TikTok analytics: data-driven strategies for growth

TikTok is one of the world’s most popular social media apps. With over 1 billion users, TikTok offers great value for brands and businesses. TikTok analytics let you see which content resonates with your audience the most. Beyond content preferences, TikTok analytics reveal where your followers are located, age demographics, their most active times on the platform and relevant metrics like views and impressions. These insights will help you craft content that connects with your target audiences and expands your reach. It also gives you a clear answer into whether your efforts are paying off.

In this guide, we break down how to access and understand your TikTok analytics natively and foundational metrics to measure your success. We’ll also share what to consider when choosing a TikTok analytics tool like Sprout Social, and how to use analytics for a better return on investment (ROI).

What is TikTok analytics?

TikTok analytics refers to the data collected from content published on TikTok to help content creators and brands track the performance of videos. It includes video metrics, such as views, likes, comments and shares, and information about your profile and followers. Along with your creativity, using analytics is key to creating your TikTok marketing strategy.

​​Why is TikTok analytics important for your business?

You’re probably familiar with the experience of balancing social media trends while growing your brand’s following and engagement. Managing social’s fast-paced nature can be tough, especially if you have limited resources. Using TikTok for business analytics is a must because it helps you keep up with trends, but it also enables you to dive deeper to differentiate your audience and identify their specific behaviors and preferences.

Here’s some of our other top reasons using TikTok analytics for business is so important:

1. Create a data-driven content strategy

TikTok analytics will help you create a data-driven TikTok marketing strategy by pinpointing your most engaging videos and uncovering information about your audience, like when they’re the most active and what regions they’re from so you can tailor content to their preferences. The insights you receive can inform your content topics, best posting times, relevant trends, potential content creators and influencers to collaborate with and more.

2. Connect with your target audience

The community-oriented nature of TikTok allows brands to cater to their niche and target audience. TikTok analytics give you the insights needed to create content that resonates and engages your target audience. And you can also optimize your conversion strategy. For example, you can view hashtags to determine relevant trends or to inspire TikTok challenges and campaigns.

3. Prove return on investment

TikTok analytics can provide the evidence you need to prove your return on investment. And if you’re able to create a compelling data story, it’ll be easier to justify a need for more resources for your campaigns.

Why to consider a third-party TikTok analytics tool

Although you can gain insights natively, a third-party TikTok analytics tool like Sprout can provide more advanced metrics and reporting to support a multi-network social strategy.

TikTok analytics tools have extra capabilities that provide insights to help your overall TikTok strategy, such as:

• Cross-platform comparison: A third-party analytics tool can enable you to track your TikTok analytics alongside your other social media networks so you have a holistic view of performance in one place without having to toggle between multiple platforms. This allows you to understand where your content performs best so you can iterate on strategies.
• Access lifetime data: TikTok offers native performance metrics for up to a year, but an analytics tool enables you to compare data year-over-year (YoY), giving you a wider view on your historic performance.
• Engagement metrics: These tools tend to offer more advanced engagement metrics like reach and impressions. You can also monitor​​ hashtags and trendspot through social listening.
• Centralized inbox: As your account grows, it'll be nearly impossible to address and view inbound messages natively. TikTok analytics tools give you the ability to view messages and comments in a singular inbox alongside other platforms.

How to see analytics on TikTok

Want to see the benefits of a TikTok analytics tool using your brand’s TikTok data? It’s easy:

Step 1. Start a free Sprout Social trial by setting up an account with your business email.

Step 2. Once you are logged in, navigate to Account > Settings, then click on “Connect a Profile”.

Step 3. From the "In Group" dropdown, choose the Group you wish to link your TikTok profile with.

Step 4. To connect with Sprout, select “Connect” on the TikTok page and follow the authorization process.

After allowing 24 hours for the data to populate you can start analyzing your performance using the TikTok Profiles Report.

TikTok Profiles Report

The TikTok Profiles Report is divided into three tabs: Overview, Demographics and Profiles.

Customizing the Report

Use the Sources menu to pick the specific profiles you're interested in analyzing.

Overview
The overview tab provides insight into your Performance Summary, Video Views, Engagement, Audience Growth and Top Posts.

Performance Summary
The Performance Summary displays an overview of your performance metrics.

Track your content's reach: See how many people are actually watching your videos with "Video Views" and "Reach" metrics. Understand the total audience your content is reaching, including both organic viewers and those reached through paid campaigns.

