How to Get Followers on TikTok in the UK: 12 Steps for 2026 and 2027
How to get followers on TikTok in 2026: 12 steps from TikTok's own advice, a profile that converts, the UK Nearby Feed and what changes in 2027.
In this article
Quick answer: Here's how to get followers on TikTok: pick a niche, hook viewers in the first three seconds, post well-made videos over a minute long on a regular basis, reply to comments and collaborate through Duet, Stitch and LIVE. In the UK, stay public, use the Nearby Feed and build a profile that turns viewers into followers.
Your videos get views, but the follower count barely moves. That gap between watching and following is where most accounts stall.
This guide shows how to get followers on TikTok using what TikTok itself says in its Help Centre and Creator Academy, updated through 2026. You'll get 12 steps, the UK features worth using, and the changes heading our way in 2027.
Why people follow some TikTok accounts and not others
People follow when they expect more of something they liked. A single funny video earns a like; a profile full of videos on the same theme earns a follow, because the viewer can see what's coming next.
TikTok's own advice points the same way. Its Help Centre page on growing your audience groups the tips into three habits: get to know your audience, post high-quality content and collaborate with other creators. Everything in this guide builds on those three.
Views come from the For You feed, but follows come from your profile. You need both working together, which is why steps 2 and 10 focus on your profile rather than your videos.
How to get followers on TikTok: 12 steps
1. Pick a niche people can follow
Choose one topic you can post about every week without running dry. TikTok's Creator Academy guide to the For You feed, updated 19 August 2026, tells creators to find their community: pick a niche and use the topics, hashtags and sounds that community already uses.
A niche makes the follow decision easy. Someone who loved your sourdough video will follow if your profile is mostly bread, and won't if it's bread, gaming and holiday clips in equal measure. Niche doesn't mean narrow, either; "cheap meals for students" or "Manchester nights out" both give you hundreds of video ideas.
2. Build a profile that converts viewers
Your profile is where the follow happens, so treat it like a shop window. You get a name of up to 30 characters, a bio of up to 80 characters and a profile photo, and those three appear to anyone on or off TikTok, even when your account is private.
Let the name say what you do as well as who you are. Your bio should promise what's coming, such as "New budget recipe every Tuesday". You can add a website link once you reach 1,000 followers or have a Verified Business Account.
Then check the top row of your grid. New visitors should understand your account in five seconds, so your latest videos need to show the niche clearly.
3. Hook viewers in the first three seconds
Hook viewers in the first three seconds, says the Creator Academy. Every second counts. Start with the payoff, a bold claim or a question, and cut any slow intro.
Hooks matter for follows too. According to the Help Centre, user interactions, which may include the time spent watching a video, generally weigh more heavily than other signals in what TikTok recommends. Viewers who stick around to the end are far more likely to tap your name afterwards and check what else you've made.
4. Make well-crafted videos longer than a minute
Create content longer than one minute, says the growth page, and the Creator Academy adds that well-crafted, long-form content thrives. That doesn't mean padding. It means giving a topic enough room to be genuinely useful.
Longer videos also open money doors later. Creator Rewards only pays on videos of at least 1 minute, so building the habit now pays off when you pass 10,000 followers.
5. Post more often, on a regular basis
The advice here is short. Post more often, and upload on a regular basis. Each video gives the For You feed another chance to find people who'll like your work.
Pick a pace you can keep for three months, such as four videos a week, rather than a burst of daily posts that stops in a fortnight. Scheduling in TikTok Studio on the web helps, so you can batch-film at the weekend and spread the posts out.
6. Put your own twist on trends
Trends bring viewers who are already searching for that sound or format. Its Creator Academy suggests trying trends with a unique take, and points to Creation inspiration in TikTok Studio for ideas.
That twist is what earns the follow. Copy a trend exactly and viewers have no reason to choose you over the thousand others doing it; apply it to your niche and they'll want your version of the next one too.
7. Use your community's hashtags, sounds and topics
Sounds, hashtags and the country where a creator published the video all sit in the content information TikTok's Help Centre lists for recommendations. Use the hashtags and sounds your niche already uses, so TikTok can match your videos to people who like that topic.
No official ideal number of hashtags exists. Don't chase one. Use a few that describe the video accurately, and skip the giant generic ones that tell TikTok nothing about who should watch.
8. Reply to comments, fast
Comments are a conversation, and conversations turn viewers into followers. Creator Academy advice is to respond to comments quickly and stitch comments to make new videos from them.
A video reply to a good question does double duty. Whoever asked feels seen, and everyone else gets a new video that grew from your audience's own curiosity.
