Does looping video boost views on TikTok as well as Instagram?

A majority of users can't log on -- or out of TikTok for that matter -and not fall into a rabbit hole of endless entertainment. Videos that loop, AKA short video clips that autoplay, makes it simple to view repeatedly.

It's a great opportunity for marketing looking to boost engagement. However, knowing when to post video loops on TikTok or Instagram could be difficult. 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 participation?

In this article

1.    What does a looping video mean?
2.    Does looping a video boost views?
3.    3 reasons to consider looping your videos
4.    A lot of frequently asked questions on looping videos
5.    Connecting it all

What exactly is a looping video?

A looping video is a video that plays itself continuously. It can be as short as an gif with a humorous message or as a step-by-step tutorial for preparing a recipe. Videos autoplay and play for a long time, until the user is able to interact with the new video (or remains on an endless loop).

You can loop videos to repeat in full or part, based upon the needs of the platform as well as your content goals. For example, you may opt to just loop the relevant portion of the video or to loop the video in order to increase your reach.

Do loops in a video boost the number of views?

Videos that are short-form typically have more watch times as compared to longer videos. The looping of videos contributes to the need for shorter content through the automatic repetition of the same file repeatedly and over.

Every time an video loops is considered a different view. The views will continue to multiply and increase your views count. If a video loops three times for one user, it counts as three separate views.

Derick Rhodes, VP of industry and influencer relations at , discusses that in the eyes of the TikTok algorithm, the view count is more important than other metrics to determine what content is displayed.

"Looping videos" may seem like something that's not really happening however "completing your loop" is now the the number one indicator of success on TikTok to this pointover comments or views, which have historically been the primary focus."   Derick Rhodes, from Industry and Influencer Relations

3 reasons to consider looping your videos

Loops have the potential to boost the number of views you can get from your videos. But potential views aren't the only factor for you to choose to loop videos.

Make sure you capture the attention of your user

On average, people watch seventeen hours of online video content every week. It may seem like a lot, but many users just scroll through an endless sea of videos without really engaging. TikTok and similar social media platforms like Instagram are extremely fast. It's important to catch an individual's attention immediately or you may risk losing their attention to the endless scroll.

Looped videos have continuous motion that may catch an user's interest as they scroll through their feed, making it stand out from ordinary videos or static photos.

The looping of videos may also stimulate users' curiosity. When a video loops the viewer may find themselves wanting to revisit it in order to find out whether they missed anything or get a sense of the situation more clearly.

Many social media platforms like TikTok as well as Instagram include an autoplay feature where videos start playing while users scroll through their feeds. Looped videos take advantage of this feature because they instantly resume and continue playing, boosting the chance to catch the attention of users.

Create a tale

A looped video can help you tell a story in a brief and captivating way. By repeating a key event or scene, it will help to reinforce the story, and also make it more memorable for the viewers.

If you're sharing humorous content video looping can improve the comedic timing by repeating an motion or gesture, which makes your video more enjoyable for viewers.

Looping also works well to create music-related content such as looping songs, dance routines as well as lip-syncing videos. Since 93 of of TikTokers are using the platform with sound on and 88 percent affirm that the sound feature is "essential" on the platform, looping sounds are another way of catching people's attention and encouraging viewers to return before moving further.

Tutorials are also great for looping formats. If the viewer fails to complete the initial step, they may continue watching the looped video until they see the complete version.

Make sure you adhere to specific content requirements of the platform.

If you're planning to upload videos that are shorter than the maximum playtime on a specific social media platform , you can repeat it so that it fills up the video's exposure and time. In this case, Instagram has a maximum duration of 15 seconds for Stories and 60 seconds for the feed. If your video is only 7 seconds in length, you could loop it twice to fill the 15 second limit on the duration of a Story.

"A majority of us fall into the trap of creating a star asset only to create cuts for various formats and platforms however, as the nature of content is evolving, it's important for creators to consider making specialized content for each platform before making any."

The author adds that creating native to platforms content is a great approach to boost participation. "Calm The meditation app is a great example in this regard, by creating Instagram-specific loops to allow viewers 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's the advantages from looping videos?

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

• longer viewing time. Looping videos can encourage viewers to watch longer since they are played automatically, without the need for users to manually replay the video. This can result in higher view counts and duration of time spent watching which gives positive signals to algorithms that indicate more interest in the video.
• saves the time. Looping videos are typically shorter, which makes it easier for users to meet social media restrictions on file size or length.
• Stronger message delivery. Videos that loop are useful for conveying information or telling stories that gain through repetition or reinforcement. It could be product demonstrations and tutorials as well as other content that is educational.

 2.) What's the different between a loop and a repeat?

A video loop and a repeat sound like the same thing, however they are two different concepts within the field of video marketing. A video loop is a type of video that plays continuously with no interruption. Once the video loop reaches its end, it automatically restarts starting from scratch, creating a continuous playback loop.

A repeat is usually a feature that lets the user play back a video from the beginning after it has finished. Viewers may need to tap the screen to start the replay. There may be a short break or gap between playbacks.

3) Do looping videos increase views?

A video looped in loops can boost the number of views on popular social media sites such as Instagram and TikTok. Videos that loop can capture the attention of viewers and encourage them to watch multiple times that encourages algorithms to share the content to other users.

All that is needed to put it all together

Video loops can provide captivating immersive visual experiences. They're a great method to keep your viewers interested, and could increase your content's exposure, views, and overall engagement.

Remember that looping video clips don't guarantee success on social media. Instead, prioritize creating relevant platform-specific video content that resonates with your target audience first- that's the surefire way to win their hearts (and their screens).