The tiktok algorithm is the fuel that powers the platform’s highly addictive page for you. here’s everything brands need to know about how the tiktok algorithm works and how you can work with it in 2023.
what is the tiktok algorithm?
the tiktok algorithm is a recommendation system that determines which videos will appear on your (unique and highly personalized) page.
No two users see the same videos on your Page for you, and the videos you see can change over time based on your viewing preferences and even your current mood.
this is how tiktok defines the tiktok algorithm for your page:
“a stream of videos curated based on your interests, making it easy to find the content and creators you love…powered by a recommendation system that delivers content to each user that is likely to be of interest to that user in particular.”
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how does the tiktok algorithm work?
Social platforms originally kept their algorithms secret. this makes sense since the recommendation system is a proprietary technology that helps make each social network unique.
Algorithms are a key way social media engages us and keeps us engaged. tiktok doesn’t want spammers and other shady characters to be able to game the algorithm to get more attention than they deserve.
However, as people become more skeptical about the inner workings of social networks, most platforms have revealed the basic workings of their algorithms.
thankfully, that means we now know some of the key ranking signals for tiktok’s recommendation algorithm, straight from tiktok; we describe them in detail below.
tiktok algorithm ranking signals
user interactions, video information, and device and account settings are the main factors that influence the tiktok algorithm.
1. user interactions
Like the instagram algorithm, tiktok’s algorithm bases recommendations on a user’s interactions with the app’s content. what kind of interactions? anything that offers clues about the type of content the user likes or dislikes.
The page for you recommends content based on several factors, including:
- what accounts do you follow
- comments you posted
- creators or sounds you have chosen to hide
- videos you’ve liked or shared in the app
- videos you’ve added to your favourites
- videos you’ve marked “not interested”
- videos you’ve reported as inappropriate
- longest videos you watch to end (also known as video completion rate)
- content you create on your own account
- interests you have expressed by interacting with ads and organic content
- subtitles
- sounds
- tags*
- effects
- current issues
- language preference
- country setting (you are more likely to see content from people in your own country)
- mobile device type
- interest categories you selected as a new user
- duplicate content
- content you’ve already seen
- content that the algorithm marks as spam (including videos that “seek to artificially increase traffic”)
- potentially disturbing content (tiktok gives examples of “graphic medical procedures” or “legal consumption of regulated goods”)
- From your profile page, tap the three-dot icon at the top right of the screen.
- tap builder tools and then analysis.
- react to trending content
- respond to trending questions or notices
- remix fashion ideas with creators
- 65% of tiktokers say professional looking videos from brands feel out of place
- 44% want to see “fun or entertaining” content from brands
- 71% say the authenticity of the creator has motivated them to buy a product
- 64% would rather see ordinary people in tiktok ads than celebrities
- 75% say brand tiktoks should feel like a glimpse into the daily lives of brands and employees
- 77% like brands to take a look behind the scenes or reveal more about themselves
- clear your cache. from your profile, tap the 3-line icon, then tap settings & privacy, then clear cache.
- unfollow accounts. from your profile, click the number above following, then unfollow anyone whose content you no longer want see.
- like more of what you want to see. Send new signals to the algorithm about what you’d rather see by liking the types of videos you want to see more of.
- user interactions: like, share, follow, comment, etc.
- video information: subtitles, sounds, hashtags, etc.
- device and account settings: language, country, device type, etc.
2. video info
While user engagement signals are based on how you interact with other users in the app, video feedback signals are based on the content you tend to search through discover or search.
this can include details such as:
*if you want to learn more about how your tiktok hashtag strategy affects your reach through the algorithm, please watch our video:
3. device and account settings
these are settings that tiktok uses to optimize performance. however, since they are based on unique configuration options rather than active interactions, they do not have as much influence on what you see on the platform as user interaction and video feed signals.
some of the device and account settings included in the tiktok algorithm are:
what is not included in the tiktok algorithm
the algorithm will not recommend the following types of content:
and here’s the good news for all you new tiktok users out there, or for those who haven’t built a huge fan base yet. tiktok does not base recommendations on the number of followers or a history of previous high-performing videos.
