TikTok’s influence and power are showing no signs whatsoever of slowing down. The platform appears to be going from strength to strength; it started way back in 2017 (although it can technically trace its roots back to the Chinese app Douyin in 2016), and since then, it’s amassed more and more users and cultural power. It’s not hard to imagine a world in which TikTok is the most-used social media app, and while that’s not the case right now, we may not be far away from that world at all.
With that in mind, if you’re a social media influencer, you’re definitely going to want to leverage the power of TikTok as much as you can (assuming you’re not already doing so, of course). One of the ways you can do that is to go live to your followers, but there are a number of caveats. Whether you want to know how to begin a live stream, how many followers on TikTok to go live you need, or how to do anything else regarding live TikTok videos, check out our beginner’s guide to learn all you need to know!
What is TikTok Live?
TikTok Live (which you will see stylised as TikTok LIVE) is, to put it simply, the live stream component of TikTok. Most TikTok videos are created, uploaded, and remain static when they’ve been added to the platform’s catalogue, but TikTok Live videos are essentially like streaming on Twitch or YouTube Live.
As such, your followers can interact with you in real time if you stream; they can talk to you and you can respond to them, and they can also send you gifts, which, if you get enough, you can cash in for Diamonds. For the most part, though, TikTok Live is a great way to amass more followers, because it shows that you’re interacting with your user base and that you care about getting their reactions to your content in real time.
Is there a minimum follower count for going live on TikTok?
One of the biggest questions surrounding this app is how many followers on TikTok to go live you’re going to need. The answer is simple: if you want to go live on TikTok, you’re going to need a thousand followers. That’s not an insignificant number to achieve, so you’ll probably need to spend a little time building up your follower base and ensuring it’s robust before you start live streaming on TikTok.
Now that you’ve learnt the answer to how many followers on TikTok to go live you’ll need, you’re probably wondering what other restrictions there are. Unfortunately, there’s also an age requirement. If you want to stream on TikTok, you’re going to need to be at least 16 years of age.
Of course, there are ways to get around both requirements, but we would strongly recommend that you avoid using these methods. They could get you banned from TikTok, and the moderators for the app are quite active, so there’s a good chance they’ll realise what you’re doing if you try to circumvent the rules. In addition, it might sound a little “square”, but the rules are there for your protection, so to make sure you’re maximising your safety while on TikTok, make sure you’re over 16 and have 1000 followers or more before you start streaming.
How to go live on TikTok
Now that you’ve learnt about follower counts and age restrictions, let’s look at how you can actually go live on TikTok. Assuming that you have 1000 followers or more and that you meet the minimum age requirement of 16, here’s how to start live streaming to your followers!
- Tap the Plus icon on the TikTok home screen.
- Swipe to the Live section (which you will only see if you meet the requirements)
- Choose a title for your stream, as well as an image to represent it
- Hit “Go live” when you’re done
- Close the stream using the X in the corner of the screen when you’re finished
Tips and tricks for going live on TikTok
So now you know how to go live on TikTok, but do you know “how” to go live on TikTok? It’s not as simple as just hitting the Go Live button and filming whatever you like. If you want to keep your followers’ attention and make sure they’re engaged throughout the stream, then there’s more you need to do. Here are some of our best tips and tricks for going live on TikTok.
- Plan out what you’re going to do. Unless you’re a very famous TikTok creator, your followers likely won’t be interested in just “hey, here’s my life”-style content. Think about planning an AMA session (that stands for Ask Me Anything), or maybe even putting on an impromptu concert if you’re a musician or singer.
- Make sure everyone knows about your stream. There’s nothing worse than going live to an audience of zero, so use your content to promote your live stream and tell everyone that you’ll be streaming soon.
- Interact with people. The major difference between a TikTok Live and a regular video is that live streams can receive comments in real time, so use that advantage and make sure to interact with your followers in return. They’ll appreciate you doing so.
- Make your stream look good. The same aesthetic principles apply to TikTok Live streams as they do to regular videos. Don’t film in dingy or murky environments, and make sure everything looks good. If your viewers are going to watch you streaming for a long time, they’re going to want a visual environment that’s aesthetically pleasing to look at.
