With around 1.5 billion active monthly users, TikTok is the fourth most popular and fastest-growing social media platform on the planet. As such, establishing a strong presence with a committed community of followers is key to building a successful TikTok strategy. 

While the number of followers is not the ‘be all and end all’ of a good strategy, growing a strong and dedicated following can enhance your TikTok strategies and produce better results. So without further ado, discover how to increase your TikTok followers organically:

Understand the TikTok Algorithm

First things first, understanding the TikTok algorithm is crucial to reaching audiences and building a following. 

TikTok’s algorithm considers several factors to determine what kind of content a user wants to see and what will appear on their For You Page (FYP), the first page that appears when you open the app. Packed with videos from followed content creators and accounts alongside recommended content, the FYP is the place to be. 

The great thing about TikTok that other platforms have adopted over time, is that it offers a blend of new content from undiscovered accounts and familiar content from accounts a user already follows. This combination of different content makes TikTok a great tool for reaching different audiences as well as engaging with existing ones. 

To populate a user’s For You Page, the TikTok algorithm analyses the following factors: 

• User interactions: TikTok analyses how a user interacts with the app, including which videos they like, favourite, comment on and share, as well as which accounts they follow and content they create.
• Video information: TikTok also analyses the videos you watch and search for, including specific details like captions, sounds, effects, and hashtags.
• Device and account settings: While user interactions and chosen preferences are a more important ranking factor, TikTok explains that device and account settings “are included to make sure the system is optimized for performance, but they receive lower weight in the recommendation system”. This includes language preference, country setting, device type, and category selection. 

By creating content with the algorithm in mind, you’ll stand a better chance of appearing on a user’s FYP. Implement social media optimisation practices like utilising hashtags and incorporating keywords in captions to cater to the algorithm and appear in relevant TikTok search results.

Craft Engaging Content

Over-flowing with seemingly endless, super snappy videos, standing out from the crowd can be challenging. So don’t be afraid to test and try different things to discover what works best for your brand. From comic voiceovers to engaging tutorials, there are plenty of content avenues to explore. The best-performing brands on TikTok are those that have successfully carved out a space in the landscape through unique and engaging content creation. 

A great example of this is DuoLingo. With 11.7 million followers, DuoLingo has become TikTok famous for creating funny, chaotic, and rather unhinged videos often featuring its adored mascot, Duo the Owl. Behind the chaos is a carefully curated strategy to humanise the brand and form a strong, unmistakable brand voice and it’s worked! By leveraging trending audio and making unique, relatable content that their users certainly appreciate, DuoLingo has gone beyond building a following and formed a dedicated community.  You only have to read some of the comments to get a sense of the community they’ve built. 

From independent startups to established corporations, an array of brands are leveraging TikTok to attract followers and build a community. If you’re stuck on what kind of content to create, a little research can go a long way. A good place to start is by conducting an audience analysis to find out what their interests are and what type of content they engage with. 

You should also look at competitor content on TikTok to see what they’re doing and gauge whether it’s working. Remember, taking inspiration is fine but make sure whatever you create is unique to your brand and crafted with your target audience in mind. 

Utilise TikTok Trends and Challenges

Jumping on relevant trends, songs, or hashtags is an effective way to increase social reach, engage new audiences, and grow your followers. To identify trends, simply browse TikTok and consume its content, keeping an eye out for recurring challenges, sound bytes, music, and topics.

You can also identify the latest trends by leveraging TikTok’s Creator Search Insights tool which allows users to track trending search terms on the platform. According to TikTok, content creators will soon be able to access it directly from ‘Creator Tools’ in Settings, but for now, simply search for “Creator Search Insights” in the search bar. 

TikTok’s Creative Center also unveils valuable insights including trending hashtags, songs, creators, and videos, to help creators and businesses alike enhance their social content strategies. Capitalising on already-popular content is a great way to enhance social reach and gain new followers, so be sure to keep up-to-date with the latest trends!

Collaborate and Cross-promote

Collaborating with influencers and content creators is another powerful way to reach untapped audiences on a grand scale. To create valuable and authentic content that resonates, you’ll need to find the right influencers and determine whether they’ll be a good fit for your brand. 

You should also cross-promote content to inform your followers on other social media channels that you’re also present on TikTok. This is a good way to build a foundation of followers and build upon your success. Different platforms cater to different audiences which is why repurposing content across channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, can help drive traffic to your TikTok profile and increase your overall visibility.

Analyse Your TikTok Insights

Refer to the Followers tab in your TikTok analytics to better understand your audience, such as which videos they interact and engage with the most. You can also use these insights to identify the best time(s) to post content by looking at location breakdowns and analysing posting times of your best-performing content. 

Trial and error is the best approach to figuring out which videos work and the best times to post them. Just make sure you carefully monitor analytics when trying different things! Once you’ve found the formula, so to speak, run with it and watch your followers increase organically. 

Building a Community: Engagement Beyond Content

As well as creating engaging content to entice followers, building a dedicated community takes a little more work. Posting consistently and being responsive are great ways to engage your audience. As well as replying to comments, you should also encourage interaction by live streaming. 

TikTok’s Live streaming feature allows you to connect and interact with your audience in real-time, and respond to their comments or questions. Actively engaging with other content creators and videos on TikTok is another simple yet effective way to encourage more engagement with your own content. 

Struggling to build a strong TikTok community? The talented team at Social Chameleon are here to help. Get in touch today!