How to get a million views on TikTok

Want to take your TikToks to the next level? Hear from fellow content creators who have mastered the art of attracting eyeballs and racking in millions of social media views. 

Amanda Ang

Instagram handle: @hibyelovez,  TikTok handle: @hibye.lovez | 90,400 followers on Instagram and over 116,300 followers on TikTok 

Amanda Ang, aka Amandy to her followers, graduated from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication & Information in 2023 as the class valedictorian. 

The full-time content creator and freelance copywriter is most well known for her humorous skits on toxic work culture and personalities, where she transforms into the toxic boss or annoying classmate that you love to hate. 

Her TikToks exploded in popularity after she started posting about her own experiences or stories from her friends while studying at NTU – although with a good amount of embellishment to catch people’s attention. 

Alex Ho

Instagram: @alextheapollokid, TikTok: @alextheapollokid_ | 16,700 followers on Instagram and 40,500 followers on TikTok

The second-year communication undergrad’s content mostly revolves around dancing, lifestyle, food, fashion and beauty. These varied interests reflect his changing passions, but his core philosophy is to let his personality shine through. 

As he draws inspiration from his everyday experiences, his posts often include his NTU life – from finding humour in dealing with difficult project groupmates to fun aspects of living in hall. 

Jeremy Koh

Instagram and TikTok handle: @jercuzzi | 4,970 followers on Instagram and 21,000 followers on TikTok

The recent Nanyang Business School graduate is currently a full-time creator who makes food and lifestyle content, but is best known for his playground videos, daily jokes and skits. 

He started posting Instagram stories and TikToks of his original jokes as a way to relieve stress during his first year and roped in his NTU classmates, and even a professor, to feature in his content.  

Some of his videos have garnered around a million views, and he has amassed over 1.1 million likes on TikTok. 

Tip 1: Just do it

Amanda: Don’t be afraid of posting just because it might feel “cringey” – the first step to getting views on TikTok is simply daring to post. You never know what will go viral and land on people’s FYP (For You Page on TikTok), so don’t stand in your own way.

Also, have fun. When you let loose and get creative, people can feel that through the screen.

Jeremy: Needing every video to be “perfect” is why most people quit before they even begin. I'm still susceptible to procrastination and inaction too. 

This is when balancing effort and results is important. The everyday viewer does not care about minute details in your content and I've seen the most random low-effort videos go viral.

Tip 2: Reel them in

Amanda: Be it an oddly intriguing visual or even a juicy piece of dialogue, you need to capture people’s attention within two seconds. So think about what content would make not just you, but also someone you know, stop scrolling and watch.

Jeremy: Attention span is gold and you want to steal it as much as possible. Keep your viewers entertained with storytelling techniques, unusual content, suspense, quick cuts, "money shots" that capture the essence of your story, and subtitles. Personally, I rely on quick cuts and money shots – visually impactful or memorable scenes.

Tip 3: Make it relatable

Alex: It’s best if your content addresses something that people think about every day but don’t usually voice. For example, my videos about people taking super long showers or why everyone travels to Korea touch on such topics. 

Jeremy: The algorithm loves three things: interaction, shareability and retention. 

For maximum interaction, you and your content must be likable, interesting or controversial – preferably all three for the highest chance of success.

To increase shareability, make vids that are relatable, useful or funny. Add a call-to-action like "Share with your friends!" to encourage engagement. 

Tip 4: Hone the content Spidey-sense

Amanda: There have been times when an idea pops into my mind and I intuitively know it’s going to do well – either because it makes me laugh out loud or because it’s based on a real human insight that feels so undeniably true. I just know that people are going to relate and engage with it, even if it’s a “hate watch”.

As for honing that intuition, I think experience is pretty much the only way. It’s about putting in the hours, and learning over time what works and what doesn’t. 

Jeremy: Put yourself in the viewer's shoes as you make your content. Are you, the creator, engaged in the video? Do you feel proud of it? 

Next, let your friends and family preview the video. Are they just as engaged? Are they asking questions? Did you evoke the emotions you intended to stir in them?

Parting tips

Amanda: Don’t get too caught up in the views. When something doesn’t perform as you intended, evaluate it objectively. Sometimes it’s “just the algorithm”, but other times, certain things about the content might have influenced its performance. Focus on learning from those moments. 

While one viral video could “make you”, a video that flops isn’t going to “break you”, so keep creating, have fun and don’t sweat the small stuff.

Alex: Hop on trends, but don't just copy them. While blindly following a trend might bring in views, the real value comes from putting your spin on it to make your content truly stand out.

Jeremy: Consistency is key, but it’s hard. There's going to be fatigue, negative feedback or even anxiety that might make you not want to continue. 

Find something to anchor you towards pushing through. It could be money, fame or even love.

I first started making content for my own entertainment and to share with friends. Every time I fall into a slump, I remind myself that the content is ultimately for me as my memories. If it makes me happy, I'm posting it.