TikTok’s ‘For You’ page, the first screen people see when opening the app, will tell users why the algorithm put a video in their feed.
Users can bring up this information by tapping a new option in the share panel labeled “Why this video.”
Tapping the button will open a pop-over window with a list of why TikTok recommends the video.
Screenshot from: newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/learn-why-a-video-is-recommended-for-you, December 2022.
Screenshot from: newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/learn-why-a-video-is-recommended-for-you, December 2022.Reasons why TikTok may recommend a video include:
- User interactions, such as content you watch, like or share, comments you post, or searches
- Accounts you follow or suggested accounts for you
- Content posted recently in your region
- Popular content in your region
Now, if you see a video on the For You page that doesn’t match your interests, you can get some insight into why it was recommended.
For social media marketers and content creators, this feature may be a valuable way to learn more about how the TikTok algorithm works.
When you understand how a video ended up in your feed, you can use that information to create content that ends up in your followers’ feeds.
In 2020, TikTok published a blog post about how the For You page works, including the factors the algorithm looks for when selecting a piece of content.
So the information isn’t secret, but now it’s more readily available. Further, it may be more helpful to see the information presented in context.
For example, seeing “popular content in your region” among the list of reasons why a video is recommended can help you keep up with what your local audience is interested in.
If you wanted to reach the same group of users potentially, you could take the video on your For You page and make a duet with it.
Or you could take the sound from a popular video and record a new one with it.
TikTok offers several ways to create content from existing videos, and this feature can be a whole new source of inspiration.
Source: TikTok
Featured Image: Sergio Photone/Shutterstock