because they reveal humanity behind the persona.
The sweet spot? Develop a recognizable style or perspective that transcends specific content categories. Your niche becomes your voice, your approach, your unique way of seeing the world—not just "cooking videos" or "dance tutorials."
Technical Details That Actually Matter
Video quality matters less than you think, but certain technical elements can make or break your content. Vertical orientation is non-negotiable—horizontal videos get brutally cropped and lose impact. But beyond that, I've seen shot-on-iPhone videos outperform professional productions regularly.
What really matters is pacing. TikTok viewers have been trained to expect rapid cuts, quick transitions, and dense information delivery. But here's the twist—occasionally slowing down can be incredibly powerful. A single, unbroken take in a world of jump cuts stands out.
Captions aren't just for accessibility (though that's important too). They're a retention tool. Viewers who might scroll past audio-only content will often watch with captions on. Plus, clever caption placement and timing can add comedic beats or emphasize key points.
Text overlays have become their own art form. But resist the urge to over-explain. The best text enhances rather than replaces visual storytelling. I've found that questions work better than statements, incomplete thoughts that resolve throughout the video keep people watching.
The Psychology of Going Viral
After analyzing dozens of my own viral videos and hundreds of others, I've noticed patterns that transcend genres. Viral content often contains at least one of these elements: surprise, relatability, utility, or emotion.
But here's the kicker—it usually needs two or more. A surprising moment that's also relatable. Useful information delivered with emotion. The combination creates a multiplicative effect that single-element videos rarely achieve.
Timing cultural moments requires instinct more than strategy. The videos that truly explode often tap into collective experiences or feelings that people didn't even realize they shared. During lockdown, content about bizarre quarantine habits went viral not because the algorithm favored them, but because they articulated shared experiences people were desperate to discuss.
Building Momentum Through Series
One underutilized strategy I've found incredibly effective: serialized content. Not just "Part 1, Part 2" clickbait, but genuine story arcs or educational progressions that reward returning viewers. The algorithm notices when people seek out your other content after watching one video.
Create natural cliffhangers. Share processes that unfold over time. Build running jokes that develop across videos. This approach transforms casual viewers into active followers who check your profile for updates.
But avoid the trap of artificial serialization. Splitting a single video into parts just for views usually backfires. The story or information should genuinely benefit from the episodic format.
The Community Factor
TikTok thrives on community participation. Trends, challenges, and collective creativity drive the platform's culture. But most creators approach this backwards—they try to start trends rather than thoughtfully participating in existing ones.
Find nascent trends in your niche and add genuine value. Don't just replicate; innovate within the framework. The best trend participation feels both familiar and fresh, honoring the original while pushing boundaries.
Collaboration multiplies reach in ways that solo content rarely achieves. But choose collaborators strategically. Similar follower counts matter less than aligned audiences and complementary styles. Some of my most successful collaborations were with creators significantly smaller or larger than me, but whose audiences overlapped with mine in interesting ways.
The Long Game
Here's something nobody talks about enough: most "overnight successes" on TikTok posted for months or even years before breaking through. The platform rewards persistence in subtle ways. Your early, low-performing videos train the algorithm to understand your content and identify your potential audience.
I've seen creators delete old videos that didn't perform well, thinking they're cleaning up their profile. Big mistake. Those videos can suddenly find new life months later when the algorithm better understands where they fit. Plus, new followers often binge old content, and discovering a deep catalog can convert casual viewers into genuine fans.
Final Thoughts on the Views Game
Chasing views can become an addiction that kills creativity. The most sustainable approach to TikTok success balances strategic thinking with genuine expression. Use these techniques as tools, not rules. The platform evolves constantly, and what works today might fail tomorrow.
But certain principles endure: authenticity resonates, community participation amplifies reach, and consistent experimentation eventually yields breakthroughs. The creators who thrive long-term are those who find joy in the process, not just the metrics.
Remember, every massive creator started with zero followers and a video that got twelve views. The difference between those who break through and those who don't isn't talent or luck—it's the willingness to keep creating, keep learning, and keep adapting until something clicks. And when it does, you'll be ready to ride that wave as far as it'll take you.
The real secret to getting more views on TikTok? There isn't one secret. There are dozens of small optimizations, creative choices, and strategic decisions that compound over time. Master the fundamentals, stay curious about what works, and never lose sight of why you started creating in the first place. The views will follow—sometimes slowly, sometimes in a shocking burst, but they will come.
Authoritative Sources:
Abidin, Crystal. Internet Celebrity: Understanding Fame Online. Emerald Publishing Limited, 2018.
Cunningham, Stuart, and David Craig. Creator Culture: An Introduction to Global Social Media Entertainment. NYU Press, 2021.
Kaye, D. Bondy Valdovinos, Xu Chen, and Jing Zeng. "The co-evolution of two Chinese mobile short video apps: Parallel platformization of Douyin and TikTok." Mobile Media & Communication, vol. 9, no. 2, 2021, pp. 229-253.
Stokel-Walker, Chris. TikTok Boom: China's Dynamite App and the Superpower Race for Social Media. Canbury Press, 2021.
Zhang, Zhi, and Khe Foon Hew. "A systematic review on TikTok research: An analysis of the literature from 2019 to 2021." Interactive Learning Environments, 2022, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10494820.2022.2039948