The Tiktok Algorithm Has 5 Phases (New Research)
People & Blogs
The TikTok Algorithm Has 5 Phases (New Research)
Understanding the TikTok Algorithm
Have you seen dozens of accounts grow hundreds of thousands of followers in the past 90 days while other accounts continue to struggle with growing and monetizing on TikTok? Don’t give up hope, because once you understand these five phases that TikTok takes your content through, you will know how to grow on TikTok and how to get your content pushed out on this new algorithm.
Before we dive in, be sure to check the description. I have a free community aimed at helping 10,000 creators join the Creator economy, along with a brand new Five Laws course that's free if you sign up.
Phase 1: Authority Check
The first thing TikTok's new algorithm looks for in your content is whether your account is an authority. If your account is an authority, you'll receive an immediate baseline amount of views. Otherwise, your content moves on to the next phase.
What is Authority?
Authority is the amount of consistent traction that your account gets. Think of it like a website—YouTube versus a local website, for instance. YouTube has more authority because it has more traffic. Similarly, authority on TikTok is built by consistent engagement and views over time.
An example of an authority account would be something like Zackarific, who garners millions of views per video.
Phase 2: Breaking News or Drama
TikTok has evolved into a breaking news and drama platform. If your video involves breaking news topics or significant drama, you're likely to get more views. This app has become akin to Twitter or Reddit in how people consume and discuss real-time events. If your content fits this mold, TikTok pushes it higher for more immediate views.
Phase 3: Trending Topics or Slang
If your video doesn't fall into the first two categories, TikTok next checks if it includes trending topics or slang. Keywords like "golden retriever boyfriend," "blue nail theory," or "glass skin" are examples. Videos incorporating such trending terms will get a baseline amount of views due to their relevance.
Phase 4: Hacking Engagement & Building Community
The next phase checks if your video hacks engagement metrics and creates community discussion. Even if your video doesn’t get immediate views, it will earn quality views that compound over time if it encourages engagement through comments, shares, and likes.
Examples of Hacking Engagement
One notable example is a golf instruction account that posted very few videos but achieved high engagement by consistently displaying the same format and topic. These videos compounded views over weeks, not immediately, but they built steady traction.
Phase 5: Identifiable Audience
The final phase is identifying if your content appeals to a specific, recognizable audience. If yes, TikTok shows your video to this interested group, making it go viral. If not, views may stop unless the topic becomes relevant again in the future.
Case Study: Titanic-related Content
Content about the Titanic surged when news broke about the Titanic submersible imploding. Videos related to the Titanic from earlier periods regained massive traction due to the renewed public interest.
Conclusion
To demonstrate the effectiveness of understanding these phases, consider how I achieved 5 million views with a video about TikTok streaks, followed by another video explaining how to get paid for these streaks. The second video had lower views but high shares, proving the method works.
Keywords
- TikTok Algorithm
- Authority
- Breaking News
- Trending Topics
- Hacking Engagement
- Community Discussion
- Identifiable Audience
FAQ
Q: What defines an authority account on TikTok? A: An authority account is defined by consistent engagement and high traffic over time, similar to how large websites gain authority.
Q: How important is trending content on TikTok? A: Extremely important. Videos involving trending topics or slang will receive a baseline amount of views due to their relevance.
Q: Can older content become relevant again? A: Yes, especially if the topic gains renewed interest. For example, old Titanic-related videos resurfaced when there was breaking news about the Titanic.
Q: What's more important: immediate views or engagement? A: While immediate views are beneficial, hacking engagement and building community discussion can result in quality views that compound over time.
Q: How do I create community discussion with my content? A: By encouraging comments, shares, and likes through engaging content that resonates with your audience.