Ways to Improve User Retention Rate on TikTok

Published: May 16, 2025

Ways to Improve User Retention Rate on TikTok

8 seconds, this is the time you have to grab your TikTok user’s attention. But there is no magic number to know how many seconds it will take for you to retain the attention of your audience on TikTok. You might have to deliver engaging content constantly to your niche audience and ensure that they spend their 52 minutes per day engaging with your content. 

But how will you do so? Well, in this blog we will discuss TikTok's retention rate, its significance, how to calculate it for TikTok videos, and its influence on the reach of your short-length videos. Thus, stay with us to decode everything about TikTok’s user retention rate and using it to your advantage. Let’s start!

Tips to Boost User Retention on TikTok

By working on a few aspects of your video creation and TikTok profile, you can increase your retention rate. Here we have added a few proven tips to help you grow your TikTok account. Have a look:

  • Work On Establishing A Catchy Hook

Plan to use a hook to help visitors stick to your profile. For instance, you can use a question to grab the user's attention for more than 3-seconds on a video. Try to use a question at the start of your video, related to the context so that your users get the answer to it, after watching your video. 

For instance, you can use some punch lines while starting your video, like stop scrolling, connect with your audience at an emotional level, use surprising visuals, etc are the perfect hooks. 

  • Understand The Retention Behaviour

Unlocking the minor details about user behavior on TikTok is critical to enhance their retention rate. The analytics section on TikTok will give you valuable insights into how users interact with your content. 

For instance, if you see a trend of users dropping off the videos after a certain point, adjusting your content delivery may keep them engaged for longer. To further refine your content strategy, we recommend studying the demographics of your audience, such as age, gender, and interests. 

  • Leverage Re-Engagement Strategies

No matter how hard you try, some users will still part ways. Thus, re-engagement techniques become crucial to reduce users' drifting away. You can develop some smart re-engagement strategies using behavioral insights of your TikTok account

Find below some of the TikTok re-engagement strategies that will help you enhance TikTok retention rate. 

i. Planning for some personalized messages or emails. 

ii. Offering exclusive discounts for selected users. 

iii. Highlighting special features of your offering. 

iv. Reminding users of the value that your brand is offering. 

  • Proactively Ensure Customer Success 

Proactively planning for customer success means strategizing ways to engage with your users before they get irritated or frustrated. Thus, you should monitor and identify warning signs to offer custom solutions and support. 

Strive for customer success to establish business trust, makes users feel valued and satisfied, and helps ensure a smooth and supportive journey.  

  • Data-Driven Personalization

Personalizing user experience is the most powerful tool as it greatly enhances user retention. By personalizing, you ensure that the videos are aligned with your users' needs and feature valuable content for them. 

For instance, if you make videos based on the comments you have received on a few other videos, like the information they want, talking about the benefits of your offering, addressing your audience's issues, and more. 

  • Buying TikTok Promotion Services

If you have used all the organic strategies to retain your customers, but are still finding it hard, it’s time to adopt TikTok growth services. By buy TikTok followers, likes, comments, and sharing services, you can grow engagement and reach on your TikTok account. 

So, what are you waiting for? Adopt this strategy today to ensure that your content is performing well on TikTok, that your account presence is highlighted on the platform, and is well-optimized. 

How to measure TikTok retention rate?

Calculating TikTok video’s retention rate will help you understand how well the users stay engaged on your profile. Let us crack the formula to calculate user retention rates. 

Retention Rate = ( {Likes + Comments + Shares} / Views ) * 100

For instance, if your videos have 200 likes, 40 comments, 20 shares and 1000 views, the retention rate for you would be; 

({200+40+20} / 1000) * 100 = 26%

You can calculate the retention rate for your videos using the above formula over a specified period to determine which videos are performing best. Based on the video types that better engage your users, adjust your strategy for improving audience retention. 

Importance of TikTok retention rate

Mastering TikTok retention rate is crucial as it positively signals the algorithm about your content and profile. That said, maintaining good basic retention metrics is critical as it establishes your content as valuable and engaging. 

A few other aspects that explain the importance of TikTok’s retention rate strategy include:

  • Algorithm Favor

TikTok’s algorithm favors videos with a high retention rate and keeps users engaged. Hence, increasing engagement and retention is essential. 

  • Content Optimization

When you measure retention rate effectively, you know the areas that need optimization. This helps you plan for optimized content that ensures maximum watch time and engagement. 

  • Competitive Edge

Maintaining a retention rate will make your content stand out in a crowded marketplace. It helps with user growth and retention better than your competition. 

  • Brand Alignment

Long-term retention of users on your TikTok account suggests that your audience likes the content and that you are getting views. Additionally, a high retention rate also indicates that your content aligns with your brand values. 

Conclusion

Many TikTok creators and marketers lack mastery of retaining their audience and keeping them hooked. But with the help of our blog, you have access to 6 excellent tips that will help you retain, engage, and reach a larger audience over time. So, go ahead and apply these tips and make your TikTok grow with high-performing content and leave a lasting impression on your niche audience.  

Sidesmedia

Luka Lucheski

Luka Lucheski is a digital marketing strategist and content creator with over 5 years of experience in social media growth and engagement. As a leading writer at SidesMedia, Luka has helped brands increase their online visibility through data-driven content strategies featured in top marketing publications. Committed to delivering accurate and relevant insights, Luka blends creativity with analytics to provide readers with actionable advice.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions? Get the inside scoop on the most frequently asked

The rate of retention in TikTok varied for different account types and also the time period in question. However, it is believed that a user retention rate between 15-20% on TikTok is good.

Yes, retention rate on TikTok is important and it is also important to stay updated with trends in TikTok user retention. Retention rate helps determine how many people stick around to your account, engage with your content and watch your entire video.

More video views on TikTok translates to better visibility of your content. The algorithm notices an increase in video views, and it assumes that people are liking it. Your video gets pushed forward, experiences more visibility and better chances of attracting organic viewers.

The TikTok analytics section shows all important metrics related to the videos published on your accounts. Besides retention rate there are several other critical metrics that you get to analyze from this section.

Yes, no matter the niche of your videos, a 70% user retention rate is considered good. If you are consistent, you can also get a much higher retention rate for your videos and attract more visitors with more visibility.