9. Collaborate with Duet, Stitch and LIVE
Reach out to similar creators, the growth page says, and use Duet, Stitch and TikTok LIVE together. Each one puts your face in front of another creator's audience.
LIVE needs 1,000 followers and an age of 18 or over to host, according to TikTok. Before that, you can join other creators' LIVEs as a guest and borrow their audience for a few minutes.
10. Let TikTok suggest your account
TikTok recommends accounts too. Videos are only half of it. Its Help Centre page on how TikTok recommends content says account suggestions take into account the number of followers and views an account has.
Check that the Suggest your account to others setting is on. It's on by default for adults but off for 13 to 17-year-olds, who also start with private accounts.
11. Use the Nearby Feed if you're local
The UK got TikTok's Nearby Feed early. TikTok's newsroom announced it on 4 December 2025, rolling out in France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom first, ranked by location, topic and posting time.
Local businesses and city creators should lean in. Posts only appear there if the account is public, the poster is 18 or over, the video is set to everyone and it's less than 90 days old.
12. Check TikTok Studio and do more of what works
Reviewing analytics is on the growth page's list too. Open TikTok Studio every week and look at which videos brought new followers, then make more like them.
Following back helps too. Accounts of followers that you follow back appear among the interactions TikTok's Help Centre lists, so engaging with your own community feeds the same system that recommends you.
What stops TikTok accounts gaining followers
A few habits quietly cap your growth, and TikTok names most of them. Its Community Guidelines say unoriginal or reused material with nothing new added is ineligible for the For You feed, so reposting other people's clips won't get you far.
| Habit | Why it hurts |
|---|---|
| Reposting other people's videos | Unoriginal content isn't eligible for the For You feed |
| A private account | Your videos can't reach new viewers or the Nearby Feed |
| A random mix of topics | Visitors can't tell what they'd get by following |
| Long gaps between posts | Fewer chances for TikTok to find your audience |
| Ignoring comments | You miss the easiest way to build loyalty |
Age matters as well. TikTok sets accounts for 13 to 17-year-olds to private by default and doesn't suggest them to others automatically, which naturally slows growth until you're 18.
Getting TikTok followers in 2027: what's changing in the UK
The biggest change for UK creators is the audience. The government said on 15 July 2026 that it expects its ban on social media services for under-16s to start in spring 2027, along with default midnight to 6am curfews for 16 and 17-year-olds.
Our view: if your followers are mostly teenagers, expect slower growth and quieter late evenings from 2027, and consider shifting some content towards an 18 to 24 audience now. TikTok's current Community Guidelines also took effect on 24 September 2026, so check the originality rules before you plan next year's content.
Give your profile a head start
Steps 1 to 12 bring viewers to your profile. What they see there decides whether they follow, and a profile that already shows a solid following and active videos looks like one worth joining.
Mega Followers UK helps with that first impression. Our TikTok followers, TikTok likes and TikTok views come from real-looking accounts, with no password required and a 30-day refill guarantee. Then keep your organic growth going with how the TikTok algorithm works, the best time to post on TikTok and why your TikTok views are low, or check our FAQs.
FAQ: getting followers on TikTok
How do I get my first 1,000 followers on TikTok?
Pick one niche, post well-made videos on a regular basis and hook viewers in the first three seconds. Reply to comments, join other creators' LIVEs as a guest and keep your account public. At 1,000 followers you can host your own LIVE if you're 18, and add a website link to your profile.
Does follower count affect the For You feed?
TikTok's 2020 newsroom post said follower count isn't a direct factor in For You recommendations, and the current Help Centre doesn't list it for that feed. Follower and view counts do feature in TikTok's account suggestions, though, so a stronger profile can help people discover your account.
How often should you post to grow on TikTok?
There's no official number. TikTok's advice is to post more often and upload on a regular basis, because each video is another chance for the For You feed to find your audience. Choose a pace you can sustain for months, and use TikTok Studio on the web to schedule videos.
Why am I not getting followers on TikTok?
The usual causes are a mixed niche, an unclear profile, reposted content and a private account. TikTok says unoriginal content isn't eligible for the For You feed, and accounts for under-18s start private with suggestions turned off. Fix your profile first, then focus on original videos in one topic.
Can you get followers on TikTok without posting?
Very few. People follow accounts because they expect more videos they'll enjoy, and an empty profile gives them nothing to judge. Commenting thoughtfully on bigger creators' videos and joining LIVEs as a guest can bring a handful of profile visits, but posting is what turns those visits into follows.
Does the Nearby Feed help you get followers in the UK?
It can, especially for local businesses and city creators. The Nearby Feed reached the UK in December 2025, ranking posts by location, topic and posting time. Your post must come from a public account run by someone 18 or over, be visible to everyone and be under 90 days old.