Sure, accounts with more followers will likely get more views because people are actively searching for that content. however, if you create great content that speaks directly to your target audience, it has as much chance of getting to your page for you as an account that has had previous viral videos (this includes even the biggest tiktok stars).
not convinced? here’s the scoop straight from tiktok:
“You might come across a video in your feed that doesn’t seem…to have racked up a lot of likes…bringing a diversity of videos to your feed gives you extra opportunities to stumble upon new ones.” content categories, discover new creators and experience new perspectives.”
Your goal is to be one of those new creators for your target audience. here are 9 tips to help you do just that.
9 tips to get picked up by the tiktok algorithm
1. find your subculture
It’s important to find existing communities to interact on all social platforms. but the nature of tiktok’s recommendation algorithm makes this an even more important step in the app.
That’s because, unlike other social networks, where people spend a lot of their time interacting with the accounts they already follow, tiktokers spend most of their time on the page for you. and 70% of them say they feel part of a community on the platform.
If you can tap into an existing community (or subculture), you’re more likely to broaden to the right audience. Fortunately, tiktok subcultures rally around hashtags (more on that later). some of the top communities on tiktok in 2022 were:
#booktok
“the biggest book club on the planet.”
#cart
with 40.3 billion views, it’s safe to say this tiktok community is into cars.
#farmtok
A new generation of farmers and ranchers offers an inside look at farm life.
#crochetsoftiktok
Creators take their social networks seriously, as evidenced by the 3.8 billion views of this community of threads.
Understanding your most valuable subculture can also help you create content that authentically connects with tiktokers, building greater credibility, brand loyalty, and even more exposure. tiktok users want brands to take this approach: 76% say they like brands to be part of special interest groups on the platform.
tiktok audience insights can help you find your subculture by identifying the interest categories and hashtags most relevant to your audience.
source: tiktok
To access audience insights, open the tiktok ads manager and hover over reporting, then click audience insights. Please note that you do not have to be a tiktok advertiser to use this tool.
2. maximize the first moments
tiktok moves fast. this is not the platform to add an intro before diving into the gist of your video. the hook for your video should inspire viewers to stop scrolling.
get noticed and show the value of watching in the first few seconds of your tiktok. specifically, the first two seconds are critical for recall and brand awareness.
Crocodiles grab your attention right from the start with this… uh… crocodile t-shirt? and things never slow down from there.
3. optimize for search
tiktok seo is the new buzzword, and the tl;dr is that you want to create content for keywords and hashtags that people are searching for. this allows you to show your content to people who are actively searching for specific content on the platform, instead of just scrolling through the fyp.
tiktok recently extended the maximum length of subtitles to 2200 characters. That extra space gives you plenty of room to work on keywords that will boost your tiktok seo. start searching for trending keywords by region and industry in the tiktok creative hub.
Of course, your caption isn’t the only place to include keywords. tiktok can also pick them up from your voiceover or text overlay.
Want to know more? we have a full video on how to get your tiktok seo strategy up and running:
4. create high quality videos specifically for tiktok
this should be obvious, right? low-quality content won’t make it to the page for you.
You don’t need any fancy equipment; in fact, your phone is the best tool to create authentic videos. what you do need is decent lighting, a good microphone if you’re recording audio, and some quick editing and transitions to keep your content moving.
tiktok videos can be anywhere from 5 seconds to 10 minutes long, but tiktok says videos should always be longer than 10 seconds to make the best impression. That being said, don’t be unnecessarily long. Video completion rate is an important signal to the algorithm, so you don’t want people to abandon your video because it drags on.
for now, you have to shoot videos vertically to be successful on tiktok. but the platform started testing a horizontal video option late last year, so keep an eye out for potential developments on this front. since it’s unclear if horizontal video will become a full feature, stick to the 9:16 footage.
design your videos to play with sound on. 93% of tiktokers use the platform with sound on and 88% said sound is “essential” on the platform.
and be sure to use tiktok’s built-in features like effects and text treatments. according to tiktok: “these native features help your content feel native to the platform, which can also help it show up more on your pages.”
washington post might not seem like the most obvious brand to experiment with tiktok effects, but they’re pulling it off by using green screen backgrounds and quick cuts to make complex news easily digestible.
