Can looping video increase views on TikTok and Instagram?

The majority of people cannot get onto or leave TikTok in generaland not fall into the rabbit hole that provides endless entertainment. Looping videos, AKA short video clips with autoplay make it all the more simple to view repeatedly.

That's great news for marketers looking to boost engagement. But knowing when to publish video loops on TikTok or Instagram can be a challenge. How can you tell whether your post is appropriate to be a loop video? What about the effect it has on the number of views and engagement?

In this article

1.    What is a looping movie?
2.    Can looping videos increase views?
3.    3 reasons to consider looping your video
4.    A lot of frequently asked questions on looping videos
5.    Connecting it all

What is a looping video?

A looping video can be described as a video that plays itself continuously. It could be short like a funny gif or longer as a step-by-step tutorial for preparing a recipe. Video loops autoplay and repeat continuously until the user interacts with new content (or is on an infinity loop).

You can loop videos that repeat completely or in a smaller amount, based upon the needs of the platform as well as your goals for content. For example, you may choose to only loop the relevant portion of the video, or repeat the video in order to increase your visibility.

Can looping videos increase viewers?

Videos that are short-form typically are able to have more watch times over longer ones. Looping videos plays into the desire to have shorter videos by automatically repeating the same file repeatedly and over.

When the video loops, it counts as a new view. These views continue to compound and boost your overall views count. If a video repeats itself three times in only one person, it is counted as three distinct views.

Derick Rhodes, VP of Industry & Influencer Relations at , clarifies how, according to the TikTok algorithm viewing count is higher than any other metric to determine what content is displayed.

"Looping videos" may seem like a fad However "completing this loop" is now the metric that is the number one gauge of how successful on TikTok in the moment -over comments or views that have traditionally been the main focus."   Derick Rhodes, from Industry and Influencer Relations

Three reasons why you should consider looping your videos

Loops are a great way to increase your video view count. But it shouldn't be the only reason that drives you to use loops in your videos.

Capture the user's attention

The average person watches an average of 17 hours of video online every week. This may seem like a lot, but the majority of users go through an endless amount of video content, but do not really engage. TikTok and similar social media sites like Instagram move fast. It's important to catch an individual's attention immediately or else you risk losing them to the infinite scroll.

Looped videos have continuous motion which can catch a user's interest as they scroll through their feed, which makes videos stand out ordinary videos or static photos.

Videos that loop can also spark users' curiosity. When a video loops, viewers may be intrigued by the replay to see whether they missed anything or understand the meaning more clearly.

A lot of social media platforms such as TikTok as well as Instagram offer an autoplay function which allows videos to play while users browse through their feeds. Looped videos benefit from this feature as they automatically restart and play again, boosting the chance of being noticed by a person.

Speak an interesting an interesting story

A looped video can help you tell a story in a short and captivating method. When you repeat a crucial event or scene, it will reinforce the narrative and increase the impact for viewers.

If you're posting content that is humorous the looping effect can help enhance comedy through repetition of a humorous move or action, making the content more engaging to viewers.

It is also useful to create music-related content such as looping songs, dance routines, and lip-syncing content. Since 93% of TikTokers are using the platform with sound on, and 88 percent affirm that the sound feature is "essential" to the platform, looping sounds also help in grabbing the attention of viewers and entice users to watch again before scrolling further.

Tutorials can also be used in loop formats. If a viewer misses the first step they can continue watching the looped video until they see the complete version.

Be sure to adhere to the platform-specific requirements for content

If you're planning to upload videos that are smaller than the play time limit on a certain social media platform you could play it in loops to increase the duration and exposure of your video. As an example, Instagram has a maximum duration of 15 seconds on Stories and 60 seconds for feeds. If your video was only seven seconds long then you can loop it twice to fill the limit of 15 seconds for a Story.

"A many of us get caught in the trap of creating one hero asset and then creating cutdowns to fit different formats or platforms however, as the nature of content is evolving and changing, it is crucial for creators to think about creating specific content for every platform before making any."

He adds that creating platform-native content is a great way to improve participation. "Calm is a meditation application, does a nice job of creating these Instagram-created loops that allow users to take a minute to take a breath, instead of trying to modify a conventional ad that is based on a timer to run within the same format on the same platform."

A lot of frequently asked questions on looping videos

 1) What exactly are benefits of looping video clips?

Videos that loop on social media provide a variety of benefits for marketers, including:

• longer viewing time. Looping videos can make viewers want to stay with the video for longer as they automatically play without having to ask users to replay manually the video. This can result in greater views and more watch times which sends good signals to algorithmic systems to indicate that there is more interest in the video.
• Save your time. Looping videos are typically shorter, which makes it easier for users to comply with social media's limitations regarding file size and length.
• Stronger message delivery. Looping videos are helpful for conveying messages or telling stories that gain through repetition or reinforcement. This could include product demos and tutorials as well as other content that is educational.

 2.) What is the distinction between a loop and a repeat?

A loop in a video and a repeat sound like the same thing, however they are two distinct concepts within the field of video marketing. A loop video is a clip of video that plays continuously in an infinite loop without interruption. When the clip reaches its end, it automatically restarts starting from scratch, making a looping playback.

A repeat is usually the feature that allows a user replay a video starting from the beginning when it reaches the end. Viewers may need to tap an onscreen button in order to trigger the replay. It could be that there is a brief pause or gap between video playbacks.

3) Do looping videos boost views?

A video looped in loops can boost the number of views on popular social media sites like Instagram as well as TikTok. The looping of videos may grab the attention of viewers and encourage them to watch multiple times which encourages algorithms to show the video to others.

All that is needed to put it all together

Videos can be awe-inspiring visually-rich experience. They're a great technique to keep viewers engaged, as well as increase the visibility of your content, its viewers, and overall engagement.

Be aware that looping videos doesn't ensure success on social networks. Instead, prioritize creating relevant videos that are a hit with your target audience first- that's the surefire way to reach their hearts (and their screens).