In 30 seconds:
- Why is TikTok not showing my videos to my followers? We’ve listed all the possible reasons this could be happening to your account.
- Get ready to fix zero views on your TikTok Videos. This article will show you the best ways to combat this issue.
- Looking for more engagement and views? We’ve got you covered. Read on to find out just how easy it can be to get more people to see your videos and come back for more.
No views on TikTok? You might feel like you’re hitting your head against a brick wall, but there’s no need to start panicking. We’re here to help you break that barrier and get the most from your TikTok videos.
You’re probably already aware of just how exciting TikTok can be. With 1 billion monthly active users, there’s tons of video views to be had on the social media platform. Within one “internet minute”, people watched 167 million videos on TikTok. Gen Z especially adore it: over half are on the TikTok app, and many will be scrolling through their “For you page” this very instant.
Getting a slice of that action can be hugely lucrative. Those video views can translate into new followers and huge sales. So if your number of views is 0, you need to work out how to fix it.
Luckily, we can help. We’ll go through why you may be getting no views on TikTok, and how to fix your video content so you can have fewer headaches. Soon, you’ll start to see your TikTok likes, engagement and views climb.
How to fix 0 views on TikTok
No one wants to see a big fat 0 on their TikTok video. To address the problem, you need to know why this is happening. But the reasons for this vary. The causes of getting no views on TikTok at all can be very different to small amounts of views. It’s usually clear that something has gone wrong within the first 60 minutes after posting.
If your TikTok video has no views after an hour…
This may mean your video is “under review”. You’ll typically get a notification telling you this.
What does this mean? TikTok has to make sure videos are within their community guidelines. They tend to pick up on TikTok videos that may contain inappropriate content and will hold them back to keep their audiences safe.
“But my video is totally within their guidelines!” we hear you say. Sometimes when you create a new profile, TikTok is especially careful to check over things to make sure it isn’t a fake account.
Here are some of the reasons why your video might be “under review”:
- It goes against community guidelines (You can find these here – these include nudity, violence, and hateful or illegal behaviour).
- Your content might be seen as spam
- Your caption or video contains a profanity
- You’ve breached copyright rules.
How to avoid copyright issues on TikTok
When it comes to plagiarism, TikTok does not mess around. This social media platform prides itself on the originality of its content. So make sure you ask yourself these questions before posting any video:
- Is the content on the video 100% mine? If not, do I have the permission of the original owners of that content to post?
- Does the music come from TikTok? If not, do I have permission to use it?
- Where is the video filmed? If there is a historical or notable site in the shot, and do I have permission to post it?
- Who is in the video? Do you have their permission?
Keep all of these checks in mind when putting up your videos, as once one of your TikTok videos is flagged, TikTok may de-prioritise (or “shadowban“) any other short videos you put up.
Be careful with VPNs
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are a great way of tapping into other countries to help spark ideas. You can use an already-popular trend in the UK that has not hit America yet, for instance. This means that if you use a VPN to access American audiences, you know you’re onto a winner.
But beware. TikTok wants to keep its users safe, so you need to make sure your content is sensitive to the destination country. If you buy a cheap, unsafe VPN, TikTok may cause your videos to get 0 views.
So how do you get more views on TikTok?
The way you create your TikTok account will directly influence your TikTok videos’ views. TikTok vets new accounts, so it’s vital to do the right things in the correct order to avoid zero views or engagement on your content. If you set things up incorrectly, you might miss vital points and cause your account to be unseeable.
Setting up as a new user on TikTok
When starting your account, there are a few things to bear in mind:
1. Make sure there is only one account on your device
TikTok allows you to set up multiple accounts on your device, but by doing so, you’re in fact indicating that you use TikTok as a business. TikTok will de-prioritise your videos (because they’d like you to pay for ads). So using just one account per device will help your videos, as the social network algorithm will boost them as normal.
2. Pick the best niche for your content
Now “best” isn’t necessarily the most-watched. There are plenty of niches on TikTok, but it’s about picking the right TikTok community for you and sticking to it.
This starts from when you set up your account. In this process, you’ll be asked what categories you’re interested in seeing. Pick the category that you’ll be niching in.
