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How to Grow on TikTok in 2025 (According to Science)

Introduction

With TikTok continuing to dominate the short-form video landscape, understanding how to effectively engage and grow your audience is essential for both personal creators and brands. Recent research by Metrol delves deep into the effective strategies for leveraging TikTok in a data-driven way. In this article, we'll explore key insights from Metrol's study regarding posting habits, video lengths, interactions, engagement rates, and content strategies to help you grow on TikTok in 2025.

Insights from Metrol’s Report

Data Overview

Metrol examined over 87,000 TikTok accounts, analyzing over 1 million videos and 73,000 images and carousels. The data is differentiated between personal and professional accounts, allowing for tailored insights depending on your perspective.

Posting Frequency

One common misconception is that you need to post multiple times per day to succeed on TikTok. However, the data indicates otherwise:

  • Professional accounts (50k+ followers) post an average of 6.67 times per week.
  • Personal accounts (50k+ followers) post around 5.96 times per week.
  • Smaller accounts typically post once or twice weekly, indicating that excessive frequency isn't required to gain traction on the platform.

Video Length

An essential takeaway is the optimal video length. Contrary to the belief that shorter videos perform better:

  • Videos between 2 to 5 minutes garnered the highest average views.
  • 1 to 2-minute videos also performed well.

What matters most is delivering valuable content, rather than merely fitting into a short time frame.

Engagement Metrics

When it comes to interactions on TikTok, likes lead as the primary form of engagement, followed by shares. Interestingly, personal accounts see lower comment interactions than professional accounts, meaning many users prefer to engage passively with thumbs up rather than verbally.

Engagement Rates by Account Size

Understanding your engagement rate is crucial, especially when collaborating with brands. Here are the engagement rates based on account size:

  • Tiny accounts: ~4%
  • Small accounts: 4.41%
  • Medium accounts: 4.14%
  • Big accounts: 5.1%
  • Huge accounts: 5.84%

Discovery Methods

The majority of videos are found on the For You page, but as accounts grow, a greater proportion of their views comes from the following page. Tiny accounts can capitalize on SEO opportunities by optimizing video titles and descriptions for search visibility.

Best Times to Post

According to Metrol, the best times to post on TikTok vary throughout the week, with peak activity observed during:

  • Early Saturday morning at 3:00 AM
  • Late Sunday night
  • Early Monday morning

Experimenting with Formats

Metrol encourages creators to diversify their content formats. While TikTok primarily emphasizes video, carousels and images offer additional engagement opportunities. Carousels have been shown to receive higher engagement rates than standard videos.

Best Practices

  • Focus on video length: Experiment with posting longer videos (2-5 minutes) to maximize viewer retention.
  • Utilize multiple formats: Don’t limit yourself to just video. Experiment with images and carousels.
  • Optimize for SEO: Use relevant keywords in your TikTok profile and captions.
  • Cultivate community engagement: Build relationships with your followers by responding to comments and encouraging interaction.

Conclusion

The key to growing on TikTok in 2025 lies in creating valuable content and fostering a sense of community. While trends and tactics may evolve, the data proves that genuine engagement results from meaningful interactions. By leveraging Metrol's insights and following best practices tailored to your unique audience, you can enhance your TikTok strategy and see measurable growth.


Keywords

  • TikTok
  • Engagement Rates
  • Video Length
  • Posting Frequency
  • For You Page
  • SEO
  • Content Formats
  • Community Engagement

FAQ

1. How often should I post on TikTok?
According to recent data, professional accounts with over 50,000 followers average about 6.67 posts per week, while personal accounts post around 5.96 times per week. Frequent posting isn’t a strict necessity to gain traction.

2. What is the best length of TikTok videos?
The most successful TikTok videos range from 2 to 5 minutes in length, as they tend to attract a higher average number of views.

3. How can I improve my engagement rate on TikTok?
To improve engagement, focus on creating valuable content, using effective SEO strategies, and actively interacting with your followers through comments and calls to action.

4. Where do most TikTok videos get discovered?
The primary source for discovering TikTok videos is the For You page, followed by the following feed for larger accounts.

5. Are carousels and images valuable on TikTok?
Though video content is predominant, carousels and images can enhance engagement rates. It’s advisable to experiment with these formats alongside video content.