TikTok has exploded in popularity over the last few years, becoming one of the most used social media platforms globally. The app’s powerful algorithm is the driving force behind its success, curating a personalized “For You” feed to keep users endlessly scrolling and engaged. Understanding how the TikTok algorithm works is crucial for any creator or brand looking to build a following and reach new audiences on the platform.
In this article, we’ll provide an in-depth look at the factors that influence TikTok’s algorithm and how you can leverage them to boost your visibility. We’ll cover optimizing your profile, following trends, engaging with your audience, posting high-quality videos, using strategic hashtags, collaborating with other creators, analyzing your analytics, and A/B testing. With over 1 billion monthly active users, gaining an edge on TikTok’s algorithm is key to standing out in a crowded platform. By the end, you’ll have actionable tips to implement in your own TikTok strategy.
How the TikTok Algorithm Works
The TikTok algorithm is complex, using multiple factors to determine which videos to show each user. According to TikTok, the main factors considered are:
User interactions with videos such as number of watches, likes, comments, and shares. The more a video is engaged with, the more the algorithm will show it to others (source).
User profiles and interests. The algorithm evaluates user data and activity to determine their interests and preferences. Videos aligned with a user’s interests are more likely to be recommended (source).
Video information such as captions, sounds, hashtags, etc. Videos using trending sounds and hashtags tend to get a boost from the algorithm.
Optimize Your Profile
One of the most important things you can do to reach more users is to optimize your TikTok profile. According to experts, TikTok’s algorithm looks at profiles that are fully completed as an indication that an account is credible and engaged with the community (https://buffer.com/resources/tiktok-algorithm/). Start by making sure your profile bio is filled out, as this gives viewers context about your account. Your bio should clearly summarize who you are, your niche or interests, and what viewers can expect from your content.
Additionally, be sure to upload a high-quality profile photo that shows your face. Research indicates the algorithm surfaces accounts with profile pictures that help users get to know the person behind the content (https://blog.hootsuite.com/tiktok-algorithm/). Avoid graphics or illustrations, and instead opt for a friendly headshot. This not only optimizes your profile for the algorithm, but also helps you make meaningful connections with your audience.
Lastly, ensure the content you produce aligns closely with the interests you specify in your profile. Staying focused within your niche means viewers who land on your profile are more likely to follow and engage. Catering to your target audience signals to the algorithm that your account provides valuable content.
Follow Trends and Sounds
One of the best ways to get your videos seen by more people on TikTok is to follow popular trends and incorporate trending sounds into your videos (Source). When a particular sound or song starts going viral on TikTok, creating a video using that sound can help put your content in front of users who are interested in that trend. As the blog Hootsuite explains, “videos made with trending sounds are more likely to get pushed by the algorithm.”
At the same time, while riding on existing trends can give your videos a boost, you’ll stand out more by putting your own creative spin on trends rather than just replicating the same trend that everyone else is doing. Come up with a fresh take or new angle (Source). As Neil Patel advises, “be a trend setter, not a trend follower.”
Also, pay attention to trending hashtags and include relevant ones in your video captions. But don’t just stuff your captions with excessive hashtags, as this can get your video filtered out. Carefully choose hashtags aligned with your niche. Searching niche hashtags and sounds can help you find a specific community that will appreciate your style of content.
Engage With Your Audience
Interacting and engaging with your audience is key to getting more views and follows on TikTok. When viewers feel connected to you, they’ll be more likely to watch your future videos.
Make sure to respond to any comments and questions on your videos. This shows followers that you care about what they have to say. You can also @mention users in your responses to have a conversation.
Additionally, like and comment on other creators’ videos, especially those within your niche. This helps you connect with similar audiences. Avoid generic comments like “great video!” – instead, say something specific about their content.
Using captions is another excellent way to boost engagement. Pose questions, ask for video ideas, or encourage viewers to comment. You can even pin select comments to keep the conversation going.
Overall, putting effort into engaging with your TikTok community will lead to increased views, shares, and followers over time. Don’t underestimate the power of meaningful interactions.
Post High Quality Videos
One of the most important things you can do to get past the TikTok algorithm is to ensure you are posting high quality videos consistently. TikTok’s algorithm favors accounts that post content viewers want to watch and engage with.
