TikTok FYP: Everything You Need To Know About FYP Algorithm 2021

TikTok FYP guide from FeedPixel

What does FYP mean on TikTok? And how do you get on TikTok FYP? Hashtags to get on FYP? Looks like you’ve got some questions about the TikTok For You page.

If you go to TikTok and write the #FYP hashtag you find out that there are 14178.6B views as of the time of writing this article. 

By the time this article gets indexed and ranked, you will probably see a totally different number.

So the question remains all the same: what is TikTok FYP and how to get on FYP?

To the question of what is TikTok FYP, we will answer right away quickly and give you an example. 

Tiktok #FYP is a hashtag that shows the latest trends on the platform.TikTok FYP algorithm works in such a way that shows the videos that each individual will likely be interested in.

In that, feed on the TikTok FYP page is different and dependent on the history and the engagement of each individual person. Simply put, For You page videos are different for every user.

Now let us talk about how to get on FYP and the hashtags to get on the FYP, with some tips so that you could maximize your chances of getting views and likes. 

How to get on FYP

Getting on TikTok For You Page is not an easy task if you are a new TikTokker.  There are many things you need to do and follow a strict diet of strategies and tactics. 

If you are someone with at least 1k followers, things get easier and the likelihood of you showing up on the FYP page is far greater. 

However, despite that,  we will teach how the TikTok FYP algorithm works, and some TikTok FYP hashtags to help you get there, regardless of the number of followers you have. 

How does TikTok FYP algorithm work 

Let’s explain this seemingly mythical and magical feature that many social media platforms have today. 

The algorithm follows a set of codes and works in a predictable way. Yet for some people, it seems otherwise. 

On the one hand, some people think understanding the algorithm will help them get on the TikTok FYP page easier, while on the other hand, this is not really the case. 

As one needs to know and understand more than just the algorithm to get on the TikTok FYP page and focus on far more important aspects than the TikTok FYP algorithm. 

However, if you are interested and want to find out how does TikTok FYP algorithm work, this is how:

The very second your video is posted on TikTok it gets shown for two types of people. 

This might seem a bit overwhelming or hard to understand but we will go through each step and box in detail and explain to you how the Tik Tok algorithm works.

Before we move on, it is important to mention that there will be a chapter on TikTok FYP hashtags, and how to make the best of them. 

If you are just interested in learning about the hashtags part, click here. 

It seems a lot has been happening since the moment your video was posted, right? 

First, let go down the “followers route” to explain how this side has the power to make your video go viral. And, for the sake of simplicity, we will just name the next chapter accordingly.

TikTok followers 

TikTok For You page algorithm infographic

Did you ever notice that when you open the app on your phone the first page you are on is actually a “For You” page? 

Unlike many other platforms, especially Instagram, TikTok wants the creators to be discovered and be able to do that far quicker. 

That is the reason why, For You page is the default, whereas on Instagram you would only see the posts from those you follow.

This helps the new creators to be discovered and explored if they have good content and are picked by the algorithm we have just drawn up top. 

That also means the engagement and the views along with the duration from the new users matter just a bit more than the followers. 

On the contrary, if you constantly make good videos, and you get the same person to view, comment, like, share, etc. more than once with your video. 

This is a great sign that the person likes your channel and the algorithm will be automatically showing your videos first to that particular person.

The more the user engages the more you will be on top and on their FYP page. So, this goes hand in hand with the new users.  

If you have good content and you gain traction from the new users, your clips will be shown to more new people which in turn will gain even more traction. 

So, it is all related and the core, the root cause is your content

It is no wonder every blog post you read, or every other YouTuber keeps telling you to work on your content. 

You can’t imagine how important the content is on social media platforms these days. 

Tiktok FYP algorithm 

Considering that your videos are first shown to the general public, it is also important to get some reactions from not just the followers but first-time visitors.  

This goes to prove the same point again, that your content is really important and if you are looking to be liked by the algorithm that is what you should pay attention to. 

Once your video is shown whether to your followers or new people, there are three things that matter the most (in no particular order): 

  • Engagement 
  • Views 
  • Watch time 

These factors are important regardless of the person watching the video. If you focus on increasing the metrics of your video. You are going to be viral in no time. 

There are, however, secondary factors that the TikTok algorithm takes into account as a whole. 

