The basic logic of TikTok’s advertising algorithm

TikTok has over 1 billion active users worldwide

The average user spends 95 minutes per day browsing TikTok

TikTok has an engagement rate 150% higher than Instagram

90% of TikTok users visit the app every day

70% of users say TikTok content helps them discover new products or brands

Videos with trending audio are 1.5 times more likely to make it to #foryoupage (FYP)

What exactly causes the TikTok algorithm to pick content and show it to more people?

This can be broken down into four parts, namely user interaction, video information, device and account settings, and ultimately user demographics and interests.

User interaction

TikTok prioritizes content based on how users interact with it. This means that the more interaction your content gets early in its life cycle, the more likely TikTok will show it to a wider audience.

Likes and comments: The more Likes and comments a video receives, the more likely it is to be shown to a wider audience.

Watch time: Videos that are watched or replayed from beginning to end rank higher.

Shares and Follows: Content that is shared or attracts new followers is more likely to be pushed to the “#foryourpage” page (FYP).

Video Information

TikTok uses metadata from videos to recommend content. This means that the success of video content depends on more than just the video itself. There are also a few points to note:

Subtitles: Videos that contain keywords related to popular topics or user interests rank higher.

Tags: Strategic use of popular and niche tags can increase exposure. For example: 75% of the top videos use #foryoupage.

Sound: Popular audio clips increase engagement. Using popular sounds can increase video views by up to 30%.

Device and Account Settings

The physical device you use affects the performance of your content, and although this has a smaller impact on the algorithm, it should still be considered.

Language preference and location affect the content recommended to users.

Device type and whether the user is using TikTok on a mobile or desktop device are also considered.

User Demographics and Interests

The TikTok algorithm, like any social platform, is personalized in nature. This means it tailors the content shown to each person based on what they like and what they are most likely to engage with. It learns the user’s behavioral patterns to build a profile of content that each person likes based on the following factors:

Content interests: the type of content that has been interacted with before.

Previous history: the history of interaction with a specific creator or niche.

Existing habits: the more content a user watches, the easier it is for the system to create a personalized content profile based on their habits.

How to use the TikTok algorithm to get more traffic?

Leverage trending topics and sounds

Use viral sounds and challenges to increase your chances of getting FYP. 67% of viral videos are accompanied by popular audio.

We recommend that you browse popular audio before creating any content to see which ones match your ideas best.

Don’t just overlay popular audio or sounds onto your video content, think about how to make the audio more compatible with the content, such as key beats, etc.

Create high-quality content

Videos with high engagement within the first 2 hours after posting are more likely to be recommended.

Videos that have facial expressions and some kind of enticing appeal in the first 2-3 seconds are more likely to encourage viewers to continue watching. If they keep watching, this will signal to the TikTok algorithm that your content is high quality, allowing it to show your videos to a wider audience.

It is recommended to post 1-4 videos per week to increase visibility and keep your account in the spotlight of your audience.

Focus on short, engaging content

TikTok videos work best when they are 15-30 seconds long, making sure the first 2-3 seconds are the most engaging part to quickly attract viewers.

It is important to note that TikTok is a short video platform. While it does allow longer videos (up to 60 minutes in fact), short videos perform much better.

Optimize posting time

Research shows that the best time to post is between 6pm and 10pm, especially on weekends, when engagement is 30% higher.

That being said, every audience is different. If you find that your posts have a higher interaction rate in the morning, then change your strategy to post in the morning.

Posting on any social media platform is a constant learning experience, and trial and error will lead to success!

About #foryoupage (FYP)

TikTok’s #foryoupage (FYP) is the ultimate destination for creators — it’s the place to get a ton of exposure. You can think of it as being exactly like the Explore page on Instagram. It’s the ultimate destination for creators who want their content to reach a wider audience.

Videos that are new, highly engaging, or relevant to current trends are most likely to make it to FYP.

Videos are shown to a small group of users first. If a video gets high engagement (i.e. comments, likes, shares, reposts), TikTok pushes it to more users.

If a video continues to perform well, it will continue to show on FYP. However, once engagement starts to drop, it will show less and less, and eventually disappear from the #foryourpage altogether.

Summary:

Engage with your audience: Respond to comments and engage with your followers. Engagement with your audience improves algorithm performance.

Analyze and tweak: Check your TikTok analytics regularly to see what’s working and tweak your content accordingly. Remember, ongoing experimentation is critical.

Optimize thumbnails: Custom thumbnails with engaging text or eye-catching images can increase the likelihood of users clicking on your video, leading to higher views.

Collaborate with other creators: Collaborating with influencers or creators in your field can expose your content to new audiences, thereby expanding your reach.