Cracking the Code of TikTok Algorithm: How to Create Videos That TikTok Loves

You may have heard success stories of TikTokers going viral in no time after having learned the secret to cracking the code of the TikTok algorithm. If you are curious to understand how the backend calculations of the platform work and if it is possible to create trending content without necessarily having to buy Tiktok views, you are reading the right article. Let us start by taking a look at what the TikTok algorithm does. 

What Is the TikTok Algorithm and What Does It Mean to Crack It? 

The TikTok algorithm considers several viewer metrics to ensure every platform user gets an individualized feed of recommended posts for watching. It looks at data like: 

• What type of content is someone watching;
• What audio files /sound is getting more frequently overlooked; 
• Which hashtags are attracting more views;
• What size videos are getting fully observed; 
• Which videos are getting more engagement and shares?

Using an analysis of user behavior patterns, the algorithm predictively showcases your posts on feeds of TikTokers who are most likely to view and engage with your content. 

The phrase “Crack the Algorithm” basically means that you have understood how TikTok pushes your content high up on specific feeds and capitalized on the parameters that maximize your visibility in a manner that the algorithm organically puts your content ahead of others on as many feeds as possible. In other words, you have mastered the art of creating viral or trending videos for the platform. 

Tips for Creating Videos that Work Favorably with the TikTok Algorithm 

Here are some ways you can create videos that naturally beat TikTok’s algorithm and maximizes your audience reach:

Use analytics to understand what works best for you

Change your account to a Pro account if you already have one. Use the available analytics to understand your faring on the platform in detail. You can check your Overview, Content performance, Follower trends, and LIVE overview. Knowing what is working for you, which demographics your audience belongs to, and when your posts most interact with can save you valuable time and effort in making plans for your future content. It can also help you assess if the virality of your posts can: 

• Lead to conversions and higher ROI. 
• Get your target audience to notice your account.
• Bring you more followers and distribution. 

Create content and posting schedule according to data drawn from your analytics

An essential factor in cracking TikTok algorithms is knowing when to post what type of content. When you create your content, pay particular attention to ongoing trends in: 

• Your niche subject;
• Memes;
• Songs and background scores;
• Use of filters;
• Challenges.

You can check what type of videos your most active fans have spent most time engaging with in recent times to predict what type of content matter is likely to bring you more: 

• Watch time;
• Completion rate;
• Shares; 
• Engagement of other types ( likes, comments, saves).

Getting high rates on the above is essential for going viral. It is usually seen that: 

1. Videos 10-15 seconds long tend to fare better than longer videos. 
2. Creating loops (where the end and beginning of the video blend in seamlessly) tends to bring higher completion rates and replays than linear videos.
3. Using trending songs and hashtags can push up your visibility on feeds, but using generic hashtags and audio files can cause your post to get lost in the database. 
4. Dormant followers may bring initial social proof, but they bring down engagement rates, and it is a good idea to clean your subscriber list of people who have been inactive for a long time. 

In addition, you must pay attention to when your active fans are mostly online on TikTok. Time your posts accordingly so you get engagement within minutes of publishing your video on the platform. You should use auto-post schedulers if there is an exhaustive disjunction between when you are online and when your usual fans are online. 

Get your fans involved in your TikTok activities 

Call to Action always works well when trying to boost engagement and interaction. Here are a few CTAs that often bring great positive results on this platform and help the algorithms to amp up your visibility and reach further:

1. Asking followers to leave comments about what type of videos they want to see from you. Respond with gratitude and use feasible ideas in upcoming posts too. 
2. Asking viewers to accept a challenge and to do it with a mention or tag of your account on their post. Remember to check their challenge posts and leave a comment of appreciation. 
3. Asking for ratings in terms of how much they liked your videos. Use this as extra analytics to improve the likeability of your posts. 
4. Reminding them to tune in to your LIVE session. Space these reminders so your audience tunes in by habit and anticipation when you go online for regular LIVE sessions. 
5. Asking questions that the audience can respond to. These can be fun, quirky, or opinion based. But always follow up on the responses received. It is up to you to sustain the dialogue you have opened up. 

