I've been building out my prompts for this video for a while, and here's why. Every now and then, I'll think of, or trial, or test a different TikTok growth strategy, tactic, or hack, and I'll write it down in this little notebook in preparation for this video. I've gotten to the point now where I feel like I've got a good selection of hacks for you guys to use if you are trying to grow on TikTok.
This is why research has recently shown that Gen Z, amongst other generations, are actually using TikTok as a search engine. And they're using it as a search engine to the extent where they will ignore Google. They'll be like, 'Google, hon, you don't have what I need,' and they will instead use TikTok to find information and content. So, they are literally choosing TikTok over Google. Why does this matter? Well, if TikTok is going to start being used as a search engine, the creators who have a bank of content or credibility among specific themes or niches are going to be the ones who will grow the quickest in the future.
Let's do an example, right? Let's say I'm scrolling as an audience, as a user on TikTok, and I find a creator who I find absolutely hilarious, right? So, as a result of that, I click on that creator's profile because I want to see more of their content. If I'm faced with a sea of content, and there are no covers which do a good job at explaining or hinting as to what each TikTok is about, I'm probably not going to binge your content, right? Because if I'm just seeing a bunch of videos which look exactly the same, how do I even know which one I want to look at?
So, if there is something that you feel comfortable talking about that isn't offending people but might be ever so slightly controversial, potentially explore creating content around it. It is worth flagging that you will get some hate comments. It's controversial, right? You will get people who will, I don't know, hate you for it, for some reason. So, be aware of that. And if you do not feel comfortable encouraging that type of commentary, although I will flag to you that regardless of what you're talking about, there is always a risk of getting a hate comment, but if you do not want to encourage more hate comments, then I would not recommend that you follow that hack.
The more you can get someone to watch your entire video, it's called your view-through rate. It's the percentage of your video that people watch through completion, right? The more you can get people to watch your entire video the whole way through, and the more you can get people to re-watch your video, the higher it's going to rank on TikTok's algorithm, because those are two incredibly strong signals that your video content is good.
Here's why: when you develop a strong narrative, people want to watch your entire video. When you have a strong hook, a strong start to your video which is telling people what's going to be happening for the rest of the video or giving people a reason to continue watching your content, you have a strong middle which retains people's attention, and then you have an end that people are looking forward to seeing, right? That is when you're going to get people to watch your entire video and really engage with it.
So do not tell yourself that firstly you cannot rinse and repeat your content because, oh my God, can you, you really, really can. And secondly, do not tell yourself that in order for you to do that, you need to recreate the entire piece of content. You don't. You can actually talk about the same thing in a similar way just in a different location, or you could quite literally just repost your most successful content.
But the hack here is that if you do unlearn those habits and you lean into the roughness of TikTok, right, and the rawness of it, not only will you have more fun on the platform, but you'll also be able to release a lot more content because you will not spend hours trimming every single clip to make sure that it's absolutely spotless. But also, you're probably going to see better results because people appreciate the rawness of the content on TikTok.
Q: What is the importance of TikTok covers for content engagement?
A: TikTok covers play a crucial role in engaging the audience by providing a glimpse of what the content is about, helping users decide which videos to watch.
Q: How can creators utilize short videos and view-through rate to improve TikTok performance?
A: By focusing on increasing the view-through rate, i.e., the percentage of the video watched, and encouraging re-watching, creators can boost their content's ranking on TikTok's algorithm.
Q: Why is creating controversial content on TikTok recommended with caution?
A: While slightly controversial content may attract engagement, it can also lead to hate comments. Creators should be prepared for potential backlash and decide if they are comfortable with the responses it may generate.
Q: How can creators enhance their content with a strong narrative on TikTok?
A: Developing a compelling narrative that hooks viewers from the start, engages them throughout the video, and leaves them anticipating the end can significantly improve viewer retention and engagement.
Q: Why is repurposing TikTok content considered beneficial for creators?
A: Repurposing content allows creators to maximize their efforts by reusing successful content with minor adjustments, saving time and effort while maintaining consistent quality and engaging with their audience.
Q: What is the significance of embracing the rawness of TikTok content?
A: Embracing the raw and unpolished nature of TikTok content not only enables creators to produce more content efficiently but also resonates well with the platform's audience, leading to potentially better results and increased user engagement.
