16 November 2021
TikTok 101 – Getting to Know This Short-form Video Streaming Giant
An all-in-one guide to nailing the hottest new social media platform
Growing from roughly 54 million users in February 2018, to more than a billion users on TikTok in September 2021, the social media giant saw an increase of some 95 million users on their app in a mere span of 45 months—a milestone that only Facebook has ever achieved. 😱😱😱
With more and more young users adopting TikTok and migrating away from Facebook’s family of apps, now’s the time to get your brand on TikTok.
Find out everything you need to know about TikTok below!
How TikTok Algorithm Works
The first thing you see when you open the TikTok app is the For You page that is tailored to every user’s profile. No two For You pages are the same.
TikTok relies on your behaviour on the platform to provide recommendations to a new user and constantly optimises it based on the interactions thereafter.
- User Interaction: How a user engages with their feed, such as liking, sharing, watching the video till the end, commenting, sharing and the accounts they follow, and what kinds of videos they post.
- Video information: This includes details like captions, sounds, and hashtags.
- Device and Account Settings: It takes into account language preference, location settings, and device type to ensure content performance optimisation.
How to Personalise Your #FYP (For You Page)
Step #1: Select categories that interest you so that TikTok can help you create a For You page feed that’s just for you!
Step #2: Engage with content that you enjoy. If you like the content, give it a like or follow. It is also worth exploring hashtags to help tailor your TikTok experience.
Step #3: Long-press on a video and tap “Not Interested” to indicate that you don’t care for a particular video.
Your first set of likes, dislikes, comments, and shares will help optimise the recommendations as the machine learns more about your preferences.
Factors That Affect the Algorithm
- Hashtags: Look out for trending hashtags on the Discover page so you can identify trends that are gaining traction. Create these content and jump on that bandwagon to gain a wider reach for your content.
- Captions: Keep them short and succinct. For a mobile-first app, it is important to communicate what you want to say easily. Don’t forget to reply to the comments and lead conversation too.
- Trending Sounds: Unlike the other social media apps, TikTok’s discoverability relies heavily on the music you choose. Pick a trending song and create a content that is aligned with it.
And that sums up the basics of the platform!
TikTok, like many other social media platforms, are constantly evolving to provide a better customer experience with new product innovations.
Now that we know the key factors that play into TikTok’s algorithm, it’s important to pay attention to them and apply it into the content.
Want to know how we can help your brand get on TikTok? Hit us up at info@meetisaac.sg!