Ever wonder how social media giant TikTok measures content amongst its audience? The company’s complex data analysis of every piece of content posted on the app is filtered through a “machine” that although proven complicated, can actually be quite simple. Imagine, an algorithm exists within TikTok Artificial Intelligence systems that can be overcome to turn your raw content into viral exposure, much easier than you’d think.
TikTok’s first course of action focuses on determining your video’s reach as soon as you post, then uses AI to analyze the genre of music and text/hashtags included in the post. Categorizing this content makes it easier for marketers at TikTok to pinpoint the perfect audience to push content their way. Some refer to this theory as the ‘small-batch’ method, which includes pushing the video out to users beyond just their followers to measure its social success. Moreover, tracking the user’s ‘rating ratio’ by using the number of followers and profile rating enables the post to be evaluated for its potential reach. In simpler terms, the video is processed for similarities with other users then pushed towards that target audience. But this is only the algorithm’s first line of defense to social success.
Next, if the video succeeds where it is placed, the video is scanned more precisely for engagement based on its performance rating; this takes into account completion ratio, likes, comments, and shares. The most important of these ratings is the completion ratio which initiates the video’s popularity under the 10 to 1 rule. This rule states that if there is at least 1 like to every 10 views, the video will be distributed on and on unless its engagement falls. In this way, it is the increased velocity of engagement that creates the video's growth through distribution.
At the end of the day, the greater the rating, the more promotion the video receives from its target audience. If the video does not meet the criteria to be pushed forward, TikTok stops its promotion. But what is all this buzz about “cracking the algorithm”? Believe it or not, any and all users have the power to create videos that the algorithm “likes”.
In fact, the internet is full of tips as to how to spark a match made in heaven with the system itself. You could even go viral in under 24 hours! These exciting tips include using trending hashtags and music, limiting videos to 15 seconds, and prime posting times that are bound to get your post more hits. With over 2 billion downloads in over 150 countries, TikTok is poised to become one of the social media’s top networks with the potential for anybody to be its next big hit. For the love of TikTok, get on this app and go viral.