Yet these three are taken into consideration when placing your video on the FYP page. 

That is the reason why we called this chapter the TikTok FYP algorithm, even though there is just one algorithm on TikTok. 

The secondary factors are captions, sounds, hashtags, location, and user history

The user history plays a big role if your video is being shown to that user for the first time. In fact, your video arrives at a certain screen depending on the user’s interactions and history.

For example, if your video is DIY videos, and the user has watched a bunch of those, you are likely to show up no matter what. 

However, his reaction and engagement determine how many like-minded people are going to see your video. 

The more engagement and views you gather from a certain type of people, the more followers and the more often you will be popping up. 

All things considered 

Selected groups that algorithm shows TikTok videos to

Apart from the second we have quickly touched on the importance of engagement be it from your followers or new viewers. 

Those are the bread and butter of the TikTok algorithm, meaning that is what they pay attention the most to. 

So, now let us assume you have excellent content that gets a lot of attention. The way it goes viral is if you have many people engage with it, and engage with it from the moment that is posted. 

The more your subscribers engage the more it will be shown to people of that interest. The more those people engage, the more it will keep being shown to various different types of people with all kinds of interests and hobbies. 

So, assuming that your video was shown to group one and the video received positive reinforcement, it will be automatically shown to the next group, so on and on.

Interests of users matter 

Now how does the algorithm decide to show your video to people with different interests?

Now let us look at this pie chart below and imagine this is the report of your viewers’ interests. 

Your video was shown initially to your followers who have other interests like gaming and the next wave was shown to a number of new visitors with the same interest

According to their reaction, the video keeps being shown to the next, group and next group, whosoever has the most engagement, your video will be popular among them. 

Most popular TikTok niches

This is why you might hear many gurus talking about niche selection and how targeting a select few is important. And they are right. Even from the point of algorithm and the potential to be on TikTok FYP.

But it is not just the group with the same interest, the more views and engagement it gathers, the video continues being shown to all kinds of other people as well. 

As we mentioned, even the location will be an important factor for when the video is distributed.

Algorithmic hell or heaven?

We have examined how your video gets shown to people of one type then, depending on their engagement and views, to the next, and next, and so on. 

But what if you are just starting out and it is your first video?

You have no followers, and you have vaguely selected your niche which could change depending on the reactions. 

Let us assume this scenario and discuss how you make TikTok FYP heaven that delivers the views to your doorsteps or the hell which drives the traffic elsewhere, somewhere out where your videos don’t exist. 

Let’s go back to the point we have made two times already, and it is that content is the most important aspect of any algorithm. 

However, we won’t be talking about how to make the best content on TikTok or any other platform for that matter (we can’t stress enough its importance).

So when you think about the two scenarios of your video being shown to people. When you are new you won’t have the basic audience.  

Thus, if you have bad content, and no one likes, or comments, or views it. That video is doomed.

Of course, the TikTok algorithm is nice enough that it will keep recommending your video to different people even after the negative reactions. But that won’t happen eternally. 

The most effective waves are the first four, then it will be categorized as a less interesting video where it will be shown to the group that hasn’t viewed it until there are no more new groups of people left.

That is your responsibility to find out and make the best content you possibly can make. 

When you can make the best content there are a few things to make sure your video will be sent to TikTok FYP algorithm heaven rather than otherwise.

A few things to send your video to “algorithmic heaven” 

3 most popular video categories on TikTok

If you google anything relating to the type of video you should make you end up reading all kinds of stuff with nothing useful. 

There are many sites now that list all kinds of stuff without really explaining the fundamentals of the video streaming platforms. 

No matter how many niches they write up or list on their blogs. There really are only three categories regardless of what platform you are in. 

You could be making videos for YouTube or TikTok. The main reason many people turn to these platforms is either for entertainment or education or perhaps, occasional inspiration. 

TikTok especially with the introduction of the new 3-minute video feature has attracted more people for all other purposes than just entertainment. 

Sure, the TikTok platform as a whole started as being one that promotes creativity and fun video. But as the platform grew, so did the creators and viewers of those other topics. 

So, those three topics are the ones you need to understand, and to choose one of them as a category for your TikTok niche. 

We say category on purpose as this is the third of the whole platform’s possible topics. And with that being said, there are many other subcategories or topics within those three. 

