What is the TikTok Algorithm?
The TikTok algorithm is the artificial intelligence system that recommends content to users on the platform. It aims to provide each user with a personalized “For You” feed that surfaces videos likely to be engaging and relevant based on their interests and past viewing behavior.
According to TikTok, the algorithm takes into account a variety of factors when recommending content, including:
- User interactions – Videos that a user likes, comments on, shares, etc. signal interest and influence future recommendations.
- Video information – Details like captions, sounds, hashtags, etc. that indicate topic and context.
- Device settings – The language, region, and device type can impact the content shown.
- Account settings – User preferences like “Not Interested” feedback tailor the recommendations.
By analyzing these types of data signals, TikTok’s algorithm can dynamically learn each user’s interests and preferences. It then serves up a customized feed meant to engage each particular user by showing them content most likely to be relevant and captivating based on their unique behavior and settings. This personalization is key to how the TikTok algorithm works.
Sources: https://searchengineland.com/how-tiktok-algorithm-works-390229, https://creativecloud.adobe.com/learn/express/web/tiktok-algorithm-explained
Do New TikTok Accounts Get A Boost?
There is a common theory that when a new TikTok account is created, it gets an initial “boost” from the algorithm to help it gain traction. The idea is that TikTok wants to quickly get new users engaged so they are more likely to continue using the app.
Some TikTok creators report seeing high view counts on their first several posts before seeing numbers drop off over time. As one Reddit user shared, “Tiktok does promote new users. A posted video is going to gain initial algorithm statistics based on your followers. Tiktok pushes new accounts at the beginning to get them hooked” [1].
However, TikTok has not officially confirmed offering any boost for new accounts. According to one analysis, TikTok’s algorithm favors accounts that already have high engagement and a history of posting viral content [2]. Well-established accounts with large followings may have an advantage in being recommended over brand new accounts with no track record.
In the end, while some new accounts may experience a brief spike in engagement, maintaining views and growth over the long-term likely depends more on producing captivating content than any initial boost. TikTok has a demand for both new and familiar creators, but quality and community-building remain essential to standing out in a crowded platform.
TikTok’s Statements on New Account Boosts
TikTok has not made any official public statements confirming or denying that new accounts receive a boost. However, their Community Guidelines (https://www.tiktok.com/community-guidelines) shed some light on their approach and priorities when it comes to how content is distributed on the platform.
The Community Guidelines state that TikTok aims to “cultivate an environment for genuine interactions”, and they want to give everyone the opportunity to “find their community”. This suggests TikTok wants to make it easy for new users to gain a following when they first join, so they are encouraged to stay active and engaged on the platform.
The guidelines also mention TikTok strives to “promote an inclusive environment” where all creators have a chance to reach an audience. Giving new accounts a boost would align with these goals, as it helps new voices and diverse perspectives enter the community and build a presence.
However, TikTok has not directly confirmed they artificially inflate the reach of new accounts. They emphasize wanting to show users content that is “relevant and interesting” to them, which may indirectly favor new accounts as users look for novel content.
Experiences of TikTok Creators
There are anecdotal reports from TikTok creators suggesting new accounts may get a boost on the platform. For example, one creator discussed starting a new account and noticing it gained thousands of followers quickly with high engagement on new videos (source). Another conducted an experiment creating two identical accounts, finding the new one had more views in the first weeks (source).
While limited data exists, some creators have run tests to analyze the impact of account age. One experiment compared a new account to an established one by posting the same content. The new account saw more views and engagement initially, but tapered off within a few weeks (source). However, these experiments have limitations in isolating account age as the only variable.
Overall, creators perceive advantages for growing new accounts in the short-term. But long-term success likely depends more on content quality, audience-building strategies, and算法ic recommendations based on user interests.
Account Engagement and Growth Over Time
Studies show that engagement rates on TikTok accounts tend to follow typical growth curves over time. According to research from Socialinsider.io, the average TikTok engagement rate (likes + comments + shares / views) declines as accounts get older:
- Accounts under 30 days old: 10-15% engagement rate
- Accounts 30-90 days old: 5-10% engagement rate
- Accounts 90 days – 1 year old: 3-7% engagement rate
- Accounts over 1 year old: 1-5% engagement rate
This data indicates that very new accounts on TikTok tend to see higher engagement rates at first, likely due to TikTok’s algorithm promoting new accounts to test content resonance. But engagement declines steadily as accounts mature. While the algorithm may give new accounts an initial boost, ongoing growth and engagement must be earned over time through compelling content and audience building.
