Are your TikToks trapped at 200 views no matter what you do? Unfortunately, this is extremely common and one of the most frustrating things that happens to people on the platform.
Although it can be very annoying to be limited to 200 views even when producing high-quality content, it is possible to increase your views if you’re willing to analyze and experiment with your videos.
TikToks get stuck at 200 views because of low engagement and over-saturation of the platform. Breaking through the 200 view barrier can be achieved by closely monitoring your analytics and improving your content until it passes TikTok’s test.
In this article, I’ll be outlining how you can overcome this hurdle, start to get more views, and even go viral consistently.
My account @robinreaction gets over 80,000 views on average per video, and I’ve had many videos get over a million views. The techniques I’m outlining here are the same exact ones I used to grow my TikTok account and get past the 200 view limit.
You Need To Understand How TikTok Works
Getting stuck at the 200 view mark isn’t a random choice, it’s something TikTok has decided very deliberately after testing millions and millions of videos and users.
TikTok has one goal: to keep people on the platform as long as possible. This includes people posting videos.
Remember that social media copies gambling methods to create psychological cravings. Because of the widespread occurrence of the 200 view limit, we can assume that TikTok has found this is the most effective way to keep content creators posting without quitting entirely.
If users got zero views on all their videos, they would quit trying much faster.
Do your 200 views come in fast? I believe TikTok does this because it feels exciting to get 200 views quickly. It makes it feel like your video has a chance, like this might be the one that succeeds.
TikTok has tested its algorithm enough to know that 200 views in the span of a few minutes or an hour is more satisfying than watching them drip in over days.
I explain all this because mental framework is important. If it feels like you are stuck in molasses, close to success but never quite there, it’s because that’s exactly where TikTok wants you to be.
A 200 view limit on all your videos means that TikTok wants you to keep creating because they always want more eyeballs and more content, but that they do not value your account enough to give any of your videos a real chance at virality.
If you want to escape this dungeon, it’s going to take grit and hard work.
Your Videos Are Being Tested By The Algorithm
Every person that sees your video is part of TikTok’s test to see whether or not it should push the video to even more people.
If you are getting 200 views per TikTok, you have actually passed the first hurdle of the algorithm. Many accounts get 0 views on all their content, another group gets less than 20 views per video.
If you’re getting 200 views, it means that TikTok sees your videos as having some merit, just not enough for virality.
To achieve that virality, you’ll need to test, strategize, and iterate over time.
All of this starts with tracking analytics.
Here are the most important analytics to start analyzing:
Your Like-To-View Ratio Isn’t High Enough
If you get 8 likes per 200 views, your ratio is (8/200) x 100 = 4%
The general rule of thumb is that TikTok wants to see a minimum of 10%, which would be 1 in 10 people liking your video, or 20 out of 200.
However, as TikTok has become more and more popular, that goalpost has shifted. It is now extremely possible for a creator to get over 10% on most of their videos, and even up to 25% without ever getting past the 200 view mark.
Your Comments, Saves, and Sends Aren’t High Enough
It’s hard to give a precise number or percentage for these types of engagement because engagement is almost exclusively calculated as blended (which includes likes), but comments, saves, and sends are much, much more important than likes.
If you have a good like ratio but are still barely getting views, try experimenting with content that encourages users to comment, save, and send.
Your Average Watch Through Isn’t High Enough
Average watch through is the percentage of the video that people watched on average. You can calculate yours by going to analytics for a certain video, seeing the average watch time, and dividing that by the total video length.
If the average watch time for a 30s video was 7s, then your average watch through is (7/30) x 100 = 23.3%
This statistic is closely related to how many people are watching your full video.
You can find all sorts of statistics online about what a good number is for watch through.
Here’s an example from a TikTok success article, but I personally find these standards extremely aggressive. My videos with millions of views all have a full watch time of around 25%, but if you’re able to hit these numbers you’ll definitely be successful.
You Aren’t Testing Enough Video Types
After you understand your core engagement factors, and are tracking them consistently, it’s all about iteration and testing.
Here are a bunch of things to try with your own content to increase your engagement, and therefore finally get past getting stuck at 200 views on TikTok.
- Poor video quality
- Failure to optimize hashtags
- Inconsistent posting schedule
- Ignoring TikTok trends and challenges
- Lack of creativity in video concepts
- Poor lighting or audio quality
- Videos are too long or too short
- Overusing filters or effects
- Not utilizing popular sounds or music
- Limited variety in your content
- Lack of storytelling or narrative structure
- Inadequate use of captions and text overlays
- Ignoring comments and failing to engage with your audience
- Neglecting to respond to duets and collaborations
- Failure to participate in TikTok challenges
- Overusing promotional content or sales pitches
- Lack of authenticity and genuine personality
- Poor use of transitions and editing techniques
- Underestimating the importance of a strong opening hook
- Overusing or underusing trending hashtags
- Inappropriate or offensive content
- Not targeting a specific niche or audience
- Lack of promotion on other social media platforms
- Ineffective use of calls-to-action (CTAs)
- Neglecting to follow and engage with other creators
- Failure to build a community or loyal fanbase
- Inconsistent branding and visual style
- Lack of video descriptions or context
- Overusing copyrighted content without proper attribution
- Limited use of TikTok’s special effects and filters
- Failing to post at optimal times for your target audience
- Overusing or underusing trending sounds
- Neglecting to collaborate with other TikTok creators
- Not utilizing the “For You” page to discover new content
- Failure to experiment with different video formats and styles
- Lack of research on popular trends and topics
- Videos are too repetitive or predictable
- Not leveraging popular holidays or events for content ideas
- Ignoring the power of emotional storytelling
- Lack of humor or entertainment value in your videos
- Videos are too self-centered or boastful
- Not utilizing TikTok’s live-streaming feature
- Neglecting to optimize your profile bio and username
- Limited use of TikTok’s interactive features (polls, quizzes, etc.)
- Overusing excessive hashtags or irrelevant tags
- Lack of authenticity and relatability in your content
- Neglecting to respond to DMs and private messages
- Inconsistent video pacing or editing rhythm
- Lack of effective video titles
- Overusing text overlays and graphics
- Videos are too cluttered or visually overwhelming
- Not utilizing TikTok’s editing tools and effects to enhance your content
- Failure to leverage trending memes or viral videos
- Not utilizing TikTok’s native features (green screen, duets, etc.)
- Failure to experiment with different video angles and perspectives
- Not having fun and enjoying the process of creating TikToks!
While it’s frustrating to see your TikToks plateau at 200 views, it’s essential to remember that building a successful TikTok presence takes time, effort, and creativity.
By focusing on creating engaging content, being consistent, embracing trends, fostering interaction, optimizing your videos, and promoting your content across platforms, you’ll be on your way to breaking through that 200-view barrier and reaching new heights of TikTok success. So, go forth and create those viral videos that will have TikTok buzzing with excitement.
Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a TikTok empire. Stay dedicated, stay inspired, and watch your view count soar to new heights.