This blog was written by D+P Intern Marissa Marsh.
In January 2021, I had a grand total of eight followers on TikTok. One day, a silly makeup challenge video that I posted got more than 40,000 views. How did I do it? Completely by accident. However, by retracing my steps, I figured out that I played the algorithm just right. Since then, I’ve made more videos that got tens of thousands of views and the lessons I learned can be applied to your own and your clients’ TikTok accounts.
Here are five easy steps to help you increase your following, your views and your engagement on TikTok:
1. Have an appealing profile
The first step is building your account — set a profile picture and bio, link your Instagram account or other social platforms and start posting content. Don’t be afraid to post a few times a day to build up the number of videos on your account. I had three videos up before I started getting more than a handful of views. You can share the TikToks you make on your other social media platforms as well and encourage your followers to check out your TikTok.
2. Post content regularly
One of the best parts about the TikTok algorithm is that you can post multiple times a week, even daily, without it hurting you. In fact, accounts that post daily—even a few times a day—tend to do really well. This is very different from other platforms like Instagram for example, that may mark your posts as spam if you post too frequently, and cause you to lose reach on your posts. Another thing I love about TikTok is its draft setting. It allows you to film and save a lot of content at once, which you can then post either throughout the week or when the opportunity presents itself. I started posting TikToks to show my friends the new makeup products I bought, and started posting new videos every day just because I had fun doing them. The fact that I started seeing growth on my account was a bonus.
3. Jump in on trends
This part is key—no matter how broad or niche your audience is, jumping in on trends whenever you can will help your account get seen. One easy way to do that is to use a new trending audio in your next TikTok. A trending audio is a song or audio track that many people are using in the background of their videos. You can find them in the “TikTok Viral” playlist in the sounds section of the app, or you can figure out what audios are popular by just scrolling through your For You Page and taking note of what songs you hear often. For example, Olivia Rodrigo’s song “Driver’s License” has been a trending audio on TikTok since its release. Also, if there’s a trending challenge, try to adapt it to fit your account. In my video, I used a trending audio and filmed my own take on a trending challenge over the top of it.
4. Don’t forget hashtags
Hashtags on TikTok are critical because they will get your videos noticed. Hashtags will help increase your visibility and reach and can also help you see what other creators in your industry are doing as well. My video was about makeup, so I made sure to add #makeup. My video was also a part of a TikTok challenge—reviewing makeup products with a simple yes or no—so I also included #simpleyesorno to ensure it could be found with the other videos that were part of the trend.
5. Interact with others
Interacting with others on TikTok is a great way to increase engagement and gain a following. I personally try to like and reply to every comment on my videos. It makes your audience feel included and connected to you. You can also like and comment on other user’s videos. This will help you get noticed by other creators, who may follow you back and comment on your posts as well. By doing these easy steps, I have increased my follower count by more than 3000%.
These tips can help you and your clients start your TikTok journey. And while you’re making the next viral TikTok, check out my video below that inspired this whole story.
@mmarsh421what are your favorite makeup products?? #CleanTok #VisionBoard #makeup #simpleyesorno #fyp
