The TikTok. algorithm, like that of Instagram, still remains a real enigma for users. You must have noticed that when you spend too much time on chat videos, you get more suggestions. But sometimes, you are amazed at what the application submits to you. Content that has nothing to do with what you usually consume is submitted to you. Questions, TikTok users have dozens.
How come a video posted three months ago suddenly resurfaces and multiplies its views by 10? Why from one content to another, the number of views is not the same? How do videos appear on users' For You page?
All these questions fly in the minds of videographers for one and the same reason. This algorithm dictates the trends on the app. It is he who decides which video is highlighted and to which audience.
To reassure creators and brands, the ByteDance platform recently opened up about how videos are classified.
“The system recommends content by analyzing videos based on a combination of factors – starting with the interests you express as a new user and adjusting for the things you indicate you are not interested in, also neither the number of followers nor the fact that the account has already had very successful videos are not direct factors in the recommendation system”, specified the team a few months ago.
We have analyzed this communication, look carefully at the For You selections and the evolution of certain accounts. In this article, we invite you to discover how the TikTok algorithm works. This comprehensive guide will give you a better understanding of how to increase your number of views and subscribers.
L’algorithme de TikTok décrypté de A à Z
a user spends an average of 90 minutes a day on TikTok. This performance is made possible thanks to the work of the algorithm. The latter submits videos to the user related to his areas of interest. To know them, the ByteDance team decided to analyze a set of data to ensure that the average time spent on the application only increases.
User interests
Once all of your profile is filled in, ByteDance asks you for your areas of interest. This information is to be chosen seriously since it will dictate part of the content that the algorithm will submit to you. As this is a first connection, the beast does not know you well and will do tests based on your areas of interest to find out what you will appreciate the most. This first information is crucial for the application. But those that follow are even more so.
Profile subscriptions
Then, once you have really invested in this new web space, you will freely subscribe to certain accounts that are submitted to you or that you are looking for. This subscription base is also a working tool for this algorithm. It will allow him to better know what targeted content and on what theme.
Your “work” on the platform
Finally, the last factors taken into account by TikTok are your job on the platform. Users on ByteDance are welcome to post their content. The latter once put online will be looked at in all directions by the algorithm. He will go to see the type of caption you used, the music chosen, the hashtags you entered as well as the reactions in comments that will be published there.
The average time spent on content is an interesting additional indication for teams. The longer this time, the more it means that the content is liked and works, the more it will be highlighted. All of this data will once again feed the system so that it can submit appropriate content to you.
All these factors are not put on the same footing. The algorithm will give greater importance to the time spent on a video rather than a user's native language.
How to imagine an impactful video on TikTok?
Even if the functioning of the TikTok algorithm has not been specified in the smallest details, these first data are crucial. We can now know in what ways to think about its content so that it is seen by the maximum number of people. This reflection must start from the preparation of the video.
What content to put online?
To give you ideas, all you need to do is open the application. In the “For You” section, you will be able to discover the latest trends and make them your own. Trending on TikTok is important because it will allow you to surf the type of content that is appreciated by users. It can be a dance, a challenge or the use of a particular music. It is therefore advisable to choose one of these three options to think about these next videos.
Music is crucial
Let's take the time to write a paragraph about music. It has a privileged place on the application, because it is possible to search for content by selecting a specific piece. It is therefore a gateway not to be overlooked to allow users to discover your content. In addition, ByteDance helps you find the ones that hit the platform at a given moment. In your sound library, there is a "trends" tab where all the most used and viewed music of the moment are listed.
Video editing
Editing has an important place in the design of your videos on TikTok. Users, in addition to choosing their music well, also have every interest in thinking well about their captions and hashtags. As we saw earlier, interactions feed the algorithm. The more they are, the more he is happy and has information to put in his mouth. In these short captions, it is therefore advisable to encourage its users to speak, to react to your content so that an exchange takes place in the comments.
Hashtags
In addition, the hashtags have an interest in appearing despite the restricted space. As on all social networks, they allow the video to be categorized and end up on pages on the platform. For example, if you are looking for advice on skin, you will probably type #skincare or any other keyword related to the subject.
To help users discover your content on this topic, fill in the best keywords. In addition, the name of the challenges on TikTok can be specified. To participate in a particular trend and get your video up in searches, feel free to head over to the homepage where all trending topics are listed.
Know your community
After focusing on the content, it's time for you to learn a little more about your community. The flow of videos is so intense on TikTok that you have to think about a specific time to post your content.
To find out when your community is most present, ByteDance's analytics tool is a gold mine! By going to this category, you will know the habits of your subscribers. The platform informs you of the day and time when they are most present. It is then up to you to deduce the best time to share your videos.
In addition, to help you, find our article what time to post on TikTok?
The localisation
Finally, you realized with our first part that the locality is taken into account by the algorithm. According to the latest rumors, it may well be that in a while, the platform will make it one of its priorities. The objective for her would be to offer videos that have been produced by videographers close to us. Good news for brands and in particular shops that wish to invest in the platform. They could be within several months reaching an audience of users near their place of sale.
Creativity everywhere is on TikTok
Understanding the TikTok algorithm is interesting, but there is above all an essential point that allows videographers to make themselves known: creativity. This factor seems to be a little less present in the information taken into account by the application, surely, because it is difficult today for an algorithm to judge this type of performance.
Still, being creative on TikTok is one of the options that ensures maximum views. If we take the example of content creators who are a hit today on the application, they have obviously all been able to develop a particularity:
Justine Marc
Justine Marc, plus de 4,5 millions d'abonnés, s'est fait connaître en imitant la petite fille. Grâce à un filtre et à sa voix modifiée, elle a su rassembler des millions d'abonnés avec ce concept décliné à l'infini.
@justinemaarc Pas de secret les amis, l’alimentation, la discipline et la passion @Fitness Park Officiel ♬ son original - Le petit fille
Yo Funders
Yo Funders, more than 1.5 million subscribers, also chose to change his voice.
@yofunders_ Partage à tes potes qui seront présents au #BigBangEmploi ! Hâte ? 🤩💥 @@Christelle MORANÇAIS##RégionPaysDeLaLoire ♬ son original - Yofunders 🇫🇷
Both of these examples are both entertaining and unique on TikTok. It is complicated for a new user to arrive on ByteDance and choose the same feature.
To allow these new content creators who wish to invest in the platform, TikTok offers endless options. Recently, new filters have appeared. By appropriating them from the start, ByteDance provides additional visibility to the content since it will encourage other videographers to use it as well. This is the case, for example, of creative tools such as the duo where users react to a video from another influencer.
Three tips for increasing views on TikTok
Creativity. is not the only key to success. By analyzing the content of certain influencers, we find three main areas. These can inspire you with videos and ensure your first good visibility on the application.
Here are our three tips:
- Post regularly: as on all social networks, regularity is key, but even more so on TikTok. The algorithm never seems satisfied and appreciates being given information on a regular basis. This is why content creators publish up to three videos a day.
- Multiply the content: today on the application, many tools and options are available to imagine videos that stand out. Rather than sticking to one format, use all the creative options available to you. They will give you ideas for new videos before you run out.
- The end of the content is important: one of the valuable factors for TikTok is the watch time. You need to get your subscribers to watch your entire video as much as possible. This is why it is interesting to also focus on a very specific storytelling: start with a problem, share how you will manage to find the solution, display your results only at the very end. In this way, viewers feel compelled to watch the whole video to get the outcome.