Here are the top 12 TikTok growth hacks to grow your channel:
- Leverage viral TikTok trends
- Post on TikTok consistently
- Engage with your TikTok audience
- Optimize your TikTok content for watch time
- Collaborate with other TikTok creators
- Focus on a specific TikTok niche
- Create shareable TikTok content
- Analyze and adapt to TikTok strategies
- Promote your TikTok channel on other platforms
- Use TikTok ads
- Join TikTok communities
- Explore different TikTok content formats
TikTok’s growth strategy focuses on audience engagement, trends, and algorithms. It prioritizes high watch time, viewer count, viral content, and active audience participation. Growth is crucial to maintain your channel's relevance in the long term. You can hire TikTok growth services from agencies like Influency, Kohi Studios, and Fresh Content Society. Alternatively, you can hire freelancers or assemble your own team. You can find freelancers on job posting sites like Fiverr and Upwork.
A Reddit user posted their experience and advice on growing their TikTok channel. Some of their advice included the use of a good hook, viral sounds, and thumbnails. Tips on improving video quality and engagement are also discussed. They said that their channel has grown to over 100K followers, 850K likes, and 4M views. They have an average engagement rate of 35-45%.
You can also earn money from TikTok just by posting videos. TikTok creators can join TikTok's 1 Minute+ Growth Program. Posting 1 qualified video can earn you up to $100. Post 2 qualified videos each week and get the chance to earn $40 to $80 each week.
I've spent a decade growing multiple online businesses. This includes 6-figure Amazon FBA, Shopify dropshipping, affiliate marketing, and lead generation businesses. This article will give you a rundown of each of the 12 TikTok growth hacks. I provided examples and real-world accounts that found success by implementing them.
1. Leverage Viral TikTok Trends
Leveraging viral TikTok trends lets you reach a large, active audience. Trends are often videos with captions on a topic matched with specific audio. Users following this trend can discover your video through the audio or hashtag.
An example of this is the "that don't impress me much" trend. It starts with a caption of a guy saying something condescendingly about a certain subject. It then cuts to you being an actual expert on that subject. The video is set to an audio that features part of Shania Twain's song, That Don’t Impress Me Much. The hashtag #thatdontimpressmemuch is included in the description.
Wave Wyld, a.k.a. the "Queen of Trend Alerts," is a TikTok creator and growth coach. She grew her channel by posting about the most recent trends. Her channel has over 406.5K followers and over 8.1 million likes. Wave also posts tips and tricks on how to grow your channel. She took her success and created The Hook Bible course.
The downside of trends is that they have a short lifespan. According to The Shelf, TikTok trends often only last 2 days to 2 months.
2. Post on TikTok Consistently
TikTok’s algorithm favors creators that post regularly. TikTok says that you should post 1-4 times a day. Post consistently and intentionally to maintain momentum. TikTok has a feature where you can schedule when your posts will go live. You can also use tools like Hootsuite, which have more features.
Hootsuite post scheduling
Timing your post increases the chances of it appearing on "For You" pages. Knowing your audience's online habits will increase your views and shares. The best time to post on TikTok is between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Fridays. This can differ depending on which country your target audience is from.
Jessica Woo, a.k.a. Bento Box Queen, is a TikTok creator who grew her channel quickly. She became famous by posting a video of her packing lunch for her kids. It went viral, and Jessica capitalized on this. She posts regularly and often 2 times every day. Her channel has since grown to 5.6 million followers and 226 million likes.
Posting consistently means investing in content creation. To keep up, you may need to outsource the creation process or use AI tools. However, this can be expensive and may lower your content quality.
3. Engage with Your TikTok Audience
TikTok's algorithm boosts the visibility of videos and channels with high engagement rates. Multiple sources found that TikTok accounts with less than 15,000 followers have an average engagement rate of 17.96%. Small and new accounts can grow fast by prioritizing audience engagement. Use tools like InsightIQ, Collabstr, and HypeAuditor to measure your engagement rate.
HypeAuditor engagement rate calculator
Many of these tools offer free calculators. They also often offer advanced reports with their paid versions.
Charli D’Amelio is the 2nd most followed TikTok creator. In 2021, her account had the highest engagement rate of 17.34%. This fueled her channel growth, and she now has over 156.1 million followers. Although she doesn't post as much these days, she maintains steady growth. Her current engagement rate is 7.24% and is good for a following of her size.
According to Genius, TikTok has an average engagement rate of 5.96%. It is significantly higher than other popular social media platforms. This makes TikTok a great platform for building a community. However, you also have to consider TikTok's user demographic. About 1 in 4 TikTok users is under 20 years old, of which 54.8% are female. 16.75% of the over 1.5 billion users are from the US. Tailor your content to this demographic to maximize engagement.
