Most people can’t get on –– or out of TikTok for that matter –– without heading down a rabbit hole of endless entertainment. Looping videos, AKA short video clips on autoplay, make it all too easy to watch over and over again.
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 do you know if your content is right for a video loop? And does it even affect video views or engagement?
In this guide, we’ll look at whether looping videos can up your view count, when it’s best to loop videos, and hear from our in-house expert, Derick Rhodes.
In this article
What is a looping video?
A looping video is a video that repeats itself automatically. It could be short like a funny gif or longer like a step-by-step recipe tutorial. Video loops autoplay and repeat indefinitely, until the viewer interacts with new content (or stays on an infinite loop).
You can loop videos to repeat in full or in part, depending on the platform’s requirements and your content goals. For example, you may choose to only loop the most relevant part of the video or loop a video to maximize your exposure.
Does looping a video increase views?
Short-form videos usually have higher watch rates than longer clips. Looping videos plays into this desire for shorter content by automatically repeating the same video file over and over.
Given their shorter format, looping a video may boost the video completion rate since viewers may want to watch the video multiple times or share it with others. This can lead to an increase in engagement metrics including likes, comments, and shares which gives off positive signals to Instagram and TikTok algorithms, potentially showing the content on the platform’s for you page.
Each time a video loops, it counts as a new view. These views continue to compound and boost your overall view count––if one video loops three times for one user, it counts as three separate views.
Experiments with TikToks and Instagram Reels prove that video completion is a key metric alongside views, shares, and likes that algorithms take into account.
Derick Rhodes, VP of Industry & Influencer Relations at Vimeo, explains that in the eyes of the TikTok algorithm, the view count is more important than other metrics in determining what gets shown.
“Looping videos might feel like a fad, but “completing the loop” has also become the metric that is the number one indicator of success on TikTok at this point — even above comments or views, which have historically been the focus.”
Derick Rhodes, Vimeo Vimeo of Industry and Influencer Relations
But, keep in mind looping a video may not guarantee increased views or engagement on social platforms. Algorithms are complex, when they choose what content to show to users, they consider multiple factors like user behavior, video quality, and relevance.
3 reasons to consider looping your videos
Loops have the potential to increase your video view count. But potential views shouldn’t be the only reason behind your decision to loop videos.
Capture the user’s attention
On average, people watch 17 hours of online video content per week. That may sound like a lot, but many users just scroll through an endless sea of content without truly engaging. TikTok and other social media platforms like Instagram move fast. You need to grab a user’s attention instantly, or you may risk losing them to the infinite scroll.
Looped videos feature continuous movement which can catch a user’s eye as they scroll through their feed, making the video stand out from regular videos or static images.
Looping videos can also pique users’ curiosity. When a video loops, viewers may be intrigued to watch it again to see if they missed something or to understand the context better.
Many social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have an autoplay feature where videos start playing while users scroll through their feeds. Looped video clips take advantage of this feature as they automatically restart and play again, boosting the chance of catching a user’s eye.
Tell a story
Looping a video can help you tell a story in a short and compelling manner. By repeating a key scene or action it can reinforce the narrative and make it more memorable for viewers.
If you’re sharing humorous content, looping videos can enhance the comedic timing by repeating a funny action or gesture, making the video more entertaining for viewers.
Looping also works well for music-related content like looping dance routines, music covers, and lip-syncing content. Since 93% of TikTokers use the platform with sound on, and 88% say sound is “essential” on the platform, looping sounds are another way of catching viewers’ attention and getting them to rewatch before scrolling further.
Tutorials also work well for a loop format. If a viewer misses the first step they can keep rewatching the looped video to see the full version.
Stick to platform-specific content requirements
If you want to share a video that’s shorter than the maximum playtime on a specific social media platform you could loop it to fill up the time and video exposure. For example, Instagram has a maximum video length of 15 seconds for Stories and 60 seconds for the feed. If your video was only 7 seconds long, you could loop it twice to fill the 15-second limit for a Story.
On TikTok, videos can be anywhere from five seconds to ten minutes long. TikTok recommends videos should always be longer than 10 seconds to engage with users. So if your animated gif is only five seconds, you could loop it twice or more to increase your chance of engaging users.
When looping or video editing, Rhodes suggests creating platform-specific content instead of modifying existing content for different formats.
“A lot of us fall into the trap of making one hero asset and then creating cutdowns for different platforms/formats, but the way that content is evolving, it’s important for creators to consider making specialized content for each platform first.”
He adds that creating platform-native content can be an effective way to improve engagement. “Calm, the meditation app, does a nice job of this, creating these Instagram-native loops for viewers to take a moment and breathe, rather than trying to adapt a more traditional :30 ad to work on the same platform.”
Frequently asked questions about looping videos
1) What are the benefits of looping videos?
Looping videos on social media offer several benefits to marketers, including:
- Longer viewing time. Looping videos can encourage viewers to watch the video for longer as they play automatically without requiring users to manually replay the video. This can result in higher view counts and watch times which sends positive signals to algorithms that there’s higher interest in the content.
- Save time. Looping videos are usually shorter which can make it easier for users to match social media limitations on file size or length.
- Stronger message delivery. Looping videos are helpful for conveying messages or telling stories that benefit from repetition or reinforcement. This could include product demos, tutorials, or other educational content.
2) What is the difference between a loop and a repeat?
A video loop and a repeat sound similar but are two different concepts in video marketing. A video loop is a video clip that plays continuously in an infinite loop without interruption. When the clip reaches its end, it automatically restarts from the beginning creating a continuous playback loop.
A repeat usually refers to a feature that lets a user replay a video from the beginning after it reaches the end. Viewers may need to tap an onscreen button to initiate the replay. There may be a short pause or gap between video playbacks.
3) Does looping a video increase views?
Looping a video can potentially increase views on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Looping videos can grab the viewer’s attention and encourage them to watch multiple times which encourages algorithms to show the content to other users.
Putting it all together
Video loops can create captivating visual experiences. They’re a simple way to keep your audience hooked, and potentially boost your content’s exposure, views, and overall engagement.
Keep in mind that looping videos doesn’t guarantee success on social media. Instead, prioritize creating relevant platform-specific video content that resonates with your audience first — that’s the surefire way to their hearts (and screens).
Learn more marketing insights from Vimeo.