Having relevant videos on your “For you” page will influence where TikTok puts your videos and will more likely get them to the right audiences.
How to choose your TikTok niche
Think about precisely what you’re offering and what users might type in to find you. Entertainment is the most popular category on TiTok with over 535 billion hashtag views.
Some of the other most popular topics are:
- Dance
- Pranks
- Beauty and Skincare
- Fashion
- Cooking and Recipes
- Pets
Sticking to your TikTok niche
Once you’ve chosen your niche, make sure your videos stick to it. Don’t start doing a wide range of subjects. This will only confuse the TikTok algorithm and won’t get you the views you’re looking for.
3. Update your profile
Another cause of getting no views on TikTok could be that your profile and bio is not optimised. Make sure you have a photo uploaded and a bio that tells people who you are and what you do. Don’t use any harsh language and keep it concise.
4. Engage with relevant content
TikTok learns how to recommend videos to you through what you engage with. And that info goes both ways: it will serve videos you create to a similar audience to you. Liking other people’s content within your niche will highlight exactly where you want TikTok to push your own creations. If you want to learn more about how TikTok recommends your videos, take a look at their points here.
Rule of thumb: Engage with other original content before posting your first video. If you don’t, TikTok might think your account is fake.
If you take this step, TikTok will see you as a genuine user and be more likely to prioritise your content.
The importance of the first 5 videos
Think about it as “the best of five”. The first few videos you put up will determine how your account will look in the future. Uploading relevant content to your niche will be vital to getting views.
If your first TikTok videos have less than 100 views each, it may be best to start over. Delete the account and create a new one to start afresh.
What if you’ve taken these steps to set up your TikTok account, and you haven’t violated community guidelines, or earned yourself a shadowban – but you’re still getting no views on TikTok, or very few?
It’s probably down to your content. There’s something about your TikTok video that doesn’t appeal – to TikTok users, and the TikTok algorithm. Luckily, we know a thing or two about that….
How to hack the TikTok algorithm
Social media platforms’ algorithms prioritise certain content. If you understand how the algorithm works, you can use this knowledge to get more views on TikTok.
It sounds complicated. But once you know the main principles to make your videos go viral, it’s easier to come up with content that gets more views. Here are a couple of ways to use the TikTok algorithm to your advantage and go from zero views to thousands.
Tip 1. Make engaging content
TikTok bases its algorithm largely on engagement. If your content is deemed engaging, it will show your videos to more people. We talk more about how TikTok assesses if your content is engaging in our article here. So, how do you create videos that perform well?
- Use humour. 75% of UK and US TikTok users watch TikTok videos because they are “funny”.
- Hop on a trend. It can be challenging to know which one to use, but your views will skyrocket with the right one. You can tap into the best TikTok trends + how brands can use them in our weekly TikTok Trends newsletter. You can sign up for this here.
- Be authentic. TikTok users love authenticity. Make sure your videos show the true essence of your brand.
We talk more about how to create engaging TikTok content in our article here.
Tip 2. Consider completion rates
- Keep it short. Gen Z has an attention span of 8 seconds. So make sure your content isn’t too long as they will likely switch off.
- Add suspense. Some TikTok creators have added a “reveal” to the end of their videos so viewers will hang around to see it and not keep scrolling.
- Loop. Making your TikTok video loop back to the beginning again through cutting and voiceovers means people don’t feel like they’ve gotten to the end. This means longer view times.
Wondering how else you can get your videos to go viral? Check out our top tips here.
From zero to TikTok views hero
We champion anyone who wants to grow their TikTok views. That’s why we do what we do. Understanding the principles of getting more views on TikTok is step one in the master plan. You now know how to fix 0 views on TikTok, but what’s next?
We want to help you grow and get into the hearts and minds of Gen Z. We have the know-how to make brands go viral and explode with engagement. If you want to find out more, we wrote about some of our TikTok tips on our blog.
If you’re plain fed up with the DIY approach to marketing your brand on social media, we can help there, too. Get in touch or take a look at our core services below to see how we can make Gen Z view and love your brand’s content.
Want to reach Gen Z on their iPhone or Android, but not sure where to start? Or are you already on TikTok, but unsure how to land on your audience’s FYP? Check out these links below:
