How the TikTok algorithm works is one of the great mysteries of the universe, along with the Bermuda triangle or the place where all those mismatched socks end up.
Although they have not made public the data on how their algorithm works, they have given several clues, and many users have done their tests. We have also investigated it in the TikTok account of our marketing agency .
How the TikTok algorithm works
On average, when a user opens the app, they are consuming content for 10 minutes. It is three times more than on Instagram. This is due to the TikTok algorithm, which shows the content that the user will like the most on the ‘For you’ or ‘For you’ page.
The goal of understanding how the TikTok algorithm works is to appear on that page and reach thousands of users.
But how do you decide if something is worth appearing? The most popular theory is that it does some kind of A/B testing. That is, it shows the content to a small number of users, and as they interact with it, it shows it to more people in ‘For you’ or leaves it only for your followers.
How many users are shown at first?
The number of users your video is shown to depends on two factors:
- Your number of followers
- Your ‘profile rating’, which is calculated by the number of interactions on your previous posts.
What does TikTok take into account to boost content?
In order of importance, the application takes into account:
- Views (whether it has been viewed in its entirety or viewed multiple times)
- shared
- Comments
- likes
Is each user shown different content?
As the user watches and interacts with videos, the application learns and learns what they like. So it knows what content you are going to like the most according to its duration, hashtag, song… And it shows you a personalized feed with videos that may interest you, and that make you stay on TikTok for a long time.
11 TikTok tricks
So everything depends on users seeing and interacting with my content? Not at all. You can make sure your video reaches more people with some tricks to optimize your content. Again, there is nothing confirmed by the social network, but it has worked for many users.
1 – Helps classify your content
When TikTok learns which videos a user likes the most, it takes into account the description, the texts within the video, the audio, the hashtags, and they even say that it takes into account what happens in the video, distinguishing a person dancing or a dog.
Keep this in mind, and take advantage of it to reach your target audience.
2 – Use popular music
Use popular music, with which many users have interacted.
3 – Use hashtags
Videos are also collected on TikTok using hashtags, so whenever it’s relevant, be sure to add your own.
Some users also defend that if you use the hashtags #foryou #foryoupage or #parati, there are more chances of appearing on this page, although we have not verified this yet.
4 – Duration of the videos
Although you can make videos of up to a minute, it does not mean that you should. Each public is different, but in general it is best that the limit is 15 seconds, because there are more possibilities for the user to see it in its entirety.
5 – Get what users stay in the video
In order for TikTok to understand that your video is of interest, make sure that users stay until the end. Videos that add a “Wait for it” or “Look what happens now” text are very successful.
On the other hand, when a video ends, it starts playing again. If the user sees it again, TikTok gives you a pin and understands that you have a great video. To encourage this, you can opt for ‘seamless loops’, that is, that your video ends the same way it begins.
6 – What is the best time to post on TikTok?
In Spain, the busiest hours on TikTok are usually from 7 to 12 at night, when people have finished work/school and are looking to entertain themselves at home.
Globally, it follows a similar schedule, although somewhat sooner.
Again, every community is different, so pay attention to your stats. Maybe you find your niche from 2 to 3, when people take a break to eat, or maybe you have a large audience from a country on the other side of the pond and you must adjust the publication hours.
7 – How much to post on TikTok?
Quality before quantity. If you can offer quality and dedication to publish every day of the week, go ahead. If posting two a week works for you, go ahead.
Of course, if you publish more than one a day, keep in mind that your content will be fighting against itself to appear in the users’ feed.
8 – Encourage interaction
As we have seen, it is very important that users watch the entire video, but also that they actively interact with it. That is, that they give it a like, share it, or comment on it.
So you can kickstart it by asking a question for users to comment on, or with a final call-to-action like “Send to a friend who reminded you of”.
9 – Join challenges
There are a lot of people exploring challenges. Make sure you are there and contribute something unique. If you are a company, you can also try creating your own. La Liga has done it and they have achieved more than 10 million views.
10 – Investigate
Of course, quality content adapted to the social network is vital. Do intensive research and exploration to learn about the latest trends, and make sure you understand the unique dynamism and unique style of this network.
11 – Follow us
If you found what we have told you interesting, and you want to continue learning about marketing and TikTok, we recommend that you follow our account 😉