Previously, we’ve written about how to promote a Tic-Tac account from scratch and what a PRO account gives, but today we’ll talk about how to get videos into recommendations. Getting videos “into rivers” is the goal of any ticktocker. It gives an extra boost of traffic, lots of likes and subscriptions (provided the content is interesting, of course).
In this article we’ll tell you how videos get into Tick-Tock recommendations, what it gives bloggers, and what you need to do to get the algorithm to notice your video.
What are recommendations in Tick-Tock and how do they work?
Recommendations is a section of the app that displays the most popular videos. For a blogger, it’s an opportunity to get promoted for free and fast in Tic-Toc. Rivers is a kind of TOP, where new subscribers mainly come from. There are a total of 3 ways to view content in TikTok: searching for videos by keywords, viewing videos from those to whom you are already subscribed (main feed) and viewing the “Recommended” feed.
The principle behind the recommendations in TikTok is that the user doesn’t need to search for videos – the algorithm selects relevant content based on what the user has watched, liked and commented on before. This is one of the most popular sections in the application.
How do recommendations work in TikTok, and what does getting a video into the rivers do? Obviously, the same principle works here as it does on all social networks – the more engagement, the more likely the algorithm is to like it. Thanks to getting into the rivers, the blogger gets additional views, an influx of subscribers, likes and comments. Initially, absolutely any video can get into recommendations, it is important to stay there or get into the rivers repeatedly.
How do you know if you’re in the recommendations?
This requires a Pro account. Once it’s connected, you’ll have access to the profile analytics section, including individual videos. To see where the video got its views, open it and click on 3 dots to bring up the menu. In the bar that appears, select Analytics.
This takes you to the video analytics section and looks for “Traffic Source Types”. This shows the sources of views of your videos – recommendations, profile page, hashtags, and more.
How to get to TikTok recommendations
The exact algorithm for getting into recommendations is unknown, but by trial and error tiktokers figured out what affects the ranking and getting into the feed of recommended videos.
The scheme for getting into recommendations consists of three main points:
- Make your profile according to all the rules
- Make a quality content
- Shoot more videos on popular topics.
Prepare your profile. Make an attractive avatar, think of a catchy nickname, add links to Instagram and YouTube, make up a description of the account – what your channel is about and what it might be of interest to viewers. If it’s a page for business – the profile and content should be appropriate.
Make a “tasty picture” for your video. It’s not the main factor for hitting the rivers yet, but it’s been proven many times – a quality picture and a bright character in the frame affect the popularity of the account just as much as the subject of the video. Prepare an interesting background, use filters and effects from Tick-Tock, work with color correction. Judge for yourself, which of these videos is more enjoyable to watch?
This one?
Или это?
Although sometimes, what’s not in the trends … But we’ll strive for the best, won’t we?
Prepare for filming in advance. If you look closely, most popular videos are the result of careful preparation, not improvisation. Think through the plot, rehearse, prepare the background, props (if needed) and shoot.
Keep an eye on trends. And try to do better. This is what most ticktockers are based on. If the video with the idea has already hit the rivers, so can yours. The main thing is not to engage in outright plagiarism. As for topics – Tic Tacs are still popular for quickies, magic tricks, challenges, reactions, duets, dances, and humor.
Make more creative videos. You can, of course, post a video of you walking your dog or making breakfast, but that will only be of interest to a small circle of your friends and family. Tic Toc’s audience loves creativity, and these are the kinds of videos that are most likely to get recommended. The more non-trivial the storyline, the better.
Choose the best part of the video for the cover story. Many bloggers make the mistake of choosing a random piece of video for the cover. You need to choose the most intriguing and catchy part so that you’ll want to open the video and watch it in full.
Make occasional “unfinished videos. This is when the video is shot in several parts, and at the end you write “continuation in the next video” or “the next part will be posted in 24 hours. People start to wonder how it’s going to end and come back to your profile again and again. For example, one blogger filmed a chick hatching from an egg and divided it into 5 parts. This brought her about 100,000 extra subscribers. True, there was no chick there, but the effect was achieved.
The second kind of unfinished video is when there is clearly supposed to be a denouement at the end, but nothing happens, the video just cuts off. This is not quite an honest way to get into the rivers + it causes negativity among users, but, nevertheless, it works.
Choose your music wisely. It should be either trending, or just match the subject of the video. The main thing is to match the rhythm of the track with the dynamics of events in the video.
Make a description of the video. At least 1-2 sentences. At the end, you can ask your subscribers a question to encourage them to respond or take action. Each comment and like affects the algorithm to get into the recommended. But still, likes and comments are not the most important factor for getting into rivers, so we advise you not to engage in scrambling and mass liking. It’s better to focus on the content.
Use hashtags in the description of the video. We’ll tell you about it in detail below.
Also, reposting the video, logging into your profile, and subscribing after watching it all have an impact on getting into the recommended list. The algorithm understands that the video is interesting and promotes it. It also affects the depth of viewing – the longer users watch the video, the higher its chances of getting into rivers. And there’s another non-obvious factor – repeat viewers. When a video ends, Tic-Toc starts it up again. If a person watches it over and over again, that’s a sign to the algorithm that the video has caught on, and then it can get into recommendations.
Hashtags to get into recommendations
Where do we get popular hashtags in Tick-Tock for recommendations? You can find them by searching the feed – type in any hashtag related to the theme of the video and see which ones you already have and how many views they have. For example, your video is about soccer, so write #football and look at the variations. You can also scroll the ribbon “Interesting” in the web version of Tick-tock, it automatically displays the latest popular tags and Challenges with the number of views.
Also check the Inbox periodically, where TikTok often sends you updated hashtags and challenges that are trending right now.
Checklist for entering videos into TikTok recommendations
How to get into TikTok recommendations, a quick checklist:
- Format your account according to all the rules. If you’re a blogger, your profile should reflect your personality, if it’s a commercial account – your activity should be immediately clear.
- Take your shooting seriously – think through the plot in advance, get ready, rehearse.
- Make quality content with a pretty picture. Use a good camera, filters and color correction, use the built-in functions of the application as much as possible.
- Follow trends – make videos on popular themes and do creative work.
- Pick the right music.
- Use hashtags.