Stats depict an exciting scenario: TikTok hit the 2 billion global download milestone in August 2020, and the users spend an average of 46 minutes on TikTok daily. According to Hootsuite Digital 2021 Report, TikTok enjoyed 689 million global users as of January 2021, ranking the 7th most used social network globally. Hence, with a mission to inspire creativity and bring joy, TikTok is today one of the largest global video-sharing communities. This means that investing efforts to manage TikTok algorithm hacks can help you tactfully win your audience’s attention.
In this Article:
❓TikTok Algorithm Explained - How Does it Work❓
TikTok has long remained a mystery as to how it ranked content. Fortunately, the social media masterminds lifted the veil, enumerating the three key ranking factors that run the show – TikTok algorithm exposed!
🙋♀️User Interaction🙋♀️
Similar to how Instagram works, the TikTok algorithm also serves the users’ posts that have maximum engagements. For instance, if you use a specific account to interact a lot, the audience will likely see more content from it. It’s the same with the videos that you like and share most often. User interaction will, therefore, include:
- Videos users like👍
- Accounts users follow ⏩
- Comments users make 💬
- Content users create ⏯️
The most important factor, however, remains the video completion rate. This means if you watch a video in full, it is more likely to be pushed for further distribution to other feeds as compared to a half-watched video or those videos that you scroll past. Hence, it is crucial for content creators to hold their viewers’ attention until the end of the video to increase their chances of making it to the For You page on TikTok.
🎬Video Information🎬
Again, the content that is explored more has more chances of being pushed up. For instance, if you search for a particular hashtag, it is more likely that you will be recommended videos with the same hashtag. Long story short, the TikTok algorithm will most likely push content that you frequently explore. There are three critical factors to consider under video information utilization:
- Captions 💬
- Sounds 🔊
- Hashtags ️#️⃣
⚙️Device and Account Settings⚙️
Finally, the demographics of the viewers also play an essential role in pushing specific videos up the TikTok curve. These include factors such as the users’ location, device type, and language preference. Hence, while TikTok allows you to reach a global audience, it also promotes content created by people in your local region.
TikTok facts you may not know:
✅there are 1 Billion active users
✅TT dethroned Google as the worlds most popular domain
✅it has the longest user session time at 11 mins (Pinterest is second with about 5 mins)
✅the average user spends 10-12 hours per week on the app
— Skye 🌤 | Social Media Marketing (@_shortyspice_) May 20, 2022
📈So, How Does a Video from a New Account Go Viral?📈
The million-dollar question then is, how does a video from a new account go viral over TikTok? The answer again lies in the magical algorithm that runs the star platform. Every time a new video is posted, the TikTok algorithm shows it to an account’s followers and increases the chances of people being interested in watching it. Or, if it’s a new profile, it shows the video to a small subset of users who might be interested in the content. From there onwards, the fate of the video is decided by the users’ interaction with that video. Do people watch the video till the end? Do they give it a thumbs up or leave a comment? Do they share it?
A positive user response plays a crucial role in making the video viral, helping it gain the exposure that it deserves. For poor user responses – well, you can do the math!
💡Did you Know? You can monetize your TikTok channel and earn hefty bucks just by creating trending TikTok videos!
💡Tips to Winning the TikTok Algorithm 💡
- Create short videos, preferably 15-seconds long – You are more likely to engage the audience in bite-sized, engaging videos than in longer ones. This naturally gives a boost to your video completion rate.
- Create videos that engage viewers from the beginning – Trim the fluff and avoid long intros so that your users don’t yawn and scroll past them.
- Add an engaging caption – Your captions must be compelling yet short, within the 150-character limit (including any hashtags you may want to use). Stir curiosity, use question-based captions and encourage viewers to leave comments. The catch, in a nutshell, is to increase engagement.
- Create high-quality, well-edited videos – Eye-straining, poor-quality videos will most likely get scrolled past. A good video quality ensures more views, so make sure you make full use of the video-editing features offered by TikTok, including filters, stickers, templates, stickers, and so forth.
- Engage with other TikTokers – Leaving comments and engaging with other content creators on TikTok can encourage them to return your comments and shares. It’s the law of reciprocity at work here.
- Use the correct hashtags – Make sure you use the most trending hashtags to gain visibility on TikTok. When something’s in trend, people inevitably flock towards it.
- Join hashtag challenges – Hashtag challenges are in a rage all over TikTok. They’re the magic recipe to come up with new ideas for content creation. Keep an eye out for the hashtag challenges that can add a unique creative spin to your content.
- Use trending songs and sounds – Remember, music plays a significant part in your content’s discoverability. A trending song can add a quick bump in likes and views for your videos, so make sure you use those to get the most traction.
- Read the analytics – While TikTok Analytics might not be as robust as those provided by Instagram, you better not be fooled. Use these analytics to understand when and where your audience is the most active. This will help you identify your personalized best time to post on TikTok.
💡 Pro-tip: Learn more tips about mastering algorithms from experts in our comprehensive Udemy course.
🎯TikTok - The Marketing Jackpot🎯
TikTok has emerged as a leading tool for influencer marketing and creating organic viral video-based content. Brands are increasingly collaborating with mega-stars like Addison Rae, and Zach King for advertising on TikTok, promoting their products and impacting their target audiences. And brands like Red Bull, Calvin Klein, and Guess are leveraging TikTok’s marketing strategy to expand their brand awareness and recall.
Apart from influencer marketing, TikTok is an ideal platform for product promotion, building engaged communities, and seeking customer feedback.
Read More: TikTok: The Marketing Jackpot – Is your Business There Yet?
🚀OneStream Live – The Game-Changer
Everything said, there’s no way to hack the mysterious and complex TikTok algorithm. But we do have a magic potion that can help you create high-quality video content for TikTok that resonates with your audience, looks professional, and is easy to multi-stream over several other platforms along with TikTok. OneStream Live will help you win the TikTok algorithm – from nailing your hashtag strategy to choosing the best time to stream, be it pre-recorded or real-time videos.
💡Did you Know? You can multistream your TikTok videos to 45+ other social media via OneStream Live.
Download OneStream Mobile App.
OneStream Live is a cloud-based live streaming solution to create, schedule, and multistream professional-looking live streams across 45+ social media platforms and the web simultaneously. For content-related queries and feedback, write to us at [email protected]. You’re also welcome to Write for Us!
