They love you. but do they like you? the number of likes your tiktoks receive has a significant impact on the growth of your account: the number of followers, the views on each video and even how much money you can earn if you are monetizing your content.
so, in addition to being extremely socially validating (we’re cool, thanks for asking), having lots of likes leads to better engagement and a more successful presence. Here’s how to get more likes on tiktok.
why are tiktok likes important?
likes are just one way to gauge how well you’re doing on tiktok. there is also your number of followers, total number of views, views on each video, comments. concentrating on one is like trying to separate a 7-layer bathroom.
How much does each metric matter? Are tastes an integral part of the sauce, like guacamole? or something useless and maybe a bit gross, like, say, olives? (don’t be mad, it’s just a blog post).
likes are a rating system for the tiktok algorithm
a big part of gaining traction on tiktok is getting featured in users’ feeds for you. how each individual for their feed is created depends on tiktok’s algorithm, a maze of code that social media marketers are always trying to master.
tiktok lists user interactions as the first factor in personalizing the page for you. this includes the accounts the user follows, the videos they share, the comments they post, and of course, the videos they like.
in other words, every layer in the bathroom makes a difference. the more likes you get on a video, the more likely that video is to appear on a page for you from a relevant potential follower, and the more you appear on the page for yourself, the more followers you’ll get, which again, increases your chances of get more for your pages.
serve as social proof
When it comes down to it, likes are just a tap on a screen. the person who liked your tiktok could have laughed out loud, passed the phone to her friends, and sent it as a web link to her older sister who refuses to download the app.
or they could have touched it by accident, perhaps when they realized they’ve spent too much time moving around the bathroom and their boss is probably wondering if they’re okay.
regardless of how it came about, each like acts as social proof of the validity of your account and content. other tiktok users will see the count of likes on each video as well as the total likes on your account, and they will equate a lot of likes with, well, a lot of people like your content. and that’s a good thing.
Like counts have such a significant social impact that, in fact, Facebook and Instagram experimented with hiding them entirely and now give you the option to hide likes. For better or worse, tiktok likes are public and noticeable, and the more you have, the more you’re seen as a good source of content.
TikTok likes can make you money
Not directly, but bear with us: likes build followers, followers build popularity, and popularity drives opportunities to earn money.
This brilliantly written blog post covers 4 strategies you can use to make money on tiktok, but all of them require building a good relationship with your audience. the more they like your videos (both figuratively and literally), the more they will pay and the more brands will pay you to showcase their products.
should you buy tiktok likes?
wow, that’s a great question. I didn’t expect that question. In short, no.
While opening your wallet can gain you a bit of the social clout mentioned above, it’s a very risky and ultimately artificial way to increase the number of likes.
We already ran an experiment where we bought tiktok followers and found that it did nothing for engagement (plus we got a notification from tiktok warning us about inauthentic accounts and ultimately removed the followers). the app displays a similar warning when it detects fake likes and also removes them.
buying likes is not strictly against tiktok’s terms of service, but continually flagging your account for inauthentic likes is not good.
Also, the tiktok algorithm doesn’t just count likes. those other metrics matter. (remember: seven-layer dip). buying likes will not increase your number of followers, comments or shares, especially if tiktok removes paid likes. save your money. buy some sauce.
keep reading if you want to know how to get free likes on tiktok.
how to get more likes on tiktok even if you are not famous
strategy 1: know your audience
since the dawn of time (or like when youtube was invented), creators have been trying to figure out ways to hack into the system and gain quick fame and fortune. Knowing your audience is the best way to do this: find out what they want and give it to them. right?
but trying to fit into a mold is actually one of the worst things you can do (and kind of gives off energy to pick me).
No matter what, the people who succeed online are the ones who are perceived as authentic, and usually that’s because they are. your audience wants you to be yourself. tiktok users don’t just appreciate genuine content, they like it. To get a deeper insight into who her followers are, check out her tiktok analytics.
strategy 2: keep up with tiktok trends
If you’re having a hard time coming up with content ideas, tiktok trends are a great place to look for inspiration. From dance challenges to seasonal photo shoots to trends where people are falling in love with you, your feed is always full of tiktoks made to be recreated.
and if the challenge style trends don’t appeal to you, using a trending song can be just as effective.
Have you ever been so obsessed with a singer, bought all their albums, went to their concerts, covered your room with posters of them, and loved everything even moderately affiliated with them? don’t pretend the answer is no. you look like an ex-principal.
using songs that are trending is an easy way to make tiktoks that immediately resonate with viewers. it’s a way to capitalize on the success of a well-known artist and create content that’s instantly relatable: a like for olivia rodrigo could translate to a like for you.
strategy 3: follow tiktok influencers
It may seem like your favorite influencer has it all figured out, but even the super famous tiktokkers have videos that are less engaging than others. bella poarch has over 84 million followers on the app, and while this video got 5.4 million likes, this one has a measly 700,000 likes (just kidding, 700,000 likes is a lot, but not compared to her other videos).
Paying attention to similar influencer counts is a good technique for seeing how different types of videos are performing at scale. the first tiktok references a hugely popular tv show, and the second is pretty basic lip syncing (with a remarkably fabulous outfit). watch what influencers do and try to translate those strategies into your own content.
strategy 4: just ask for them
sometimes the most obvious answer is the best answer. One technique for asking for likes is to make videos in two parts and then ask your audience to “like for the second part.” this feels like an exchange with your viewers. they hit the like button and in return watch how the story ends.
but you don’t need multipart tiktoks to solicit likes from your audience. We’re not here to tell you to beg on every tiktok, but there are smart, fun, and effective ways to just ask for likes. here is an example.
how can you resist that?
grow your presence on tiktok along with your other social channels using hootsuite. From a single dashboard, you can schedule and publish posts for the best times, engage your audience, and measure performance. try it free today.
Try it free!
