Do looping videos increase the number of views on TikTok and Instagram?

The majority of people cannot get onto or leave TikTok or any other social media platform -- without heading down an endless rabbit hole of entertainment. Videos that loop, AKA short video clips with autoplay make it effortless to play over and over again.

That's great news for marketers seeking to improve engagement. But knowing when to publish video loops on TikTok or Instagram can be a challenge. How do you know whether your post is appropriate to be a loop video? What about the effect it has on video views or participation?

In this article

1.    What is a looping movie?
2.    Can looping videos increases viewers?
3.    3 good reasons to think about 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 one that repeats itself automatically. It could be short like comical gifs or more such as a step-by step recipe. Videos autoplay and play indefinitely, until the viewer is able to interact with the new video (or remains on an endless loop).

You can loop videos in complete or in part, depending upon the needs of the platform as well as your goals for content. In other words, you can decide to loop only the most relevant part of the video or loop an entire video to get the maximum reach.

Do loops in a video boost the number of views?

Short-form video usually have more watch times over longer ones. Videos that loop play into the desire to have shorter videos because it automatically plays the same file repeatedly and over.

Each time the video loops, it counts as a fresh view. Views continue to increase and boost your overall number of views. For instance, if a video plays three times by only one person, it is counted as three separate views.

Derick Rhodes, VP of industry and influencer relations at , explains that , in the eyes of the TikTok algorithm it is the number of views that are greater than any other metrics in determining what gets shown.

"Looping videos might feel like something that's not really happening However "completing the loop" is also the the primary indicator of success on TikTok in the moment -- even above comments or views which historically have been the focus."   Derick Rhodes of 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 it should not be the sole reason that drives you to use loops in your videos.

Get the attention of the user

The average person watches an average of 17 hours of online video content per week. It may seem like a lot, but the majority of users scroll through an endless sea of video content, but do not really engage. TikTok and other social media platforms such as Instagram move fast. It is imperative to get a user's attention instantly, or else you risk losing their attention to the endless scroll.

Looped videos are continuous in their motion that may catch an user's attention as they browse through their feed, which makes videos stand out ordinary videos or static images.

Looping videos can also pique the interest of viewers. In the event that a video loops it, people might be enticed by the replay to see whether they missed anything or understand the meaning more clearly.

Numerous social media platforms, including TikTok as well as Instagram include an autoplay feature that lets videos play as users browse across their news feeds. Videos that loop take advantage of this feature because they instantly start playing and then stop, boosting the chance to catch the attention of users.

Tell an interesting story

A looped video can help you tell a story in a short and captivating manner. If you can repeat an important scene or action it can enhance the story and create a lasting impression for viewers.

If you're sharing humorous content the looping effect can help enhance the comedic timing by repeating a funny action or gesture, making the video more entertaining for the viewers.

Looping also works well when it comes to music-related content, such as looping songs, dance routines or lip-syncing music. Since 93 percent of TikTokers use the platform using sound, and 88% say sound is "essential" to the platform, sound loops are another way of catching the attention of viewers and entice users to watch again before scrolling further.

Tutorials can also be used in a loop format. If a viewer misses the first step they can 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 for a particular social media platform you could repeat it so that it fills up the video's exposure and time. For example, Instagram has a maximum time limit of 15 seconds for Stories , and 60 seconds for the feed. If your video is only 7 seconds long, you could loop it twice to fill the 15 second limit on Stories. Story.

"A majority of us fall into the trap of creating one hero asset and then creating cutdowns for different platforms/formats, but the way that media is constantly evolving, it's important for creators to consider making specialized content for each platform before making any."

He also says that creating platform-native content is a great approach to boost engagement. "Calm The meditation app has done a fantastic job of creating these Instagram-specific loops to allow viewers to take a few moments and breathe, rather than trying to adapt a more traditional ad of a :30 to function with the same app."

Commonly asked questions regarding looping videos

 1) What are the advantages of looping videos?

Looping videos on social media can provide many benefits for advertisers for example:

• More time to view. Looping videos can draw viewers to view the film for longer because they automatically play without having to ask users to manually replay the video. This can result in more views and longer time to watch, which transmits positive signals to algorithms that there's more interest in the video.
• Reduce time. Looping videos are usually shorter which can make it easier for viewers to match social media limitations in terms of file size or length.
• Stronger message delivery. Looping videos are helpful for communicating messages or telling stories that benefit from repetition or reinforcement. These could be demos of products as well as tutorials or any other content that is educational.

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

The words "video loop" and "repeat" repeat sound similar but are two completely different terms for video marketing. A video loop is a video clip that continues to play in an infinite loop without interruption. As the loop comes to an conclusion, it instantly restarts starting from scratch, to create a continuous loop.

Replay typically refers to the feature that allows the user play back a video from the beginning after it has finished. The viewer may have to press an onscreen button in order to trigger the replay. There may be a short delay or interruption between playbacks.

3) Can looping videos increases the number of views?

Looping a video can potentially increase viewers on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Videos that loop can capture the viewer's attention and encourage them to keep watching the same video over and over again, and encourage algorithms to display videos to users.

All that is needed to put everything together

Videos can be awe-inspiring immersive visual experiences. They're an easy technique to keep viewers engaged, as well as increase the visibility of your content, its viewings, and overall involvement.

Remember that looping video clips don't guarantee success on social media. Prioritize creating videos that are a hit with your audience first -this is the best way to get to their hearts (and screens).