Have you poured your blood, sweat, and tears into building a successful TikTok account with a decent following? It is scary when your followers start to abandon ship in massive numbers.
The good news? You don’t have to stand by and watch while your account tanks. You can take action to save your TikTok account!
Rescuing your TikTok account from total doom might be easier than you think. This guide takes you through the most common reasons you might be losing followers — and shows you how to fix your mistakes.
Losing TikTok Followers: Not Using TikTok Analytics
Do you run a business? Are you using TikTok to connect with (potential) customers? Anyone with a TikTok business account has access to TikTok Analytics for free.
This powerful inbuilt tool lets you see how your TikTok account is performing:
- TikTok Analytics shows how many views your videos get and which of your videos perform best.
- TikTok Analytics allows you to see when your followers are online so you can catch them at the right time.
- TikTok Analytics shares how your viewers found you.
Have you recently lost a shocking number of TikTok followers? TikTok Analytics can help you figure out how to fix the problem and come back stronger than before.
How to See TikTok Analytics
To see TikTok Analytics on mobile, just:
- Tap your profile.
- Go to the hamburger menu in the top right corner.
- Tap “Creator Tools” and select “Analytics.”
Desktop users can head straight for the TikTok Analytics page.
How to Use TikTok Analytics to Gain Followers
TikTok Analytics has four sections that show you how your account is performing.
Your top-performing videos show what content your viewers love. Try to post more like them. TikTok videos that didn’t do well might not be hitting home with your audience. Phase them out.
It’s also possible that you’re simply posting to TikTok at the wrong time. That’s why TikTok Analytics shows when your followers are online.
Losing TikTok Followers: Not Keeping Up with TikTok Trends
Most TikTok users crave trending content. These videos are also most likely to make it into users’ “For You” pages.
The problem? TikTok trends move at lightning speed, and last week’s hottest trends are dead and buried today.
Not keeping up with TikTok trends is a surefire way to lose followers. Haphazardly jumping into trends can be just as damaging.
Here’s how to get it right:
1. Keep Up With the Latest TikTok Trends
Use the TikTok Discover page at the bottom of your screen to find out about the latest trends.
You can also follow the hashtag #trendalert to make sure you never miss TikTok trends.
2. Only Follow Trends That Fit Into Your Niche
Blindly following the latest TikTok trends is a bad idea. Only jump on trends that fit your niche, or your followers will lose respect and interest.
3. Don’t Follow Outdated Trends
Even the most creative TikTok videos can turn your followers off if they follow “dead” trends.
Post trendy content while it’s trendy, or don’t bother at all.
Losing TikTok Followers: Not Posting Often Enough
Your TikTok account gains followers when your audience can’t wait to see your next video. Your viewers lose interest when you don’t keep your posting schedule up.
Do you only post once a week? Your followers might see you as “that account that never posts” the next time you upload a video — and unfollow you.
Try these tips to build your TikTok audience:
1. Post to TikTok at Least Once a Day
How often should you post on TikTok? If anyone knows the answer, it’s TikTok!
TikTok advises users to post one to four times a day to get the best results. If you stop posting content, your older videos won’t be recommended as often anymore either.
2. Schedule TikTok Posts in Advance
You don’t have time to post on TikTok four times a day? No worries. You can make TikTok videos ahead of time and schedule them for later if you have a TikTok business account:
- Log in to TikTok on a web browser.
- Click the cloud icon at the top right of your screen.
- Edit and upload your TikTok video.
- Click the “Schedule” button and schedule your video. TikTok defaults to your time zone.
3. Go Live on TikTok
Going live on TikTok is a great way to engage your audience. Try going live at least once a day. Your followers may come back.
Losing TikTok Followers: Niche-Hopping
You gain TikTok followers because your viewers love your content and want to see more of it. Suddenly making entirely different videos is a guaranteed way to lose followers.
It’s normal for your TikTok to evolve over time. As your passions change, your content does too.
Just don’t be surprised if your followers leave you in droves when you switch from dance videos to pet-care videos. Know that it takes time for new followers to show up as you commit to a new niche.
Make a New TikTok Account to Share a Different Passion
Have you discovered something new but do you also want to keep making TikTok videos within your old niche?
TikTokers who are excited to share a new passion with viewers are best off setting up a new TikTok account.
A new TikTok account gives you the space to engage a new audience without losing your existing followers.
Losing TikTok Followers: Posting Controversial Content
Talking about controversial or political topics is another way to lose TikTok followers — especially if you haven’t posted that type of content before.
You risk offending your followers when you post controversial content, or spark a debate. Both can inspire TikTok users to hit that Unfollow button.
Think before you post:
1. Always Follow the TikTok Community Guidelines
You agreed to follow the TikTok community guidelines when you set your account up. You violate the community guidelines if your videos contain:
- Hate speech
- Content that promotes discrimination against protected groups
- Dangerous misinformation
- Content that encourages TikTok users to harm themselves
Posting videos on controversial topics will cause you to lose followers. It might also get you banned from TikTok.
2. Make Sure Your Content Fits Into Your TikTok Niche
Controversial content won’t always lead to lost followers.
You might be OK if your TikTok is in the beauty niche and you talk about a controversial topic in that industry. Posting about a political candidate is riskier. Your followers might not be interested in politics.
Some TikTokers build their audiences around controversial topics like mental health. Losing followers is more likely if you’re not one of them.
Losing TikTok Followers: Not Connecting with Your Audience
Your followers want to feel like they are part of a community. Engage with them.
