Why Your TikTok Video Got Zero Views and How to Fix It
If you’ve ever uploaded a TikTok video and wondered why it got zero views, you’re not alone. The reality is that sometimes, it’s not because you’re boring or your content is lacking; there are other technical factors at play that can prevent your video from being seen by anyone.
In my experience, my TikTok videos usually get at least 1,000 views. Some of my content has even gone viral, reaching over 100k or even 500k views. However, I recently encountered a strange situation: one of my videos received absolutely no views. Not only that, but it wasn’t shown to any of my followers, and the usual video performance updates were missing.
So, why did this happen? After investigating, I discovered a key reason why this particular video failed to gain traction: it was too short.
The 5-Second Rule
My video was only 3 seconds long. Although that may seem like a reasonable length for some content, TikTok has a policy where videos shorter than 5 seconds can be “throttled,” meaning they won’t be shown to viewers or gain any traction. I suspect this is TikTok’s way of preventing short, recycled content like Vine clips from being re-uploaded to the platform, which could be a violation of copyright policies.
Unfortunately, this means that if your video falls below the 5-second mark, it might not get any exposure. This was precisely the issue I faced with my 3-second video.
How to Fix It
If you find yourself in a similar situation, don’t worry—there’s an easy fix! Since the issue was the video’s length, you can simply enlarge your video to be at least 5 seconds long and re-upload it. Here’s how you can do that:
Loop the Video: If your video is only a few seconds short, you can simply loop it. For example, if your video is 3 seconds long, you can make it 6 seconds by playing the same 3 seconds twice. This is a quick and effective way to meet the length requirement.
Add a Pause: Another option is to insert a brief pause, either before, after, or in between sections of the video. A one-second pause can easily stretch your video to the necessary length.
Include an Outro or Transition: If you’re looking to add a creative touch, consider including an outro, transition, or any other content that adds value to your video. This not only increases the length but also gives your audience a more polished viewing experience.
Once I made my video 6 seconds long and re-uploaded it, the difference was clear. The video finally started to receive views, and I also got the usual updates on post performance, which confirmed that the issue had been resolved.
Conclusion
If you’re facing the dreaded “zero views” situation on TikTok, it could be because your video is too short. By ensuring your video is at least 5 seconds long, you can avoid having it throttled and increase its chances of reaching your audience. So, next time your video is on the shorter side, try editing it to meet the 5-second threshold, and watch it get the attention it deserves!