Analyze audience engagement: Go beyond just views. "Engagements" shows you how your audience interacts with your content – likes, comments, and shares. Identify what resonates and sparks conversation.

Monitor audience growth: See how your follower base evolves over time with "Audience Growth" and "Net Follower Growth." Track your progress and identify trends across your different TikTok profiles.

Identify top-performing content: "Top Posts" helps you quickly see which videos are resonating most with your audience. Use this information to understand what works best and create more of it.

Understand your audience: "Demographics" provides valuable insights into who your followers are, including their location and gender. Tailor your content to their interests and preferences.

Compare profile performance: Manage multiple TikTok accounts? The "Profiles" tab lets you compare their performance side-by-side, revealing which strategies are most effective.

Harnessing the power of analytics is a great way to show the business value of TikTok to your stakeholders. For even more insight on how to do this, watch our on-demand webinar on “how to show the business value of TikTok to your boss”.

How to access native TikTok analytics

Want to see how to check TikTok analytics natively? Here’s how to see TikTok analytics via mobile and desktop, step-by-step.

How to access TikTok analytics from mobile

1. Tap the profile icon in the bottom right-hand corner.
2. Tap the three vertical lines in the upper right and click TikTok Studio or Business Suite. Tap Analytics.

3. In TikTok Studio, you can see post views, net followers and Likes. You can also see engagement metrics for your latest post in the Analytics section at the top of the screen. Tap View all to see more metrics.

4. Tap the Overview, Content, Viewers, Followers or LIVE tabs to see more metrics.

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How to access TikTok analytics from desktop

1. Log into your account by going to TikTok.com. (You can also go to tiktok.com/tiktokstudio/analytics if you are already logged in).
2. Hover over your profile icon, then select View Analytics.
3. On the TikTok homepage, hover over your profile icon and select Business Suite.

4. This will take you directly to the Analytics section of your account.

TikTok insights and metrics to monitor

Want to know how to see video analytics on TikTok and what to expect when you’re checking natively? What exactly are unique viewers on TikTok? Here’s a breakdown of TikTok insights and metrics to monitor.

TikTok account overview

TikTok has four primary analytics tabs: Overview, Content, Followers and LIVE. Within each of those categories are sub-categories of analytics. The account Overview section shows these key metrics: post views, profile views, Likes, comments and shares. You can also view traffic sources and search queries in the Overview section.

The Overview area shows you a bar graph of how many views your videos have received in the last seven days. You can view video engagement metrics for the last seven, 28 days, 60 days or set a custom date range to get a better understanding of your growth and any fluctuations or trends.

Post views

The number of times your post was viewed.

Profile views

The number of times your profile was viewed compared to a set date range (last seven, last 28, last 60 days or a custom date range).

Likes

The number of times viewers liked your posts.

Comments

How many comments your posts received.

Shares

The number of times your posts were shared.

TikTok Followers analytics

The fourth tab in your TikTok analytics is all about your follower stats. Seeing exact followers on TikTok and in-depth information about audience demographics is always helpful to ensure your content is resonating with your target audience and supporting follower growth.

Total followers

The total number of followers you have since you joined TikTok. Note: This number doesn’t change when you select different time periods.

Net followers

The number of new followers you gained in a selected time period compared to the previous period.

Follower insights

This section within the Followers tab shows you information about the accounts that follow you.

Gender

A bar chart with the percentage of your followers by gender.

Age demographics

This section breaks down your followers by age group and gives you percentages for each group.

Locations

This section highlights the top countries where your followers are located.

Most active times

The average times your followers are active on TikTok. You can view these times by hours and days. Ideally, you’ll want to post your content before daily user activity peaks.

Using this information strategically will help you determine the best times to post on TikTok to reach the most followers. Pay attention to the tallest bars in the graph to see when most of your followers are online, then base your TikTok posting schedule around that.

TikTok Content analytics

The next tab in your TikTok analytics is the Content tab. This section shows more specific information about the actual TikTok content you’re publishing, including your most viewed videos. All content metrics are available for the previous seven, 28, 60 and 365 days. You can also select a custom range. Your top-performing posts are ranked according to views, likes, new viewers and new followers gained.

Trending videos

This section shows the top nine videos with the fastest growth in view numbers over the past seven days.

Video views by section

In this section, you can see how people found your video, whether directly from your profile or if it appeared on their For You feed.

Video views by region

This section gives you insight into the regions your video reached and where viewers are from so you can see exactly where your content performs best.

