How to Get More Followers on TikTok: 18 Actionable Tactics

Does follower count really matter? Yes and no. No because at the end of the day, it’s just a number, and metrics like your reach and engagement are far more important. But also yes, because it can boost your brand’s credibility and lend itself to boosting your reach and engagement.

So with that in mind, you’re probably wondering how to get more followers on TikTok so you have a larger audience and more brand strength on the platform. We can help with that!

Throughout this guide, we’ve got 18 actionable tactics for you to start putting into practice that can help you improve your TikTok performance and grow your followers.

1. Know who your target audience is

Before you even create your first video, you need to know who on the platform you’re trying to reach. Paying attention to TikTok statistics and demographics can help you get a clear understanding of who uses TikTok—and then you can nail down your target audience from there.

Once you understand who your audience is, you can build a content strategy that specifically targets them.

Think about it. A brand targeting Gen Z doesn’t want to start incorporating millennial humor into their content or they’re going to attract the wrong audience. Which will do nothing for their strategy.

To help you pinpoint exactly who you’re trying to reach:

• Consider your brand’s specific ICP(s) and what they’d want to see from you
• Pay attention to the types of content your competitors are creating and who’s engaging
• Survey your existing audience on other platforms to get concrete feedback about what to share on TikTok (this is also a great way to promote your new TikTok profile)

Once you have an idea of who you’re trying to reach on the platform, you can start building out your content strategy (and working on other tactics on this list).

2. Optimize your TikTok profile

Your profile is often the first impression someone gets of your brand on TikTok. 

Look at it like this. Someone might stumble across one of your videos and enjoy it. Their next step (after giving it a like) might be to tap over to your profile to find out more about the creator, watch more of your content, and potentially give you a follow.

This means you need to be clear and upfront about who you are and what you do.

You need to optimize your TikTok profile. Focus on these steps:

• Use a clear, recognizable profile photo (usually your logo for brands)
• Make sure your username is consistent with your other social channels so people can find you easily
• Put your brand name in your profile name (but you have 24 characters so brands with short names could also put in a keyword)
• Write a bio that quickly tells people who you are and what they’ll get by following you (you have 160 characters so use it wisely)
• Add a link to your website or use a link-in-bio tool to drive traffic off-platform
• Pin your top-performing or most representative videos to the top of your profile

Here’s an example of what this could look like from graphic design tool Visme:

If you’re able to provide potential followers with all the information they need upfront, they’re more likely to start exploring your page and give you a follow.

3. Jump on trending topics and sound bytes

TikTok is a trend-driven platform, so paying attention to what’s really going viral on the platform can help you drastically boost your reach. If your brand can throw a creative twist on different trends as they arise, the algorithm is more likely to push your video to more potential followers via the coveted For You Page (FYP).

But we mean it when we say you need to put a twist on different trends. A SaaS company doing a trending dance will feel out of place, but that same company putting a trending sound over a relatable “POV: you’re trying to get budget approved” video could do numbers.

However, you still need to be selective with the trends and challenges you participate in. New trends emerge almost daily, and not all of them will make sense for your brand.

To find trends quickly, spend 15-20 minutes a day scrolling through TikTok and take note of sounds or formats you see repeated. You can also check TikTok’s Creative Center for a real-time list of trending sounds and hashtags.

4. Create a multi-part video series

This tip works for one clear reason: If someone gets hooked on part one of your video, they’re going to follow you to make sure they don’t miss part two. That’s the entire appeal of a multi-part series—it gives people a concrete reason to hit follow.

Multi-part series work especially well for:

• Storytelling (dragging out a good story across 3-5 parts)
• In-depth tutorials or how-tos that can’t fit in 60 seconds
• Case studies or customer stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end
• “Day in the life” or behind-the-scenes content
• Before-and-after content that shows a big transformation

That last one is exactly what the Toupee Queen does as part of her strategy and how she’s built a following of nearly 1 million users.

She posts a part 1 of each client where she talks about what they want their hair to look, then she posts a part 2 when the final transformation. And people love it!

Pro tip: Always end each part with a hook that makes viewers need to see what happens next. And when part two goes live, pin the series together on your profile so new followers can binge the whole thing.

