Why TikTok's Algorithm Is So Good

TikTok has been growing in popularity at an alarming speed since 2018, primarily due to its scarily perfect algorithm. The highly personalised experience keeps users coming back, which is the number one thing social media platforms want. Yes, user retention and time spent on the platform is what EVERY social media platform prioritises - more than ‘Saves’ on Instagram or ‘Likes’ on a YouTube video, which truthfully don’t matter despite what every second faux social media marketer preaches.

What makes TikTok’s algorithm SO good?

And why can’t Instagram, YouTube and Twitter replicate it? Simple. It focusses on content instead of creators.

TikTok understands that, in a world where content creation is so accessible, people can and will make a range of content. The person who makes a killer song might not perform that well every time. That viral funny video from a creator in Alaska might be the funniest thing they’ll ever create. Instead of deciding a user liked that creator, TikTok’s algorithm instead determines you like that content. Through this they can target the user with similar content, whether it’s by that creator or anybody else.

The Downside

TikTok sometimes prioritises popular content to the detriment of creators. On platforms like YouTube if you make one high-performing video then you can expect the next video to do pretty well, too. This is because YouTube has (primarily) flagged users as fans of that YouTube channel. It has some content differentiation, but it still lacks the laser-sharp focus of TikTok’s content-driven algorithm. This means that if you’re a creator hoping to make content about several topics you can’t expect all of them to succeed in the way your one viral TikTok, and subsequent videos related to it, did.

I noticed this so definitively recently I was interested in one (1) celebrity scandal. TikTok scattered in videos about that specific topic, while YouTube said “Oh, you like that one (1) celebrity scandal? Here’s every possible gossip channel discussing people you’ve never heard of! Hope you love it!” Which has essentially destroyed my YouTube home feed (seriously, please stop recommending drama channels) while my TikTok algorithm has already realised I don’t really care about that one (1) celebrity scandal anymore and has swiftly let me learn way too much about my next left-field ADHD focus topic (Mormonism and leaving the Mormon faith, for those interested).

I’ve been a vocal advocate of content driven social media platforms, and believe it’s what actually fuels a brand’s success online. For that reason, and for the endless entertainment I get scrolling on TikTok, I’m so pleased to see a content-driven algorithm outperforming the algorithms of other platforms. A content first approach always wins.