Been doing social media for 3 years, stuck at 150k on TikTok - starting fresh with an old account. What actually worked for you?

So I've been creating content for about 3 years now and my TikTok is stuck at 150k followers. I think I know what happened - a video went semi-viral, then I joined TikTok Shop and the monetization program around the same time, and I basically attracted a wave of followers who don't actually care about my content. My comment sections are full of people just typing "first" with zero real engagement. No community, just numbers.

I have another account I opened a while back that I never posted on, so it's completely blank. I'm thinking of starting fresh there instead of trying to fix the main one.

My questions for anyone who's been through something similar:

  1. Warming up the account. Is there anything I should do before my first post to signal to TikTok what kind of content I'll make and who I want to reach? Like does engaging with specific creators or niches early on actually train the algorithm?
  2. Attracting the RIGHT audience. What can I do from day one to make sure I'm building a real community this time, not just chasing numbers?
  3. Content strategy for a fresh start. What posting rhythm, formats, or habits made a real difference for you on a brand new account?

I'm not looking to go viral fast - I want to actually build something sustainable. Would love to hear from people who've intentionally rebuilt or started over. What do you wish you knew?

Comments

Informal-Amoeba-8884•2 months ago•2

150k is not stuck, that’s a solid base. I’d look less at growth hacks and more at what got you from 0 to 150k, there’s probably something you stopped doubling down on.

Klein_Odera•2 months ago•1

You’re not stuck because of content, it’s more about the audience you attracted early on

Restarting can work, but only if you’re intentional about how you position from day one

I sent you a DM, easier to break it down there 👍

NotCryptoKing•2 months ago•1

Chagpt post

Tanjiro_kamado1234zz•2 months ago•1

The "first" comment section is a clear sign the audience doesn't care nd ur right to start fresh. Spend 2-3 days engaging in ur niche before the first post - it seeds the algorithm a bit. Be hyper specific with ur content, niche down harder than feels comfortable, those people become real community. Reply to every comment in the first hour, it signals engagement nd builds the habit from day one

Independent-Ant-7230•2 months ago•1

I’ve been in almost the same situation and starting fresh actually helped more than trying to fix an account with the wrong audience.

The whole warming up thing isn’t really that important. TikTok figures out your content from what you post, not what you watch before. What matters way more is being consistent in the type of content from day one so it knows who to show you to.

The biggest difference for me was not trying to appeal to everyone. When you go a bit more specific and stay in that lane, the right people start sticking around. It feels slower at first, but the engagement is way better and actually builds something real.

Also I stopped looking at views as the main signal. I paid more attention to who was commenting and how they were interacting. That tells you pretty quickly if you’re attracting the right audience or just random traffic.

LeadingAd6679•2 months ago•1

at that stage i’d test new angles harder. i’ve seen people use Buffer for distribution, Runable for faster carousel testing, and track what formats break plateaus.

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wilzerjeanbaptiste•2 months ago•1

Restarting fresh is honestly the right call when your audience is mostly there for the wrong reasons. The cleanup work to fix a misaligned 150k account is more painful than just rebuilding with intent. I've watched a few creators try to pivot their old account and it almost always tanks reach for months before it finds the new niche.

For warming up, yeah, spend 2 to 3 days just engaging from the new account. Watch full videos in your niche, like and comment thoughtfully on creators who serve the audience you actually want, save and rewatch the kind of content you want to make. That signals the algo before you ever post.

For the right audience, lean into specificity early. Vague positioning attracts vague followers. The first 10 posts should make it almost obvious who this account is NOT for. That's how you filter for community over numbers.

For rhythm, 3 to 5 posts a week is plenty if every post earns attention. Daily volume on a fresh account often signals desperation to the algo before signaling consistency. Quality reps beat quantity reps for the first 90 days.

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