As TikTok continues to evolve, understanding its algorithm becomes essential for creators and brands looking to enhance their visibility in 2025. Rather than chasing viral trends, the focus should shift towards creating content that resonates deeply within niche communities such as #BookTok, #SportsOnTikTok, #WomenInSports, #Romantasy, and #STEMTok. TikTok’s algorithm amplifies videos that align with specific subcultures through its interest-based recommendation system.
How TikTok’s Algorithm Works
At the heart of TikTok’s content ranking are three key factors that shape the unique For You Pages (FYP) for each user:
- User Interactions: This includes likes, shares, watch duration, comments, favourites, follows, hidden creators, “Not Interested” marks, reported content, interaction with ads, and personal content creation.
- Video Information: Factors such as captions, sounds, hashtags, effects, video length, trending topics, and searched content play a significant role.
- Device and Account Settings: Although less influential, settings like language, country, device type, and interest categories selected during sign-up can help optimise performance.
The FYP evolves with a user’s behaviour over time and can be reset via Settings > Content Preferences > Refresh your For You feed or trained by long-pressing a video and selecting “Not interested.” Users can also filter specific hashtags or keywords.
Tips for Increasing Content Performance
To improve your content’s visibility on TikTok, consider the following strategies:
- Engage with Active Communities: Use TikTok Audience Insights (available in TikTok Ads Manager > Analytics > Audience Insights) to identify top and bottom audience interests. This enables authentic engagement and boosts exposure, as 76% of users value brands participating in interest groups.
- Maximise the First 3 Seconds: Capture attention immediately with strong hooks like questions, countdowns, or previews of the outcome. TikTok recommends skipping wordy intros to retain viewers.
- Optimise for Search: Include trending keywords in captions (up to 4,000 characters), overlays, and voiceovers. TikTok Creative Center can help find region and industry-specific trending terms, crucial for algorithm classification and discovery via search.
- Create High-Quality, Native Content: Ensure good lighting, clear audio, dynamic editing, and text overlays (30% of users watch muted). Experiment with aspect ratios; while vertical still dominates, horizontal content is gaining traction on desktop. Videos can be up to 10 minutes when recorded natively and up to 60 minutes when uploaded.
- Post at Optimal Times: Research suggests Thursday midmorning and Saturday midday work best overall, but individual audience patterns matter more.
- Engage Meaningfully: Reply to comments, react to trending prompts, and use Duet, Stitch, and video replies. These formats not only drive engagement but also signal community participation.
- Use Relevant Hashtags: 2–3 hashtags per video is optimal. Creative Center’s Analytics shows demographic breakdowns for each tag, helping refine targeting. Challenges are especially effective for participation and visibility.
- Add Trending Sounds and Music: Audio is central to TikTok’s culture, with videos featuring music gaining 98% more views. Check Creative Center for trending songs by region.
- Be Authentic and Have Fun: TikTok favours playful, unpolished content. 79% of users want brands to experiment with different topics, while 40% prefer brands showing personality.
Content Types to Avoid
Be mindful of content types that the TikTok algorithm penalises, which can lead to exclusion from FYP and search:
- Content by users under 16
- Hate speech
- Dangerous activities or challenges
- Misinformation
- Sexually explicit or shocking material
- Body image or eating disorder topics
- Gambling
- Excessive alcohol use
- Fake engagement schemes (like-for-like)
- Reused watermarked clips or simple GIFs
- Tobacco or drug promotion
- Live content primarily meant to drive users off-platform
Content violating Community Guidelines risks removal or strikes, with flagged content appearing in TikTok Analytics, where users can also file appeals.
Conclusion
To understand TikTok’s algorithm and adapting your content strategy accordingly is vital for improving visibility in 2025. By focusing on authentic engagement and community participation, you can create content that resonates with your audience and maximises your reach. To further enhance your social media strategy, start your free trial of VirtusNova here, which offers tools designed to simplify and optimise your marketing efforts.
