How to Get Your First 1,000 Followers on TikTok

So you’ve officially embarked on your journey of being a TikTok creator—congratulations! When starting a new journey, it’s natural to set goals such as reaching 1,000 followers on TikTok. In this blog post, we’ll explain why you should be shooting to achieve this incredible yet very possible milestone on this growing short-form video platform and provide you with some actionable steps to help you get there. Keep reading for everything you need to know.

What Happens Once You Get 1,000 Followers on TikTok

Hitting 1,000 followers on TikTok is more than a vanity metric—it’s a milestone that opens creators up to new opportunities to grow on the platform. Below are some things that happen once you hit 1,000 followers on TikTok.

You Can Put a Link In Bio

At the time of writing this blog, there are two ways that you can add a link to your bio on TikTok. The first is converting your TikTok from a creator profile to a business page (which can do with any number of followers). While this may seem much easier and more appealing than waiting to hit 1,000 followers, the downside of converting to a business page is losing the ability to use some trendy sounds (and we all know how important those are).

However, when you hit 1,000 followers as a creator, you can add a link in your bio with no stipulations. Most importantly, you can use a free link in bio tool such as Link Space to add all of your most important links to your TikTok profile using one link.

You Gain The Ability to Live Stream

As you may be aware, live streaming allows creators to engage with their audience in real time. Once you have 1,000 followers on TikTok, you unlock the LIVE tool, which includes features such as live events, donations, gifts, Q&A, and going live with other creators.

You Gain Access to Monetization Tools

As briefly mentioned, TikTok creators with over 1,000 followers can go live on the platform and receive LIVE gifts from their followers. These gifts aren’t just cutesy tokens of appreciation that live within the app—gifts convert into diamonds redeemable for money paid to you—the creator. FYI, as you grow your following past 1,000, LIVE gifts are just one way to monetize. As on any other platform, a larger following can open you up to other monetization opportunities such as TikTok sponsorships.

How to Get 1,000 Followers on TikTok

Now that we’ve tackled the importance of hitting 1,000 followers on TikTok, now it’s time to learn how you get there organically.

Post Consistently

Like any other social media platform, the first step to growing on TikTok is posting consistently. Posting regularly doesn’t only keep your followers satisfied with good content; it tells the TikTok platform that you’re an active creator on the platform, and your content should be amplified. Check out our guide if you need tips for planning content and staying organized (and consistent).

Optimize Your Video for Search

Based on recent updates and business reports about TikTok, it’s evident that many people look towards the platform as a video search engine, and TikTok is striving to be just that. As a creator, this means you should be taking specific steps to ensure that your videos are optimized for search, meaning TikTok can get your content in the right hands (or, in this case, the right eyeballs). Try doing the following when putting out new content:

• Do keyword research within the platform before creating. Know what keywords people are searching for so you can create videos that chime in on the topic.
• Add appropriate on-screen text to give TikTok a better idea of what your content is about.
• Add closed captions for the hearing impaired. And yes, take the time to edit them for accuracy.
• Make sure to write a compelling caption (below your video) that adds more insight into your TikTok.
• Use specific, niche-related hashtags to help TikTok sort your content and distribute it to the right audience. Avoid generic hashtags such as #FYP and #TikTok.

Get Familiar With Your Analytics

Don’t obsess over the numbers but know what your analytics mean and how they can help you improve your content over time. Below are a few analytics you need to pay special attention to.

• Saves and Shares—the best videos on TikTok are those that you can’t help but share with your friends or those you need to save because of how valuable they are. Pay close attention to your TikTok videos that get a decent amount of shares and saves, and try to apply things you did well to forthcoming content.
• Average Watch Time and Watched Full Video—these two metrics can help you better understand how you’re holding your audience’s attention but can also help you figure out how long your TikTok videos should be.
• New Followers—of course, taking notes of the videos that make people hit the follow button is essential. What’s more important, though, is to continue creating the same type of content that inspired them to follow in the first place (trust us, they’re looking for it).

A/B Test Content

The good thing about being a smaller creator (we’ll use under 10,000 as a benchmark) is that you can make mistakes and experiment without having too many eyes on you. Take advantage of that by putting out the same content with minor tweaks. For example, recycle a simple beauty tutorial video and add a voiceover to see if your audience prefers you to explain each step vs. simply watching you complete the look with no direction.

Use New Features As They Roll Out

Whether posting on TikTok stories or using new in-app editing tools, TikTok continuously releases features that help you better connect with your audience and create more compelling content. History shows that most social media platforms favor creators who embrace the changes they work hard to develop.

Engage With Other Creators

If you’ve spent some time on TikTok, you’ve probably noticed that tons of users on the app don’t post content. However, when you come across other active members on the platform, make it your business to amplify their content. For starters, they’re likely to return the love. Also, creating on any platform feels less lonely when you find your tribe.

When you’re just starting, it may feel impossible to reach 1,000 followers on TikTok. However, so long as you remain consistent and apply the tips we’ve outlined in this blog post, it can happen sooner than you know.