5. Participate in (or create your own) TikTok challenges

Challenges have been a staple of TikTok since day one. Users create challenges, others jump on them, they go viral, and you have the perfect recipe for building up a following. In fact, dance challenges (the OGs) were the core strategy for a lot of the first big TikTok influencers who blew up on the platform.

But these can also be a huge growth strategy for your brand—as long as you find and hop on challenges that make sense (i.e., a Very Serious Law Firm has no business participating in a dance challenge).

Let’s take a look at an example that would make perfect sense, though.

This TikTok video is from a makeup influencer. She’s using a color wheel filter to choose wacky colors for her makeup as a makeup challenge:

This would be the perfect type of challenge for any type of makeup brand to participate in—whether they had their own team members jump on the challenge or they partnered with this influencer to create one of these looks using only their products.

Challenges work because:

• They’re recognizable—people will stop scrolling to watch a challenge video they’ve been enjoying
• They have viral potential—the more popular a challenge becomes, the more people will want to watch and participate in it
• They’re fun—and that’s what we all want out of social media anyways

Start by participating in existing challenges that are relevant to your brand or industry. This gets your feet wet and helps you understand what makes a challenge resonate.

Once you’ve got the hang of it, try creating your own for an even bigger impact. A branded challenge with a clear, easy-to-replicate premise can generate a ton of UGC and significantly expand your reach. 

The best branded challenges are:

• Simple enough that anyone can participate
• Fun or satisfying to watch (even if you’re not joining in)
• Tied to a specific hashtag you can track
• Low-effort on the creator’s side

6. Work with influencers

Influencer marketing is one of the most effective ways to tap into an existing audience on TikTok. When a creator your target audience already trusts vouches for your brand, their followers are far more likely to check you out—and subsequently follow you.

You don’t need to blow your budget on a mega-influencer either. Micro and nano-influencers (creators with 10K-100K followers) often have higher engagement rates and more loyal audiences than celebrities with millions of followers. They’re also significantly more affordable.

When choosing influencers to partner with, look beyond follower count. Pay attention to:

• How engaged their audience is (are people actually commenting, or just liking?)
• Whether their content style and audience align with your brand
• If they’ve worked with competitors or similar brands (and how those partnerships performed)
• Their authenticity (audiences can sniff out a forced partnership from a mile away)

Here’s a great example of what an influencer partnership on TikTok could look like. This plant influencer is sharing an authentic video of her caring for one of her plants using a specific product:

It feels natural and not overly promotional, and people who already love this creator’s content will be genuinely interested in any product she’s endorsing. *Chef’s kiss.*

7. Pay attention to your competitors

Your competitors can also provide you with a goldmine of insights. They’re already talking to a version of your target audience, which means their content performance is basically free market research.

Start by identifying 5-10 competitors in your space. Then spend time regularly reviewing:

• Which of their videos are performing best (and why)
• What sounds, formats, or hooks they’re using
• How often they’re posting
• What comments their audience is leaving (this is where you’ll find content ideas gold)
• Which hashtags they’re using consistently

You don’t want to copy them. But paying attention to what they’re doing well (and what you can do better) can easily give you a running start with your own TikTok strategy.

Use this template to help with your competitive analysis.

8. Add captions to your videos

Adding captions to your video needs to become an unskippable step in your video creation workflow. 

A lot of social media users scroll with sound off (especially at work, in public, or late at night), and if your video requires audio to make sense, you’re losing those viewers instantly.

Captions also improve accessibility for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, and they can actually help with discovery because TikTok uses on-screen text to understand what your video is about.

TikTok has a built-in auto-caption feature that does most of the work for you. Just make sure to proofread the captions before publishing to ensure it’s completely accurate.

9. Share user-generated content (UGC)

User-generated content (or UGC) is one of the most trusted forms of content there is, and sharing it on your account does double duty: it gives you fresh content to post and it signals to new viewers that real people actually love your brand.

When someone sees other people genuinely enjoying a product or service, it’s far more persuasive than any polished ad (this is a form of social proof).