Average watch time

This is the average length of time people watched your videos—a good indicator of whether your videos are engaging to audiences. You'll also see how often users stayed until the end to watch your entire video.

Total play time

This is the cumulative watch time for all users who viewed your video, a helpful metric for comparing the performance of your videos.

TikTok LIVE analytics

If you click on the TikTok LIVE tab, you'll be taken to the LIVE Center. If you’ve hosted live videos in the past 28 days, in LIVE Center you can see insights such as:

• Total views: The number of viewers for your live videos within your selected date range.
• Total time: The time you’ve spent hosting live videos within your selected date range.
• New followers: TikTok users who began following you while you were hosting a live video within your selected date range.
• Top viewer count: The highest number of live video viewers at one specific time within your selected date range.
• Unique viewers: Viewers who watched your live video at least once (even if a viewer replays your video, they're counted only once).
• Diamonds: Virtual gifts that users may send you—you can exchange these for money through TikTok.
• Viewer ranking: The viewers with the highest gift count and watch time.

Also, consider checking out the LIVE Academy to learn tips and tricks for livestreaming on TikTok. Hopefully with this overview, you know how to see TikTok analytics natively. But you should also consider how to check TikTok analytics using a third-party tool.

How to use TikTok analytics for greater ROI

Understanding and using TikTok analytics can improve social ROI for your social media campaigns. By analyzing data from TikTok, you can refine your strategies, engage with your audience in an impactful way, and ultimately achieve your marketing goals more effectively.

Follow this step-by-step breakdown to help you use TikTok analytics for greater ROI.

1. Define your target audience

The TikTok algorithm is complex and may change, but your audience will always be your foundation. Start by identifying your target audience on TikTok. Use demographic and behavioral data from TikTok analytics to determine who your content should be targeting. Also consider how they engage with your content, especially in the comments. This step is crucial for tailoring your video content strategy to meet your audience's needs and preferences.

2. Set objectives and key performance indicators

Clearly define what you want to achieve with TikTok. Set specific, measurable goals and identify key performance indicators (KPIs) that'll help you track your progress and determine if your efforts are paying off. This can include metrics like engagement rate, views or follower growth, but the KPIs you choose will depend on your goals. For example, if your goal is brand awareness, then reach, impressions and engagements would be your metrics.

3. Track and analyze performance regularly

Regularly monitor TikTok analytics to assess the performance of your content and campaigns. Establish a cadence for your reporting process, whether it's monthly, quarterly or biannually. Use these insights to understand what works and what doesn't, along with any trends to gauge the overall effectiveness of your efforts.

4. Experiment and optimize content based on data-driven insights

Use the data from your analytics to test different types of content, posting schedules‌ and other factors. Analyze results and refine your approach based on what the data tells you. For example, you might discover your audience enjoys collaborations with people in the TikTok Creativity Program and increase the amount of creator activations. This continuous loop of experimentation and optimization will help you maximize your content's impact.

5. Engage with your community

Engagement is part of the culture on TikTok. Use analytics to learn more about who your audience is and what they like. Respond to comments, participate in trends that align with your brand and ask for feedback to create content that resonates with your viewers. Building a strong community will enhance user interaction and loyalty.

6. Measure success and share results to stakeholders

Compile and review the data of your TikTok campaigns against the objectives you set. Prepare detailed reports to share these results with stakeholders. Clear communication of successes and learnings will support ongoing investment and strategy refinement. For example, if you share which TikTok Ads led to conversions, or total conversions for your campaign, it could help establish a case for more resources.

7. Stay agile and iterate on your strategy

The TikTok landscape is ever-changing, so agility is essential. Stay flexible and be ready to adapt your strategy based on new trends, platform updates and evolving audience preferences. Regularly revisiting your strategy based on fresh analytics will keep your campaigns effective and relevant.

By following these steps, you can harness the power of TikTok analytics to drive a greater ROI for your social media campaigns.

Use TikTok analytics to scale your strategy with data

It can be challenging and time-consuming to combine data from multiple native analytics reports across every social platform. Add in the task of keeping up with trends on top of making creative content and you’ve added a lot more responsibility to your plate.

That’s where Sprout Social comes in—our social media management tool can help you keep track not just of TikTok, but other networks too, like Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Our platform’s advanced analytics and AI-powered tools will save you time, so you can have more space to be creative and experiment. Keep up with what consumers most want out of short-form video with our TikTok integration.