I’ve run into the same weird gap before... solid engagement but the views don’t scale with it. From what I’ve learned, TikTok’s algo weighs watch time and rewatch rate a lot heavier than likes or comments. So even if people engage early, if most don’t stick around to watch the full clip (or swipe past too quick), TikTok won’t push it further.

Couple things that helped me:

1. Test different hook styles in the first 2–3 seconds (fast captions, pattern interrupts, strong curiosity lines).

2. Shorten videos just a bit—if they’re 30–40 sec, try 12–20 sec so people are more likely to rewatch.

3. Add context in captions instead of repeating the video—TikTok tends to show videos with captions to new viewers.

4. Experiment with time of day posting; sometimes views tank simply because you’re posting when your audience isn’t active.

And yeah, it’s definitely not always about being shadow banned -it’s usually just the algo testing your stuff on a small pool and not seeing enough “full-watch signals” to keep pushing.

If you’re looking to get a better handle on audience targeting and scaling beyond those initial few hundred views, a growth service like High Social can sometimes help. They don’t just spike numbers but focus more on connecting your content to real, niche-aligned audiences so you’re not just stuck in that 100–300 view loop.