For example, if you dance, sing, or make funny videos you are in the entertainment category. However, if you try to teach something, then obviously you are in the educational category. 

It may seem like there are many more categories than just these three, but, in fact, there really are not. Those are just the big categories within those three. 

Either way, mastering to amuse,  teach, or motivate audiences will be one of the best skills that may come in handy in your TikTok FYP journey. 

Value proposition 

On the topic of TikTok FYP and how to get there. We have discussed the algorithm and the big categories to really give you an idea on the video’s consumption culture. 

Now that you know, you need to be either entertaining, teaching, or inspiring people. You may come to understand what that actually means. 

What it really means is that you need to provide some real value. Be it in the form of entertainment or amusement. The viewer must get something. 

That is why the next big thing after the content is the value you provide. Of course, you might look at some chicks like D’amelio or Addison Rae, and think how come they are not providing any value?

This is a valid question, the answer to which is none, except some vaguely philosophical assumptions and accusations of the concurrent culture and the tastes of the audience. 

Yet, our postulating on the weaknesses of the culture will not bear any meaningful answer but instigate it even further. Especially if we were to take the popular presumption that they have quite a body. 

Whatever it is, if you really want to get on top of the TikTok FYP game, accept it the way it is and understand that life is not fair.

However, when it comes to algorithms, they are as fair as they get. Because it is just a set of codes running in the background that follows whatever the coder puts in. 

So, you understand how the algorithm works, and how important the content is while getting some insights into what the value proposition is. 

Why it is important is simple. It is important to keep the viewers on your videos and give them something to come back to. 

That makes 

Content value matters to TikTok FYP algorithm

very important!

Those few things 

Although we promised to go over a few things to send your video to heaven, that time has only come. Because before we give out a few good things, you have to understand why you need those.

Not just why, but how understanding the basics of algorithms, especially the TikTok FYP algorithm will help you get your content featured.

Because when you are doing those few things we will talk about next, you will always have to keep in mind what we have taught you above.

Now, finally for the moment of truth, what are they? 

  • Optimizing the keywords/ hashtags 
  • Engaging captions 
  • Interesting content 
  • Being unique and creative

Let us go over each in a bit more detail and teach you some practical things you can do right now to send your video to TikTok For You Page.

Optimizing the keywords and hashtags 

We are not going to hide the fact that you probably heard similar things somewhere else and we are writing about nothing new. 

Yet, we also want to reiterate the fact that those are truly the only things you have control over. So, why not make the things you can control great and to the best of your ability?

Because that way you get to control the destiny of your account and the possibility of going viral on TikTok.

Although just a few, these things do really matter and truly help your videos go viral. Let us get to it. 

Hashtag optimization

Tiktok is a platform that heavily relies on hashtags and keywords for its search algorithm to work. That is good news for the theTikTokers. 

Because in order for your videos to go to TikTok heaven all you need to do is follow a few rules, which we will talk about soon. 

Before we move on, there is just one thing we need to clarify. If you have heard that #FYP is important and is able to get your videos viral. That is BS. 

There is no one magical hashtag that gets your videos viral. It just doesn’t exist. 

The hashtags you use must be able to add value to the already great content you ended up with. How? 

Well, by explaining what the video is truly about. This means in most cases, you won’t even be using the FYP hashtag. 

Even if you were to use it, that just doesn’t guarantee you any positive results, let alone taking you up to the top of the TikTok FYP page. 

For example, you have a video where you make jokes. Thus, using hashtags #jokes #funny would be a far better fit than just FYP. Plus, you could specify it even further by adding what your joke is about. 

Continuing the example, if it is a your-mama joke, include #yourmama.

By narrowing down the hashtag not only are you clearly telling the algorithm what the clip is about but the viewers as well. 

If anyone ever lands on your page and sees your captions and hashtags, which they usually don’t, but if ever they inspect they should have a clear idea of what the video is about. 

The paradox is that you are actually doing this more for the algorithm than people. But the algorithm wants you to make viewer-tailored videos. Anyway, that is a win-win situation.

Keyword optimization 

Keywords are managed in much the same way as hashtags. Except you can include keywords where you cannot include a hashtag. 

Technically you can. But it is not ideal to be including hashtags everywhere you can. But the opposite is true with keywords but in moderation. 