Lock into your prime posting times

No matter your schedule, it is crucial to post routinely and consistently. Regular viewers are known to anticipate new posts and check for the same if they are acquainted with your routine posting schedule. They are also most likely to engage with your account and visit your profile to find the new post if it does not make it to their FY page for any reason. Creating a degree of predictability and anticipation for fresh posts is crucial to successful marketing on TikTok. Figure out what is the most conducive posting schedule for you. It includes:

1. Finding what the best posting times are. For most TikTokers, the lunch hour and time immediately after work hours work best. If your target audience belongs to the young working professional age – groups, this may be the optimum time frame for you too. However, this also depends on where your audience is and where you are. 
2. Finding the right frequency of posting. Posting multiple videos a day works best while posting once daily or even weekly may work better for others. Yet, for others, posting on certain days and going LIVE on certain days or at certain hours work best. Experiment and observe your analytics to determine what works best for you. 

Remember that too many short postings may cause the algorithms to suspect bot activity and lower your visibility. Moreover, unless your viewers are active, they are less likely to engage equally with all your posts if you have too many in a day. 

Routinely conduct an appraisal of your performance 

Use your Analytics to check how your posts are doing. Take special note of:

• Which videos have improved performance signals and why.
• The duration of the videos is better than your other posts.
• The reach and completion rate of your videos. 
• The follower growth you have had as a result of your trending posts.

Use this information to fine-tune your future content creation and publishing plans. 

Readjust content creation and marketing strategy as necessary 

Make adjustments as necessary to your posting schedule, audio file usage, hashtag strategy, use of ads, and overall online activity to bump up the visibility of your account. Trends and audience expectations can change overnight, as make platform features, terms, conditions of usage, and monetization rules. You must always be up to date on all these aspects to ensure you are always at the top of your game. At the same time, your goal ( along with other micro-goals) should be to maximize the completion rate of your videos as much as possible, as this boosts your visibility and reach the most. 

Some ideas to get you started on your journey to cracking the TikTok algorithms

Still need help getting featured consistently on the For You page? Here are a few types of content you can try creating to get noticed more quickly:

• Use TikTok ads: 

Investing in ads is a great way to fast-track your journey and gain platform visibility. You can get in-feed ads, pay to feature on top view, and get branded effects for your merchandise. 

• Make humor essential to your posts: 

Fun, entertainment, and laughter are three best sellers on TikTok. Incorporate these in your post to fare better in reach, visibility, and FY rankings. Keep it short and fun to get excellent watch time. 

• Participate in trending contests: 

Several challenges are taking the platform over by storm. Be a part of the community and use hashtags to participate in these challenges. Try to give the challenge your twist to create a noticeable visual impact. 

• Use trending audio and memes:

When creating audio-visual impact, using already popular jokes, memes, and songs to make your videos can be a great way to catapult your performance metric numbers. The nature of trends is such that the more people use the same file, the more the algorithms are likely to push videos using that file up on FY pages. 

• Collaborate with influencers:

Influencers bring with them the advantage of already having high watch times. They have a dedicated viewer base, so investing in influencer marketing can get you instant and noticeable results. Keep in mind to choose influencers who align with your ethics and ideas so that you avoid creating posts with conflicting messages about your brand! 

• Do not forget to use hashtags: 

Remember to use relevant hashtags with each post, even when you are not using trends — this helps create SEO for your videos. Use specific hashtags as very generic hashtags do not help in bringing any boost in visibility. 

• Experiment with the inbuilt editor: 

No matter what you post, you can always learn from your experimentation. Tiktok editor helps you give your videos a professional and fun touch with a choice of filters and other add-ons. Some of these can work wonders for your visibility rate. The trick is to find what works for you. Use this consistently to give your videos unique visual recognition.

• Cros-post: 

Initiate your publicity by cross-posting the same (or parts of )video on other platforms. Provide your URL so TikTokers can find you through other media they are active on too. 

• Use CTA: 

Nothing promotes engagement more than direct asking. Ask followers to leave a heart, or an opinion, copy the trend or share your video. Ask them to answer a question or to tune into your next Live. Create original audio and ask others to use it. There are many CTAS you can use to promote your post and to ace the algorithms. Boost your marketing strategy with the new in-built CTA Button option from TikTok and take your TikTok advertising to a next level!

In Conclusion

Once you grasp how the platform uses your watch time, viewer count, and hashtag to promote your visibility, you will be able to improve your content creation and marketing strategy more confidently. The secret to success on TikTok is always being vigilant, observant, and adaptable to the changing needs of the time while keeping your performance activity consistent.