TikTok algorithm keeps people in the app with varied videos

Have you ever wondered why you spend so much time watching short videos on the app, which is a real worldwide fever? The answer has three words: algorithm of the TikTok. A document obtained by the newspaper The New York Times reveals that the app uses several techniques focused on always offering a wide variety of videos so you don't get bored.

In addition, it is known that there are 4 basic values ​​that are focused on getting users' attention for as long as possible. Check out more details right now on how this is being worked on by the experts of one of the most used apps in the world.

Do you spend time in the For You section?

If you've downloaded the famous application that has much more than choreography that is trending around the world, you surely know that spending a few hours just watching content is an activity that we don't even notice the time passing, right? The culprit of this: the algorithm of the TikTok.

With the name of "TikTok Something 101"(Introduction to the TikTok Algorithm), the algorithm report was developed by the team in Beijing, China, and gives insights into how the app keeps people in the app for so long. If you are a user of social networks, you surely know that publications with the subjects you like are being delivered with greater frequency, because these channels do not want you to leave.

So, the biggest delivery of content related to what you favorited, or even shared, is a technique that has been adopted for a few years. But there is a problem: the boredom of watching too many videos on the same subject. It is at this point that the algorithm of the TikTok stands out among its competitors.

The 4 Basic Values ​​of the TikTok Algorithm

Always focused on sending different content that entertains you for a considerable time, the leaked document about the TikTok is focused on 4 values ​​for videos to be selected for users. Are they:

• User value;
• Long-term user value;
• Content creator value;
• Platform value.

In practice, the application was programmed to always deliver news to users as a way to keep them scrolling. if you use the TikTok for a long time, surely you must have noticed that as much as you liked videos on a certain subject, you ended up receiving a great compilation that is more related to what you liked since the creation of your profile. That's because variety is the top rule of TikTok's algorithm, according to the document.

“If a user likes a certain type of video, but the app continues to send them the same type, they will quickly get bored and close the app. In this case, the total value created by a user watching the same type of video is less than watching all the videos because repetitiveness leads to boredom.”

Document about algorithm TikTok

Likes, time watched and other interactions also count

Although it is not clear how the algorithm of the TikTok ponders their interactions to deliver varied videos, the document also reveals that user behavior influences what appears in the section For you.

But according to the settings of other social networks, this explanation is simple. As you interact more with one type of subject or profile, then the algorithm ends up delivering more content to keep you updated and engaged. Which, of course, ends up making people stay longer inside the app.

It is not known which ones, but some interactions are more valued by others at the time of the algorithm of the TikTok decide what will be delivered to you in a personalized way. With this, it is easy to understand why you receive more content in which you interacted and, of course, how the novelty will be used to generate more time using the platform.

It is worth remembering that this year alone, the short video application reached the mark of 3 billion downloads. There is information that TikTok It has a network of at least 1 billion active users, who log into the app every day.

Social network selects videos based on creator success

The document that reports on displaying varied videos also states that content is selected according to the success of the creators. There are three pillars that can make a video appear to more people:

• Publication fee;
• Creator retention; and
• Creator monetization.

It is not known how monetization is measured by the app, since to date, there is no way to earn money like the YouTube. But quality is measured according to these values.

A high profit from videos does not make a person more famous and algorithm-driven than TikTok. A great optimization is carried out to know that on average, a profile has actually achieved what is needed to be boosted in the application. In addition, another way to be seen by more people is to use good interaction techniques, such as replying to comments and always being active on the social network.

Document veracity confirmed

When contacting the TikTok, The Verge confirmed with a spokesperson that the algorithm document is legit and yes, the top priority is always to display varied videos. Generally, large companies end up choosing not to comment on possible leaks, because this information should not be known to the public.

This is also not the first time that the TikTok went public to talk about its algorithm. After a series of videos about eating disorders and self-harm began to be promoted by robots, due to people having watched content related to this subject, a large text was even published on the application's blog to explain how the section For you it works.

The leak about the algorithm of the TikTok of today also proves that if companies had the will, it would be possible to explain how the selection of content can be explained even to the most laymen. Opening up the range of social networks, do you think that more companies should be more open about how the selection of user content is carried out? Tell us your opinion Comment!

See also other features

O showmetech already developed a full article on how the algorithm of the TikTok it works, read now:

Sources: The Verge e Business Insider