Include keywords like the best your mama joke, funniest your mama joke, or something like that if you are in that same niche. 

Of course, keywords will be different, but you get the idea. 

There is a school of thought that puts keywords higher on the priority than the videos, thus first they make the keywords research before making any video on it, then move with the clip. 

So, if you want to be sure that there is an audience for your clips, you could adapt that strategy. 

This strategy is widely used on YouTube, but even with TikTok and under the goal of TikTok FYP, you could make use of it, and still gain something valuable from it. 

However, whether you choose to go with that tactic or not, don’t forget to include keywords in your captions, descriptions, and sometimes, as the first comment on the clip.

On the topic of captions, let us talk more about them. 

TikTok captions 

Another important warning before we move on. 

Tiktok has introduced auto-captions

Although many people are turning to auto-captions and think it is very comfortable, we are totally against it. We understand how the algorithm behind it works and know that auto captions are far too young to really understand what your video is about. 

So, stay away from automatic captions.

Now for the captions, and what you need to do to be on TikTok FYP.

Do you remember the three big categories of video consumption? 

You can go back and refresh your memory if you don’t, the idea is that your captions should literally tell you what your video is about. 

Additionally, it should attract the viewers by : 

  • Intriguing; 
  • Asking a question;
  • Telling a fact;
  • Depicting a story;
  • Shocking with quote; 

Whatever else you can come up with. You may be familiar with the cliche of clickbait.

The idea is not to click but to really come close and at the edge of truthful depictions that it lures the mind of a viewer.

Above are just some of the ways, where there are way more and more unique/creative ways. You will have to come up with some yourself. 

Don’t be afraid to be bold and outspoken.  You can also learn it from other people in your niche and model it somewhat similar but different. 

Interesting content 

We were constantly saying that content is important and there is no choice but to reiterate that again. 

However, what makes good content then? 

Good content has three main characteristics: 

  • It is interesting;
  • It solves a problem;
  • It is actionable;

This applies mainly to content within inspiration and educational categories. But you can twist it or mold it to fit into the entertainment. 

Also, when it comes to entertainment, it doesn’t have to be actionable. But can you change that part to be creative or unique? 

That just depends on what you prefer but there is also another important idea you need to understand. 

It is also one that we mentioned a bit earlier, but also one that is equally important. And it is the value proposition. 

We won’t go deep in detail because we already did. But you should take that concept and apply it to your content. 

Best of all, advice and recommendations will always be that you should be unique and yourself. Yet, keep in mind that you being you is not enough and requires you to work harder. 

To wrap up 

In wrapping up the TikTok FYP, let us recap what we have learned and what are some of the things we debunked and list the tips we mentioned.  

The TikTok algorithm gives each of your videos a fair chance and sends it across various groups of people with various interests, and gathers information of their reactions. 

📌   You can learn more about the insights shown in TikTok Analytics in our TikTok For Business post. Note, post insights are only available for Pro accounts, and switching to a TikTok Pro account will not cost you anything.

Depending on how positive or negative the reactions were, TikTok will circle your video around another group of people with different interests, sending it to the previous group who engaged with the most first, and if they keep liking and engaging it is sure to be a hit among them. 

After gathering the data from all the groups, the algorithm sends it again to groups of various people with various interests, including those who did act very positively.  

Your video goes from one group to another until there is no group left that has either viewed, liked, or ignored it totally. 

If your video received those positive reactions from the time it was posted, it is likely to go viral sooner whereas if it did not, it might just slowly disappear into the abyss of TikTok FYP hell.

Frequently Asked Questions

When you google “TikTok FYP”, there are some questions that pop up on the side as well, and those are usually the questions we answer within the article. 

However, with this term, there were only two questions and were not the kind that would have automatically been answered. 

What does FYP mean on TikTok?

FYP means “For You Page”, a personalized Feed, as it is referred to on TikTok. 

Either way, understanding this is just a hashtag that shows the latest trends and popular clips for each individual based on the TikTok algorithm. 

Can I use FYP on Tik Tok?

Yes, you can! And you should. But it is important to understand that using this hashtag won’t solve all your TikTok FYP problems.

Using the FYP hashtag on TikTok may just increase your chances a little bit, but it is likely that your video will be lost in the sea of millions of other videos that are also using that very hashtag.

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