And featuring UGC on your account encourages even more of your customers to create content in hopes of getting featured, creating a flywheel effect that becomes a win-win all around.

Some ways to encourage UGC:

• Create a branded hashtag and promote it across all your channels
• Offer shoutouts or discounts to customers whose content you share
• Run a UGC-focused contest or challenge
• Simply ask your audience to tag you in their videos

Another way to share UGC is to simply share TikTok user-created videos that are relevant to your industry, even if they don’t actually mention your product. We see Bark doing just that with humorous dog-related videos all throughout its feed:

The brand just makes sure to get permission and tag the original creator each time (an important step to remember when sharing UGC).

10. Focus on storytelling

Storytime videos are some of the most powerful on the platform. Create intrigue and grab attention and people will sit and listen to what you have to say. (Bonus points if you also have some kind of behind-the-scenes, oddly satisfying video overtop your story.)

Here’s an example of what this might look like from a small soap-making business, but it can work for anyone—as long as you’ve got the right story. 

This small business owner talks about the debate of New York vs. Chicago-style pizza while making a pizza-themed soap, making this a perfectly on-topic story that also actually engages her audience:

Tell stories about your customers, your team, your products, your services, your failures, your wins. Get your customers emotionally invested in your brand—and they’re going to follow you…and they’re going to want to buy from you.

11. Use strong video hooks

You have about three seconds to convince someone not to scroll past your video. That’s it. (No pressure, right?)

This is why your hook is arguably the most important part of your TikTok content. A weak hook means it doesn’t matter how brilliant the rest of your video is because nobody’s going to see it.

Some hook formulas that consistently work:

• Ask a provocative question (“Why is nobody talking about this?”)
• Tease a surprising result (“I tried this for 30 days and here’s what happened”)
• State a bold or controversial opinion (“Hot take: [industry norm] is dead”)
• Create curiosity with an incomplete statement (“The one thing nobody tells you about…”)
• Lead with the visual payoff before explaining how you got there

Write and rewrite your hook. Test different openings for the same video. And honestly, consider getting AI’s help. We’re not talking full AI slop. We’re talking about working with a tool like Claude (or Vista Social’s AI assistant) to start brainstorming some really compelling hooks that you can workshop with your human brain until they’re perfect.

This tiny piece of your content has an outsized impact on performance, so it really is worth the effort.

12. Post consistently and at the right times

Consistency is non-negotiable on TikTok. The algorithm rewards accounts that show up regularly, and your audience needs repeated exposure to decide you’re worth following. Posting three times one week and then disappearing the next is only going to stall your growth.

Aim for at least 3-5 posts per week to start. Once you’ve built that habit, you can experiment with posting more frequently, but don’t sacrifice quality just to hit a number.

As for when to post, you can find that data right inside your Vista Social account. When you go to schedule a TikTok post, click Show optimal times to see recommendations based on your specific audience.

13. Comment on videos in your feed

The whole point of social media is to be social, even as a brand. Your account will grow faster if you actually participate in your TikTok community.

Scroll through your feed. Leave genuine comments on other videos in your niche. Like other users’ comments. Keep your brand voice in mind, but use social media the way a user would.

Here’s a great example of a couple of brands posting on a humorous (and viral) video with comments that simply make sense for their industry:

And the brands received thousands of likes on their comments. So this is obviously a great way to generate more awareness that you’re on TikTok, boosting your reach and potential followers as well.

Now let’s cover a few ground rules:

• Comment as your brand would naturally speak, not like a corporate robot
• Add value to the conversation—don’t just leave a generic “Great video!”
• Engage with replies to your own comments
• Don’t spam or drop promotional links; that’s a fast track to being ignored or reported

14. Create videos with different lengths

Not every video needs to be the same length. In fact, mixing up your video lengths is a smart way to serve different viewer intents and figure out what resonates best with your audience.

• Short videos (under 15 seconds) are perfect for punchy jokes, quick tips, or reaction-style content. They’re easy to watch on repeat, which boosts your completion rate and helps with algorithmic distribution.
• Longer videos (60 seconds to several minutes) let you go deeper with storytelling, tutorials, or educational content. In fact, longer videos can help boost engagement because they give viewers more to invest in.

