TikTok’s algorithm is impossible to predict. No matter how hard you try to go viral, no matter the hours you put into whatever content you want to push out, the world may never know how great of a singer you are, or how good you look while doing Meg Thee Stallion’s Savage dance.
What most creators agree on is the key to getting content pushed out is consistency. TikTok preys on the faults of the jacks-of-all-trades.
It doesn’t matter if you’re more than just a hot ginger who posts thirst traps; once you go viral, that’s your brand. Who cares if you can land a trick shot if you’re attractive? There’s no more to you than being objectified by randos in your comments.
The algorithm can also be exploitative. If a woman wants to show more skin, the algorithm is likely more inclined to push out her content than a woman who doesn’t.
Creator Adrienne Finch posted two videos of herself doing the same dance: one with less clothes than the other. The one where she’s showing more skin got ten thousand more views than the other. Coincidence? I think not.
The kicker though is that if showing skin isn’t a regular part of your videos, then the creepy old guy upping your view count probably won’t get off on your thirst trap. And if he unsubscribes, then you lose a follower.
This raises the issue of minors on the app. Does TikTok care if a sixteen year old girl is shaking her ass in a video? Definitely not! But does TikTok care if a twenty-three year old plus-size woman is twerking to Cardi B? Absolutely!
TikTok picks and chooses what does and doesn’t violate its community guidelines in a methodical, misogynistic, and fatphobic way.
Every TikTok Catch-22 circles back to the algorithm’s unpredictability. Even if you establish a brand for yourself, stick to creating your niche content, what about trends? Are you forced to conform to viral sounds if you want to maintain consistent engagement? What about hashtags? There are simply too many variables.
If you are trying to go viral, then you are wasting your time. In my own experience, my dumb videos with friends or about my awful job go way more viral than the material I would prefer to pick up steam.
Forget hashtags and trends; there is nothing you can do but offer your account up to the TikTok gods and maybe sacrifice your dog in hopes that one day a video of yours might accumulate a few hundred thousand views.
And don’t even think about the creator fund. Though TikTok makes it seem like they pay creators for pushing out content, the reality of the creator fund is you’re going to get maybe a few dollars, if not cents, for a video you spent hours creating.
You’re better off getting arrested for setting their headquarters on fire and getting a prison job than rotting in your bedroom waiting for the likes to roll in. #dontevenbother