It’s easy to make your followers feel heard:
1. Like and Reply to Comments
Followers who take the time to respond to your posts will appreciate it if you like their comments.
If you have time, reply to follower comments. Doing this often lets your followers know you care about them and their views.
2. Allow Your Followers to Get to Know You
TikTok users are some of the most creative and young people on the internet. They are tired of commercial content and crave authenticity. Your TikTok followers want to know who you are.
Let them in to keep building your audience.
Keeping up with trends and making high-quality TikTok videos isn’t enough. Tell your followers about the person behind the TikTok account.
3. Go Live on TikTok
Live Q&As are a great way to connect with your followers. Answer their’ burning questions to allow them to get to know you better.
Losing TikTok Followers: Not Making Viral Content
Anyone who’s been on TikTok long enough knows that the platform has several sides. Straight TikTok and Alt TikTok are just the two big ones.
Some of your followers might be happy to enjoy your content even if it never goes viral. Others will start to think that you are just not that interesting.
Failing to create viral content also means you lose out on a great opportunity to gain new followers.
Going viral isn’t easy, but these tips increase your odds:
1. Use a Hook to Grab Attention
TikTok users will quickly move on if you don’t have a strong start. Lead with a captivating hook to keep them watching.
2. Make Shorter TikTok Videos
The days where you could only post 15-second TikTok videos are long gone. You can now upload 10-minute videos.
That doesn’t mean your viewers want to watch longer videos.
Increase your odds of going viral by making your TikTok videos longer than 15 seconds but shorter than a minute.
3. Add Trending Music to Your TikTok Videos
TikTok users crave novelty and excitement. Add trending music to your videos if you want them to go viral.
4. Post to TikTok at the Right Time
Discovering the best time to post on TikTok can make or break your odds of going viral.
Do you have a TikTok business account? Use TikTok Analytics to see when your followers are online.
If you don’t, you are best off posting your TikTok videos:
- Early in the morning, between 6 and 10 am.
- In the evening, between 7 and 11 pm.
5. Interact with Your Followers
Include a call to action in your video. Actively participate in the comments section.
Losing TikTok Followers: Not Engaging With Influencers
You can also lose followers when you’re not relevant in the TikTok community.
Working with other influencers in your niche is a great way to grow your audience.
The benefits are two-fold:
- Your current followers will respect you more when they see how popular you are in your niche.
- You’ll have a great opportunity to gain new followers.
Have you not cooperated with TikTok influencers from your niche (recently)? Reach out and see what it would take to create a creative collab that benefits everyone.
A TikTok duet is one awesome way to make it happen.
Losing TikTok Followers: Not Using the Right Hashtags
Your TikTok videos could be the best. If you don’t use the right hashtags, you still won’t be able to expand your reach and attract new followers.
Here’s how to master hashtags on TikTok:
1. Research What Hashtags Your Competitors Use
What TikTok hashtags do other creators in your niche use when they post similar content?
Browse through their videos and take notes. Search these hashtags to see how popular they are.
2. Use Trending and Less Popular Hashtags
Trending hashtags are in demand, but the competition is steep.
Obscure hashtags won’t bring many new viewers to your TikTok. The chance that TikTok users who search for these less popular hashtags will find your content is higher.
Using a combination of trending and less popular hashtags is a winning strategy. You’ll get the best of both worlds.
Losing TikTok Followers: Algorithm Updates
Losing TikTok followers isn’t always your fault.
TikTok regularly culls suspicious accounts. Losing followers might mean there’s just been an algorithm update.
TikTok might have kicked a bunch of your followers off because the platform thought they were fake accounts.
You can’t do much about this. Your TikTok account will recover over time.
Losing TikTok Followers: Were You Shadowbanned?
There’s a lot of speculation about shadowbanning on TikTok.
This phenomenon silently limits the reach of a TikTok account without banning it.
Shadowbanned TikTok accounts won’t reach the For You page. A drastic drop in followers, comments, shares, and likes is inevitable.
Shadowbans might be issued when someone posts TikTok content that doesn’t quite violate the community guidelines or when the content is spammy.
There’s no concrete evidence that shadowbans exist on TikTok. Staying well within community guidelines and only posting authentic content is still the best way to become popular on TikTok.
Why Are You Losing TikTok Followers? How Can You Fix That?
A sudden drop in TikTok followers is worrying — especially if you have worked hard to build a successful account.
Why are you losing TikTok followers, and what can you do to get them back? There are no easy answers.
Finding out where you went wrong is hard, but you can start by examining the most common reasons for losing TikTok followers.
The Most Common Reasons for Losing TikTok Followers
- You don’t understand your audience.
- You’re not keeping up with TikTok trends.
- You don’t post to TikTok often enough.
- You’ve started making radically different TikTok videos that your followers aren’t interested in.
- You’re not connecting with your TikTok followers.
- You don’t make viral videos.
- You don’t work with other influencers.
- You don’t use the right TikTok hashtags.
- You’ve fallen victim to TikTok algorithm updates or you’ve been shadowbanned.
How Can You Grow Your TikTok Audience Again?
- Use TikTok Analytics to learn what your followers prefer and when they are online.
- Follow TikTok trends — but only within your niche.
- Post to TikTok at least once a day.
- Stick to your niche.
- Stay away from controversial topics.
- Engage with your followers.
- Aim for viral content.
- Work with other influencers.
- Use the right TikTok hashtags.
Rebuilding your TikTok account will take time and effort, but it’s possible.
Finding out what went wrong is just the first step. With the right steps, your TikTok account can come back stronger than ever.