In particular, try experimenting with trending effects. tiktok identifies them within the effects menu.
5. post at the right time for your audience
While this is important for all social media platforms, it’s particularly important for tiktok. active engagement with your content is a key signal to the algorithm.
There are a couple of ways to find out when your audience is most active in the app.
1. tiktok review:
source: tiktok
for more details, we have a whole post on how to get maximum benefits from tiktok analytics.
2. hootsuite best time to post
If you have a tiktok business account (rather than a creator account), you can use Hootsuite’s best time to post feature to get personalized recommendations on the best time to post for your specific audience.
watch our video on how to find the best time to post on tiktok for your account:
6. interact with other tiktok users
21% of tiktokers said they feel more connected to brands who comment on other people’s posts. Staying on top of comments on your own videos is also key: 76% of users say that brands that post or reply to comments feel part of the tiktok community.
tiktok recommends a “react, respond and remix strategy”:
duets, stitches, and video responses to comments are great ways to implement this strategy.
stitch is a tool that allows you to trim and integrate moments from other tiktokers’ content into your own.
duets allow one user to record a “duet” with another user commenting along with the original creator’s video in real time.
and video responses to comments allow you to create new video content based on comments or questions on your previous posts.
fenty beauty consistently uses video responses to create videos that address fan feedback and requests, showing they’re paying attention to their user base and making people’s days in the process:
TikTok’s default settings allow others to create duets and join videos using your content. if you want to change this for any particular video, tap the three-dot icon on the video to open the privacy settings, then adjust as needed.
You can also disable these features for your entire account, but that would limit the opportunities for other tiktok users to interact with your content, thus decreasing discoverability.
7. use the right hashtags
To find trending hashtags, head over to the tiktok creative hub. Click the analytics button next to any trending hashtag to see a full breakdown of its popularity, including audience demographic details and related interests.
source: tiktok creative hub
be sure to keep an eye out for challenge-related hashtags. Hashtag challenges are a great way to spark new ideas for content while sending the algorithm some good trending vibes.
and take note: 77% of tiktok users said they like it when brands “capture trends, showcase memes, or start engaging challenges on tiktok.”
You can also focus on your specific audience and find the top 10 hashtags they engage with using tiktok’s audience insights tool.
8. use trendy sounds and music
two-thirds (67%) of tiktokers said they prefer brand videos featuring popular or trending songs. and, as we already said, participating in any type of trend is a good bet when you target the page for yourself.
so how do you know what songs and sounds are trending?
you can often get an idea of the latest buzz sounds just by taking a look at your page for yourself.
but to be more specific, you can find popular songs by region in tiktok creative hub. Just like with trending hashtags, you can find analytics like audience demographics and related interests. Please note that this section of the creative hub only includes songs, not original user-generated sounds.
9. be real and have fun
tiktok is not the place for gimmicky and overly polished content.
tiktok users want to see brands experiment and have fun on the platform: 79% say brands should experiment with different themes to see what suits them best on tiktok.
tiktok algorithm faq
what is the tiktok algorithm?
the tiktok algorithm is a set of proprietary signals that tiktok uses to determine what content appears on the page customized for each tiktok user.
how to reset tiktok algorithm
There’s no official way to reset tiktok’s algorithm, but there are some steps you can take to help retrain it to change what you see on the page for you.
what are the main ranking factors of the tiktok algorithm?
the main rain factors of the tiktok algorithm are:
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