4. Optimize Your TikTok Content for Watch Time
To boost your TikTok video's visibility on the "For You" page, optimize it for watch time. Do this through the following:
Zack King's "Magic Ride" is the most-watched TikTok video. It has over 2.3 billion views, which is way over the number of TikTok users worldwide. The video has been watched repeatedly and shared over a million times. It's 18 seconds long, uses a well-known soundtrack, and captures attention in the first seconds.
Bella Poarch is the 4th most followed TikTok creator, with 94.2 million followers. She is famous for her lip-sync and dance videos. Most of her videos are under 30 seconds and have an average view count of 3.2 million. Bella also created the most liked TikTok video, "M to the B," with over 68.8 million likes. The video catches attention immediately and is only 10 seconds long.
Short-form videos that are less than 30 seconds may not work for all niches. Videos like tutorials, demos, stories, reviews, and game walkthroughs often need more than 30 seconds. In these cases, it is better to optimize for content value. Be concise and only include the important things.
5. Collaborate with Other TikTok Creators
Collaborating with other TikTok creators helps both channels grow. It exposes your content to new viewers and vice versa. There are many ways you can collaborate with other TikTok creators. Use concepts like duets, stitches, or joint challenges, and cross-promote each other's content. If you use TikTok LIVE on your channel, co-host sessions to engage both communities.
Examples of a TikTok duet and stitch. The difference is in the format and use. A duet is a side-by-side that interacts with or complements the original video. This is often used with sing-alongs, dance-alongs, and reactions. Stitches let you clip a video to then add your part that plays after the cut. This is often used to build upon, respond to, or provide commentary on the original.
Joe Ando is a fashion designer who grew his channel through collaboration. A large part of his TikTok content is collaborations with creators and celebrities. Earlier on, he started collaborating with models for whom he made dresses. Today, he has 2.9 million followers and has collaborated with celebrities like Dakota Johnson and Rachel Zegler.
Collaboration is very effective as long as both interests align. It lets you increase your reach and come up with fresh content ideas. It also helps you build your network in the related industry. Collaboration comes with downsides and challenges. Creative differences between creators can hinder and lower the quality of content. Planning, coordinating, and creating collab content is also time-consuming. Collaborating with the wrong creators or brands may alienate or confuse your followers.
6. Focus on a Specific TikTok Niche
Focusing on a specific niche helps TikTok identify your target audience. It recommends you to those who are likely to be interested in your content. In the long run, it can position you as an expert or go-to creator in that niche. This also leads to better community building and higher engagement rates. Having a clear niche makes it easier to find the best collaborations.
@faithsfresh narrows down its cooking niche to "private chef parody." Instead of just posting about recipes, Faith adds a creative twist. She pretends to be a private chef who humorously cooks for her demanding clients. This satirical approach makes her channel one of a kind. If you can narrow down to an even more specific part of your niche, you will stand out.
Emily Mariko is a TikTok creator who gained fame with her leftover salmon bowl recipe. Her niche focus is leftover food recipes. Her creative way of creating meals with leftovers has earned her a following of 12.4 million. She continues to post daily as her channel grows. Every video she posts gets millions of views.
Focusing on a niche has its challenges. If your focused niche is not popular, you may end up with a small audience base. You also have to be creative to come up with a gimmick that sells your niche well.
7. Create Shareable TikTok Content
Making your content "shareable" lets you reach more users quicker. It comes down to creative, unique, and often funny videos. The use of trending hashtags will make it more visible and easier to share. Sprout Social says that you should use 3-5 hashtags on TikTok. This number ensures maximum exposure while avoiding overloading. It also ensures you have enough space to write engaging captions.
Find trending hashtags in TikTok's Creative Center. You can also find them on the Discover page and in TikTok Analytics.
Charli D'Amelio also holds the highest count of shared TikTok videos. Buzzoid reported that her channel has a total of over 410.1 million shares. Her most shared video, "Ahi Challenge," has 279.9K shares. Charli's TikTok has over 2,800 videos posted. This gives her an estimated share-to-video ratio of 146,000:1.
Creating shareable content means following trends. This may have unforeseen consequences, such as backlash and trolling. The pressure to stick to competitive viral formulas may pressure you to be more creative. It can lead to a loss of authenticity that makes your content feel forced.
8. Analyze and Adapt to TikTok Strategies
TikTok's algorithm and trends are always changing. You need to stay on your toes and adapt to them as they come. What works today might not work tomorrow. Regularly analyze your channel. This will help you find out how well your content strategies are working.
TikTok has its own built in analytics tool. Other tools, such as Hootsuite and Sprout Social, offer analytics with more depth.
Evan (@evhandd) posts tips and hacks to help creators improve their visibility. He gives tips on how you can improve the quality of your videos. This includes use of different tools, equipment, and strategies. Evan also updates his audience on platform changes. This includes those that affect the algorithm and how you can adapt to them.
