TikTok has taken the world by storm since its launch. TikTok draws influencers, brands, advertisers, and regular people through video content sent in short snippets to the viewer. Have you ever considered how these films get so popular?
TikTok features an algorithm, just like other social networking networks, and this algorithm delivers content to TikTok users via their watching feed. Understanding the TikTok algorithm as a business is critical to improving interaction rates and benefitting a marketing campaign.
What Is TikTok Algorithm ?
The tikTok algorithm is a complex program that determines the order of videos based on popularity. This algorithm works by collecting and processing data to create a catalog of videos. The more you watch, the more popular you become.
However, the algorithm is designed so that the feature highlights content relative to your age and sex on TikTok. For example, men are more likely to watch sports videos than women.
How Does The TikTok Algorithm Works ?
The company collects user data for the algorithm to work, which is then analyzed to determine their viewing habits. This information is used to display videos to make them appealing to your audience.
The company uses three measures: likes, comments, and views. The more you like or comment on a video, the higher it appears in your feed. The algorithm also considers how often you view a video and then plays it for you at appropriate times within your feed.
The TikTok algorithm suggests content depending on a variety of parameters. These elements include:
i. User Interaction
User interaction rates on the platform are further used to identify the content that should be shown. The algorithm analyzes this data, looking at engagement ratios of videos, likes, and comments.
TikTok’s algorithm, like Instagram’s, is based on suggestions on how a user interacts with the app’s content. Anything that gives information about a user’s preferences for or dislikes in terms of content. The content on the For You page is recommended based on several factors, including:
● Which social media profiles do you follow?
● You’ve hidden the creators.
● You’ve made some comments.
● You’ve liked or shared videos on the app.
● You’ve saved videos to your favorites
● You’ve tagged videos as “Not Interested.”
● You’ve flagged videos as being inappropriate.
● Longer videos are more likely to be watched through (aka video completion rate)
● On your account, you can create content.
ii. Video information
The algorithm also considers each video’s title, description, and thumbnail. This data is deemed when delivering content to a user’s feed. TikTok uses a combination of signals from several sources to determine appropriate content.
The company collects user data through several interactions, which are processed in real-time by an algorithm that delivers content based on how much you interact with it.
This can include information such as:
● Captions.
● Sounds.
● Hashtags.
● Effects.
● Topics in the news.
iii. Device & Account Setting
Language options, country setting, and type of mobile device are all minor contributors. These elements, according to TikTok, are considered to produce the most effective possible presentation; however, they aren’t given the same weight as the previous two.
As a result, TikTok’s algorithm is similar to that of most other social media platforms: it considers the content you interact with and then attempts to show you more of it. You’d think that leaving a comment would have more weight and get you more content from that account, whereas following specific hashtag trends will almost surely provide you with more examples.
TikTok considers the following device and account settings:
● Type of device
● Scenery in the countryside
● Favorite language
What Doesn’t the TikTok Algorithm Show?
In an ongoing attempt to improve the user experience, TikTok prohibits some content from showing up on your For You tab to ensure that you don’t see the same films or videos in which you’ve explicitly stated disinterest.
As a result, none of the following videos will be recommended by the TikTok algorithm:
● You have already seen this content.
● Spam-related content.
Going Viral : Taking Advantage of the TikTok Algorithm. Keeping your content from going viral is a challenging task. However, TikTok has a lot of features that help it along. The following factors can increase the likelihood that your content goes viral:
i. Focus on subculture/Niche
The TikTok algorithm allows you to reach a wider audience but also works as a filter for your target demographic. If you want to appeal to a broad group, more than likely, the algorithm will push more mainstream content.
TikTok does not list any specific rules on what sort of content has the potential to go viral. There is no guarantee that you will be the one who creates something that goes viral, and the company doesn’t offer such an option save for taking advantage of unique promotional campaigns and contests.
ii. Keep your video short
The most popular videos on the platform are generally not very long: only around two minutes long. As a result, you need to keep your content short, funny, and short.
Videos longer than two minutes will be less likely to get you more viewers. While the frequency of view is still important, it can’t outweigh the quality of your content if it gets buried in an avalanche of mediocre videos.
iii. Make the first few seconds counter
Think of something to say before you hit the “record” button. The first few seconds of your video are crucial: it is during this time that viewers decide if they want to watch more or not. Remember that this stage is the shortest and the most important for the algorithm to process.
To stand out from all the other videos vying for viewer attention, you need to make an excellent first impression with a fun title or show off your unique sense of humor.
iv. Leverage Popular Hashtags
TikTok allows you to create a hashtag before you start your video. This way, you can take advantage of popular hashtags or add something that will make your video interesting for other users. However, adding any hashtag on the spot is not recommended, so your video will go viral.
The algorithm doesn’t always view and analyze hashtags to decide how widespread they are or which ones are relevant. If you want to be sure that your content goes viral, add an already-popular hashtag only after you have created the rest of your video.
v. Use Trending Audio
Like the rest of the social media platforms, TikTok offers you a way to create your audio. Whether you want it to be funny or trendy, this feature allows you to warp and twist your voice.
You can make all kinds of crazy sounds if you like, but remember that your viewers will be more likely to share it if they find it funny rather than odd. Use the trending audio function in conjunction with other popular content on TikTok, and you should get better results.
Conclusion
The TikTok algorithm is a complex system with many moving parts. Your content must be the best to make it up there, but even if you do, the algorithm won’t always pick it based on its quality. With all this in mind, it can be challenging to become the next viral sensation without some serious effort and attention to detail on your part.
The TikTok Algorithm can help make your videos go viral. Still, as we’ve seen in our analysis of how popular videos are distributed, a few definite factors contribute to your post’s success.