Make sure your videos have good lighting, smooth camera work, and clean editing. Investing in production quality shows TikTok you are serious about creating content on the platform. Aim to have entertaining concepts and shareable ideas that will get people wanting to like, comment, duet, and share your videos.
Additionally, it’s important to maintain a consistent posting schedule, preferably daily or multiple times per week. The more frequently you post quality content, the more chances you have of being shown to viewers. TikTok wants to promote active accounts that regularly provide fresh videos for people to watch.
As noted in research from Metapress, “TikTok’s algorithm favors videos that keep users on the app for longer periods of time.” By focusing on high quality videos with good production value and consistency, you’ll increase watch time and signal to TikTok that your account deserves greater reach.
Use Hashtags Strategically
Hashtags are essential for discovery on TikTok, so using the right ones is key to reaching more users. Here are some tips for optimizing hashtags:
Research popular niche hashtags that are relevant to your content. Check out trending sounds and hashtags in the Discover section to find ones gaining traction in your niche (Hootsuite). Pay attention to tags with a fire icon, indicating high engagement.
Use a mix of more popular hashtags along with more niche and specific ones. The popular tags help extend your reach, while niche tags target users more interested in your exact content (Wishpond).
Use the maximum allowed tags per video, which is 100. Including the full amount ensures your video is discoverable across a wide range of searches and reaches the full potential audience (Kolsquare).
Collaborate With Other Creators
Working with other creators in your niche is a great way to expand your reach and get in front of new audiences on TikTok. When creators collaborate, they can cross-promote each other’s content to tap into each other’s follower base. According to research, collaborating with the right influencer for your brand can help you get up to 20% more views.
Try doing collab videos with creators who have a similar style or audience as you. This allows you to merge your audiences and gain new followers from each other’s fanbase. When plotting collabs, look for creators who are within 25-50% of your own follower count for optimal results.
Cross-promotion entails each creator promoting the collab video to their own followers. This gives both creators exposure to new potential followers. Make sure to tag each other in the captions, and have each creator share the video on their own profile feed. Encourage viewers to follow the other collaborator as well.
Well-executed collabs allow both creators to gain credibility and authority. Viewers see that top creators in a niche work together and support each other. Done right, collab videos lead to exponential growth for all parties involved.
Check Your Analytics
Analyzing your video and profile analytics is crucial for understanding what’s working and how to optimize your content. TikTok provides creators with robust analytics to see which videos are performing best.
Go to the analytics section of your TikTok account to view viewership stats for each video. Look at total views, average watch time, traffic sources, audience demographics, and more. You can sort videos by most popular to see your top performers.
Pay attention to which videos have high completion rates, as this indicates engaging content. Check if certain video formats, sounds or hashtags lead to more views.
See which countries, devices, and times of day your audience is most active. Use these insights to fine tune your posting strategy.
Continuously check your analytics and use the results to inform your future content. Lean into what resonates with your audience. Consider remixing top videos or doubling down on themes and formats that overperform. Analytics provide the key for optimizing your profile and content for the TikTok algorithm.
For example, TikTok creator @truepointblank uses analytics to determine that American viewers have been responding well to their videos lately.
A/B Test Video Content
A/B testing different aspects of your videos can help you find out what performs best with the TikTok algorithm and audience. Here are some key elements to test:
Test different thumbnails and captions. Thumbnails are the first thing viewers see and captions provide context. Try variations to see which yield higher views, likes and comments. According to Split Metrics, “You should also A/B test thumbnail images to see which ones perform better at getting people to click on your videos.”
Post videos at different times. Pay attention to when your target audience is most active on TikTok and test posting at different times of day and days of the week. Split Metrics recommends testing morning, afternoon, evening and late night posts to see when engagement is highest.
Experiment with trending audios and hashtags. Stay on top of the latest viral sounds, songs and hashtags. Create videos using trending audios or hashtags that are relevant to your niche and test their performance against your standard content.
Analyze the results in TikTok analytics to determine which video variants perform best. Then utilize the winning elements to optimize future video content. As TikTok’s Ads Manager states, split testing helps determine the optimal content with a high degree of confidence.