According to a TikTok study, mature accounts that produce quality content, understand their analytics, and optimize posting strategy can still achieve strong engagement benchmarks long-term.
Promoting Platform Adoption and Retention
Some speculate that TikTok may provide a boost to new accounts in order to drive platform adoption and increase user retention. As a growing social media platform, TikTok has incentives to attract new users and keep them engaged with the app.
According to TikTok, the main factors that drive distribution and engagement are “user preferences, interests, interactions, and content” (source). However, there are concerns that artificially inflating new accounts could impact long-term user engagement and retention.
While an initial boost may attract users, they may lose interest if their future videos do not receive significant reach. Some experts argue that focusing on content quality and community building is a more sustainable growth strategy. Balancing the experience for new creators versus established ones is an ongoing consideration for TikTok.
Balancing Established and Emerging Creators
TikTok faces the challenge of balancing promotion for established creators who already have large followings, while still helping new creators emerge and gain visibility. On one hand, spotlighting popular creators helps drive engagement on the platform. But solely promoting top accounts would limit opportunities for new voices.
Providing an initial boost for new accounts can help TikTok build a robust and diverse creator ecosystem. As described in a TikTok job posting for a Creator Strategic Manager role, the company aims to “inspire creativity and bring joy” by empowering creators at all stages of their journey (source). Features that give new users a starting boost allow emerging talent to be discovered and potentially grow their own fanbases over time.
In this way, new account promotion mechanisms act as an investment in cultivating the next generation of top creators. While established influencers bring in revenue now, fresh creators will sustain the app’s success in the long run. Thoughtful algorithms that provide initial exposure for new voices while still rewarding beloved creators help TikTok promote both popular and up-and-coming talent.
Managing Supply and Demand
TikTok has an incentive to manage the supply and demand of content on the platform. With tens of thousands of new users joining daily, boosting new accounts can help prevent oversaturation from more established creators. Kevin O’Marah states that TikTok utilizes “social media and various digital platforms” to “Enable real-time reorchestration of supply and demand” (O’Marah). By analyzing real-time demand data, TikTok can identify gaps and opportunities for new content creators to fill. This allows TikTok to balance the content being supplied by established creators with fresh perspectives from emerging creators.
Without boosts for new accounts, the TikTok algorithm may end up overpromoting the same popular creators over and over. By elevating new voices, TikTok can meet the diverse interests of its growing user base. As stated in an article on TikTok’s supply chain, “A TikTok Supply Chain ingests and analyzes demand data from social media and various digital platforms, utilizing these insights to…Balance established and emerging creators” (Zero100). Overall, strategically managing supply and demand is key for TikTok to keep users engaged across niches and prevent saturation.
Addressing Concerns and Considerations
There are some potential downsides and concerns to consider around the idea of new TikTok accounts receiving an initial boost from the algorithm.
One concern that has been raised is that over-boosting new accounts could flood users’ feeds with lower-quality content from accounts that have not yet built up an audience organically. This could lead to poor user experiences if new accounts are being pushed aggressively without regard for the actual engagement and quality of their content.
Additionally, some more established creators have expressed frustration that new accounts seem to get higher visibility in the algorithm compared to their own content. As creators spend time building up their presence and high-quality content over months or years, it can be disheartening for their reach to seem limited compared to brand new accounts.
TikTok likely needs to strike a balance between promoting new creators and keeping established ones satisfied. While some initial boost can help kickstart new accounts, the algorithm shouldn’t undervalue those who have worked diligently to build their following and perfect their content.
Overall, TikTok will need to be strategic and measured in how aggressively it promotes new accounts to manage both user experience and creator concerns. Some boost may make sense, but overdoing it could risk devaluing organic growth and disillusioning established creators vital to the platform.
Conclusion
Based on the information and analysis presented, the evidence seems to suggest that new TikTok accounts likely do receive some degree of an initial boost when first starting out on the platform.
While TikTok has not outright confirmed this practice, the experiences of many creators seem to point to new accounts seeing higher engagement and faster growth in followers and views early on. This makes sense from the platform’s perspective, as they want to promote adoption and retention among new users. Seeing quick growth and audience interaction early on helps keep new creators motivated and invested in building their accounts.
However, this boost does seem to fade over time, requiring creators to employ good content strategies and use platform features wisely in order to maintain growth velocity. The algorithm does seem to even out and require consistent high-quality content over the long-term.
In conclusion, the preponderance of observational evidence suggests new TikTok accounts see a temporary boost in reach and engagement for the first batch of videos, but long-term growth must be earned through creativity, consistency and understanding the ever-changing algorithm.
