TikTok has seen a boom in popularity over the last few years! The platform has become the perfect space for marketing a business… and when done properly, it’s pretty easy to become an expert!
Now, I will let you into a little secret… Beginning to understand TikTok’s algorithm is the easiest way to become that expert!
This blog intends on talking you through the very basics of the algorithm and everything you need to know about it.
Although TikTok has never released details regarding its algorithm, we have discovered key considerations you need to take when using the platform.
User Activity
First and foremost, it is important to remember the more engagement a video receives the more likely it is to be viewed by a larger audience. TikTok does not base this on the number of followers your account has. This engagement is measured on:
- Likes
- Comments
- Shares
- Completions and re-watches
Therefore, when making a video it is important to consider how these can be encouraged!!
Subject Matter
Content is categorised based on the audience’s interest. The video, therefore, needs a clear subject matter, this is distinguished by:
- Caption keywords
- Sounds
- Hashtags
- Effects
- Content
These should be linked to your subculture/target audience, using these helps TikTok to identify who they should show your content to. So don’t forget to make it obvious who your audience is!
Location and Language
The algorithm also recognises the locations and language of the device so can target an audience within the surrounding area.
So, as a local business, it is crucial you tag your local area within the video!
Audio
Trending sounds and songs are a popular feature of TikTok therefore incorporating these within videos can encourage content to be seen – especially by new audiences.
The most effective way to identify new sounds on TikTok is to simply use TikTok. Discover popular audio and use them in your videos!
“Not interested” Feedback
The algorithm also focuses on delivering videos of high interest to the user, for this reason, it avoids showing videos which have been:
- Marked as not interested
- Hidden
- Skipped by the user
The success of your video is therefore based on people liking the content. You should therefore make the video as interesting and engaging for your audience as possible. It’s all about getting them hooked!
Factors which do not influence the TikTok algorithm
Surprisingly the success of your previous video does not affect the success of the next one.
This gives you the chance to experiment with your content, if a video isn’t successful, it’s okay because you can just move on to the next one… TikTok doesn’t hold any grudges! So don’t be afraid to try something new!
TikTok Pro Account
Although this is not essential…
It gives you access to the metrics and insights of your TikTok account which can be used to increase the success of your future TikTok videos.
It is a great way to learn from your previous videos! Learn what is working and what isn’t, by discovering what your audience wants to see!
Are you keeping track so far? Told you it’s pretty simple stuff!
Creating High-Quality Videos
Although TikTok requires nothing too fancy, low–quality videos will not make it to the For You page. Simply using your phone is the best way of making videos for the platform, it is just as important to have good lighting and clear audio.
It should be shot in 9:16 vertical, videos shot this way receive on average 25% higher six-second watch–through rate. See, simple things can easily boost the success of your videos!
Sounds on TikTok are essential to the success of content, fast-paced tracks which play at 120 or more beats per minute have the highest view-through rate.
Another simple way of improving the quality of your videos is through editing them on TikTok and including TikTok’s built-in features like effects and text. This encourages your content to feel a part of the platform encouraging them to appear on For You pages.
Manipulating the Algorithm
How to increase your performance and increase your growth on TikTok:
Capture your audience’s attention within 3 seconds
TikTok favours videos which are short, seamless and captivating. The audience will quickly pass the video if attention isn’t gained quickly. Your TikToks need to look intriguing and hook someone instantly.
Focus on your niche
Be different and let TikTok see how you are an expert in your field. The more it sees this, the more likely it is it will show the content to your audience. What makes you stand out should then be conveyed in your keywords in your captions and hashtags. Think – what makes me different?
Use trending audio
The algorithm favours videos which are using the most recent trending audio. Just scrolling through TikTok and identifying songs or audio clips which are repeating is a simple way of identifying new trends. This is a great excuse to sit and scroll on TikTok!
Use the new TikTok features
Test the water for new ideas, this could be a way of beating competitors to the latest trends and being ahead of the game, increasing your visibility.
Use popular and relevant hashtags
Using hashtags helps TikTok categorise your content and present it to your relevant audience. For this reason, it is important to ensure your hashtags are relevant to the content.
Engage with other similar creators
Make yourself active and present on the platform, this will boost your engagement and encourage the success of your content. 21% of TikTokers said they feel more connected to brands and creators who comment on other people’s posts (Pope, 2022). Replying and engaging to comments on your videos also increases engagement signals to the algorithm.
Make the content relatable and understandable
Connecting to people on TikTok emotionally and making your content relatable will encourage more people to be captivated by the content.
Post at effective times
By posting at the right time on the platform more people are likely to see your content, increasing the engagement and success of the video, again causing it to be seen by more people. We will discuss this in my detail soon!
Keep videos short
Jump straight into the focus of the video, there is no time for a long intro. Creating videos which are too long will cause the attention of the audience to be lost, leading users to scroll past the content. If too many people scroll off the video it will cause TikTok to not show the video to others.
Don’t delete old content
Videos can keep appearing on the audience feeds for weeks after they have been posted. Therefore, engagement and views can still be gained after the video was posted. Don’t give up on a video too early!
Best time to post on TikTok
Posting at the right time can be the make or break for your TikTok success! Posting at the time your audience is active on TikTok will increase the likelihood of them seeing the video!
Look back through your insights at the best time to post to reach your audience, this could be different to the times used on Facebook and Instagram!
Here are the most popular times to post on TikTok in 2022!
Monday: 6 AM, 10 AM, 10 PM
Tuesday: 2 AM, 4 AM, 9 AM
Wednesday: 7 AM, 8 AM, 11 PM
Thursday: 9 AM, 12 AM, 7 PM
Friday: 5 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM
Saturday: 11 AM, 7 PM, 8 PM
Sunday: 7 AM, 8 AM, 4 PM
So, there you go! A quick rundown of the TikTok algorithm! Following these steps will allow you to become a TikTok pro!
And don’t forget, scrolling on TikTok can be an effective method of improving your marketing!
If you have any further questions on using TikTok as a marketing platform, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us, we will be happy to help!!
References
Pope, C (2022) TikTok is quickly reinventing the way people interact online, and for brands, understanding this is key to achieving success on the platform, Catch a Fire. 13th January. [blog] Available from https://www.catchafireagency.com/tiktok-the-new-kid-on-the-block-thats-reinventing-the-internet/ [accessed 18 August 2022].