The right approach is to experiment with both ends of the spectrum and pay attention to what your specific audience rewards.

15. Use TikTok’s built-in features

TikTok is constantly rolling out new features—and the algorithm tends to quietly favor accounts that use them. So incorporating them into your strategy should absolutely be a must.

Some built-in features worth using:

• Duets and Stitches: Great for responding to other brands and creators or jumping into conversations happening in your niche
• TikTok Stories: A lightweight way to show up in front of your followers without needing to produce a polished video
• Text-to-speech: Useful for viewers watching without sound and adds personality to your videos
• Effects and filters: Many effects have their own discoverability (people browse by effect), giving your video another path to be found
• TikTok Live: Going live regularly deepens your connection with your audience and can dramatically boost your visibility

16. Add CTAs at the end of each video

Never assume your viewer knows what you want them to do. If you want more followers, you need to give a little nudge.

A simple “Follow for more [topic]” at the end of a video—whether it’s spoken, written as on-screen text, or both—can dramatically increase your follower conversion rate. Viewers often enjoy a video but scroll away without following simply because they didn’t think to. A CTA fixes that.

Other effective CTAs to rotate through:

• “Follow for part two”
• “Comment [word] and I’ll send you the link” (getting into TikTok DM automation here)
• “Save this for later”
• “Share this with someone who needs to see it”
• “Follow so you don’t miss the next one”

Don’t jam a CTA into every single video, though. Too many asks can start to feel annoying to your viewers. Mix CTA-driven videos with pure value or entertainment videos to keep the balance.

17. Pay attention to your TikTok analytics

Every tactic in this guide is a starting point. Your analytics are what tell you which ones are actually working for your audience.

Inside TikTok Studio, you can see data on your follower growth, video performance, audience demographics, and when your followers are most active. Make a habit of checking in at least weekly—more often when you’re actively testing something new.

You can also track all of this right inside Vista Social’s profile and post performance reports:

Key metrics to watch:

• Follower growth rate: Are you gaining followers faster over time?
• Video views and completion rate: Which videos are people actually watching all the way through?
• Engagement rate: Are viewers liking, commenting, saving, and sharing?
• Traffic sources: Where are your views coming from—For You Page, profile, search?

Patterns will emerge over time. Lean into what’s working, cut what’s not, and keep testing.

18. Run TikTok ads

If you want to accelerate your follower growth, running TikTok ads is one of the fastest ways to get in front of a larger audience. Organic reach is great, but it can be unpredictable and it’s typically much slower. Paid reach is dependable—and if your content is good, it can compound quickly.

TikTok offers several ad formats worth exploring, including In-Feed Ads (which look and feel like organic content), Spark Ads (which boost your existing organic posts), TopView ads, and branded hashtag challenges.

For follower growth specifically, Spark Ads are often the smartest choice. They amplify videos that have already proven to resonate organically, which means you’re pouring gas on something that’s already working. And because the ad shows up as a regular post from your account, viewers who like it can follow you directly.

Start growing your TikTok followers with these tactics

Growing your TikTok following doesn’t happen overnight—but it does happen faster when you’re intentional about it. Pick a handful of these 18 tactics to focus on first, track your results, and iterate from there. 

The accounts that win on TikTok aren’t the ones doing everything perfectly. They’re the ones showing up consistently, experimenting constantly, and paying attention to what their audience actually responds to.

And to help you out, there’s Vista Social. Create your account today to get access to scheduling, planning, analytics, AI, and more.

How to get more followers on TikTok FAQs

How can you get TikTok followers quickly?

If you want to get TikTok followers quickly, you need to be extremely active on the platform. Post a bunch, interact with other videos, and start running ads immediately.

How do you get your first 1,000 followers on TikTok?

To hit your first 1,000 TikTok followers, combine multiple TikTok marketing strategies like collaborating with influencers, engaging with other videos a lot, and hopping on major platform trends.

Why is follower growth so important on TikTok?

The more followers you have on different platforms, the more credible and popular your brand seems. Plus, the more potential people you have to see your content and become customers. While follower count is considered a vanity metric, seeing it consistently grow is still important.