Why your TikTok videos aren’t getting views (and what to do about it)

Getting as many eyeballs as possible on your brand’s TikTok videos is a high priority and popular KPI.

Compared to other sites and apps they use, 69% of TikTok users in the UK feel a deeper connection to the brands they interact with on TikTok. Half of them are open to making a purchase.

In an ideal world, we all want to ‘go viral’ and rack up millions of views on each carefully-curated post. That’s easier said than done, of course. Much easier.

But, to set yourself up for success and maximise your chances of hitting the viewership jackpot more frequently, there are a few key things you can do (and common mistakes you should avoid).

So, courtesy of our TikTok marketing experts, here’s seven possible reasons why your video viewing figures are leaving a little to be desired — and what you can start doing today to get things back on track.

1. Your video has only just gone live

They say good things come to those who wait and this is true of TikTok. It takes a little time for the algorithm to do its thing and find your folk, so don’t be alarmed if your video views start and stay low for a bit.

Unlike other platforms, TikTok content sticks around, and it’s not unusual for a video to ‘flop’ within the first 24hrs only to pick up a few days later. To bookend this first point with another relevant proverb, patience is a virtue.

2. Your videos don’t quite resonate with your intended audience

This is a biggy. Your marketing plan might dictate what you want to push on the platform, but that might not be what your audience wants to see from you.

Compared to other social media apps and platforms, TikTok is 1.4 times more likely to be classed as entertaining by viewers — but entertainment isn’t all they’re here for. They also want to be informed or educated.

So, be sure to sense-check your video content plan and consider mixing things up. Your videos should aim to cover off these popular categories: educate (how to…), inform or entertain.

Take a look at your niche on TikTok — use search and hashtags — and see what’s getting all the views on this subject. Adopt this as your guide to create more of the content your people already love and are talking about.

You can’t beat a good old bit of content reverse engineering — a tried-and-tested, age-old marketing success formula. See what’s working for those in your niches and glean inspiration.

3. Your hook is rubbish (so they keep on scrolling, baby)

In TikTok land, a hook is everything — so make sure every video you publish has one. Those first couple of seconds can be the difference between stopping or scrolling, so that initial on-screen copy (usually with accompanying voice) needs to be absolutely on point. Try to tease them to watch until the end, when the big reveal happens…

Whatever your sector — travel and leisure, food and drink, interiors, retail or something else — be sure to do one or more of the following to reel ‘em in…

• Solve a problem — ‘This is why your TikTok videos aren’t working’ (see what we did there?); ‘This is your sign to’

• Show some benefits — ‘5 ways this technique will improve your golf swing’; ‘What I ordered vs how I styled it’

• Educate your audience — ‘How to build coffee table from scratch’; ‘3 places you have to visit in Yorkshire’; ‘How to do Paris on a budget’; ‘Budget buys vs items worth the money’

• Grab their attention — ‘Cat owners! This one's for you’; POV: ‘You just arrived at [insert destination]’; ‘Can you believe this is England?’

4. You haven’t put paid behind them

As in many areas of digital marketing, paid is the yin to organic’s yang. This is especially true on TikTok — a super easy way to boost views and get you off the ground, especially if your brand is new to TikTok or you haven’t posted in a while, is using Spark Ads on TikTok.

Spark Ads use your existing organic posts (kind of like boosted posts on Meta) within your ad campaigns, which means all the comments and likes you get from the paid activity stay on your videos and don’t disappear when your campaign ends. You’ll need around £20 per day minimum media spend to get started.

Essentially, you’ll have the power to make use of organic TikTok posts and features in your ad campaigns.

By the way, if you’re after a little more information on the broader topic, be sure to check out our quick guide to advertising on TikTok.

5. You’re not using trending sounds

Whilst original sound can be hugely successful — particularly voice overs, in our experience — you’ll want to make sure you’ve got a healthy mix of trending audio on your videos, too.

To find the latest trending sounds you can:

• Open up the app and simply start scrolling your For You page (FYP) for inspiration.

• Use the search bar to look for ‘viral sounds’. You’ll find a list of trending sounds as well as videos from creators who have done the legwork for you.

• Take a look in TikTok’s Creative Center.

6. You’re posting at the wrong time

You might work 9–5 (what a way to make a living) and therefore publish most of your content within your office hours, but this might not be the best time to post for maximum views.

Stop what you’re doing and head on over to your TikTok analytics right now. There, you can see when your followers are online and check this against when you’re publishing your TikTok content. Bonus tip — post just before they are online so your content is ready and waiting for them to consume.

7. Trends are tripping you up

If you’re not on the platform personally, it can be tricky to know what’s trending, but one quick way to bring yourself up to speed is to check out TikTok Business Creative Center. It’s the place for trend discovery and seeing what’s hot.

You don’t have to jump on every single trend to try shoe-horn your brand into the conversation. If your video idea feels a little forced or tenuous, then leave that trend to someone else and dive into your own data within TikTok analytics to uncover your own trending videos from the past 7 days.

So, to sum up…

These things can take time, and not every video is going to strike gold. Content creators need a crystal ball to understand what’s next with TikTok’s mysterious, ever-evolving algorithm.

But, by following these top tips, you’ll put yourself in the perfect position to maximise your views (and possibly even go viral, like we did for our client!). Keep switching up your tactics and persevering, as with anything new.

If you feel like you might benefit from a helping hand in making the most of TikTok, drop our TikTok marketing experts a message using the button below.

We’ve worked magic for brands across many sectors. If you've not quite finished your brew yet, take a look at some of our featured work with Alcotraz cocktail bar experience and Inspired Health, a leading health retailer.