If you're trying to grow on TikTok, getting your videos on the FYP is the only goal. Why? The FYP does a brilliant job of getting your content in front of your ideal audience. While some videos do go viral to almost all of TikTok, most go viral within a niche. This is GREAT for brands and businesses. Unlike Instagram, where you hope you're one of the chosen few who make it into the "Suggested" section of the Home page, every time you post on TikTok you have the chance to get in front of your ideal audience. So ... how to get on the FYP? We have the answers.
Join in On Trends
Adapting a trend to your niche is one of the most sure fire ways to end up on the FYP. Much of the FYP is made up of different creators' takes on the same trend. Sometime the trends can seem truly bizarre - see the tiny bee trend below. We know that some brands are resistant to join in on trends like this that don't fully match their branding ... and our response is ... if you're worried about your brand looking silly on TikTok, the app might not be right for you.
The most successful brands on TikTok fully engage with the comedy on the app. Their videos perform better because they are building community through comedy - not simply selling or posting content purely for the aesthetic in the same way they have on Instagram.
Try Different Video Lengths
It's well known that the completion rate of a video affects how much the TikTok algorithm pushes it. What does this mean? The more people who watch your video all the way through, the better your video will do on the FYP. For example, the seven second video with lots of text on it has been taking over TikTok and Instagram Reels alike. Definitely experiment with this. Try putting out some really short content, and track how it affects your views, likes, and comments. Then release longer videos (that are well thought out with a hook that will keep them watching to the end) and see how your numbers change.
Post at the Right Time for Your Audience
If you post when they most people are on TikTok, your video will be seen by more people right out of the gate, which causes the algorithm to show it on more user's FYPs. Check out the chart below by Influencer Marketing Hub that suggests the best times to post on TikTok globally.
But there really aren't "perfect" times to post on TikTok. To find out the best times that will work for your account, you need to dig into your insights. First make sure that you have a Creator Account. When you've switched to a Creator Account, you will be access information about your audience - like their most active days and times. Tailor your posting times to match this info - and you should see your FYP reach grow.
Use the Right Hashtags
Hashtag strategy on TikTok is very different than Instagram hashtag strategy. First off, TikTok only allows their captions to be 100 characters, so you can't fit many hashtags in. When you click on the Discover page, you can scroll through the trending hashtags. When you use the search bar, you can search hashtags in your niche and see how many views each hashtag garnered. A high view number associated with a hashtag is not necessarily a bad thing! On Instagram, you want to avoid hashtags that have been used millions of times. But on TikTok, it's not bad to hop on a hashtag that has garnered millions of views.
We suggest using 1 - 2 trending hashtags and 1 - 3 hashtags that match your content. Try to keep the hashtags that match your content between 500K and 50 million uses, which is way higher than we suggest for Instagram.
Here's what we know for sure about TikTok. If you put zero effort into your videos, they won't get pushed on the FYP. We're not saying that you need to get professional lighting and buy high quality editing software. We're saying that you shouldn't try to make your content on the fly and without a plan. If you implement these tips with each TikTok you post, your reach on the FYP will increase.