Adapting to TikTok's changes is time-consuming. You must monitor your channel, watch the competition, and check the news. However, focusing too much on the metrics can impact your creativity. The frequent adjustments can also lead to burnout. Viral success is never guaranteed by any formula or strategy.
9. Promote Your TikTok Channel on Other Platforms
Promoting your TikTok channel on other platforms will help boost your visibility. It allows you to reach a broader audience. Diversifying to other platforms also provides a safety net.
The US ban on TikTok came into effect on January 19, 2025. For about 12 hours, users could not access the app. It was restored because of President-elect Donald Trump's efforts. He promised to delay the ban's enforcement.
Kourtney Kardashian has built a strong presence on various social media platforms. This lets her connect with her audience despite issues with one platform. She shared her thoughts about the TikTok ban on her Instagram Stories. While she said she would miss TikTok, she reposted her TikTok content on her Instagram.
Diversifying into other platforms comes with added challenges. Every platform has its own algorithm that you have to understand and adapt to. Managing multiple channels on different platforms is also time-consuming. Hiring people to manage them can be expensive and risky.
10. Use TikTok Ads
TikTok ads are great for new channels to reach a global audience and grow quickly. This is for TikTok creators who have something to sell or promote a product or service. TikTok ads are managed using TikTok's Creative Center.
Using TikTok's Creative Center, you can create, launch, and manage your ads. You start by identifying your ad type, category, target audience, and budget. After uploading and launching your ad, you can monitor and review its performance.
Vessi is a shoe brand that partnered with @kallmekris to create a TikTok Spark Ad. The ad became popular for its humor and authenticity. The 50-second video gained over a billion likes and led to brand awareness. This success led Vessi to partner with more TikTok creators to grow their presence even more.
Shopify reported that only 51% of small businesses using TikTok ads saw a positive ROI. Only 45% broke even. Metricool says that the average cost-per-click of TikTok ads is $0.22. Creating successful TikTok ads is tricky. You need to know what type of content works on the platform. Finding and partnering with the right TikTok creators can boost success.
11. Join TikTok Communities
Joining TikTok communities helps you build a loyal following. Participating in communities establishes you as a trusted content creator within the niche. It can also help you increase your channel's visibility. Participation can give you insights into audience preferences. Communities are also a great way to network and partner with other creators from the same niche.
Take the @musictok community, for example. This page can give you insights into what content types and styles work. Like, share, and comment to be more visible to others. You can also find creators with whom you can connect and collaborate. Music-focused TikTok content is great for duets.
Kayla (@booksandlala) is a prominent creator in the @booktok community. She posts content on book reviews, favorites, and top lists. She also posts book hauls and monthly reading statistics. Her content resonates with readers who value curated book recommendations and reviews. Kayla's active participation in the community has contributed to her channel's growth.
Participating in communities is time-consuming. There's also trend saturation, in which many members follow the same trends. You are also restricted to niche-specific content and face the pressure to conform. As with any community on any platform, there are trolls who bring criticism and negativity.
12. Explore Different TikTok Content Formats
Do not be afraid to try different formats for your TikTok content. Sticking to one formula will only lead to stagnation and content fatigue. Participating in current trends and challenges keeps your channel fresh. Alternate between different content types. This includes storytelling, how-to, comedy skits, and behind the scenes. Include interactive content like polls and Q&As. TikTok Live is also a very useful tool for brand building and channel growth. Collaboration with other creators can open doors for more growth.
@shopniljourney is a TikTok channel that shows a variety of content formats. His pinned videos show the behind-the-scenes, a demonstration, and a how-to. Each has a substantial amount of views, with one going viral.
Khabane Lame is the most followed TikTok creator, with over 162.4 million followers. He is famous for his reaction and comedy videos. His videos often use stitches to set up a reaction to overly complicated life hacks. He also creates short comedy skits and behind-the-scenes videos. He often collaborates with celebrities in creating comedy skits. This includes Rowan Atkinson, Will Smith, Cameron Diaz, and Jamie Foxx.
Inconsistent formats can dilute your branding and confuse your audience. It can also be time-consuming to move from format to format. Different formats appeal to different audience types. Using the wrong format for your audience may lower your engagement rate. Lastly, the need for new, fresh ideas often leads to burnout.
Is TikTok Good for Small Business?
TikTok is good for small businesses because of its popularity. According to Hootsuite, it ranks as the most downloaded app in over 40 countries. A Statista study found that 71.2% of TikTok users have purchased a product they saw on their feed. Additionally, 30% of daily users use TikTok Shop. Because TikTok's algorithms favor engagement and views, small channels can go viral fast.
The downside is the volatility of the algorithm. Since it is a trend-focused platform, the algorithm changes quickly. Compared to other social media platforms, maintaining visibility on TikTok is resource-consuming.
Top Faceless TikTok Content Ideas
Not all TikTok creators want to show their faces in their content. Creators who prefer faceless content may need to adjust their content strategies. Here are some of the top faceless TikTok content ideas:
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