How Does TikTok Promote Videos? How To Promote Your Posts

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Carolyn Howell

Last Updated: Aug 15, 2024

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Do you ever wonder why some TikTok videos blow up and some do not? Users have raised many questions about how the social media platform promotes content. It is common knowledge that the platform’s algorithm pushes some posts over others. But how does TikTok promote videos?

TikTok’s design aims at providing users with relevant content. The app promotes relevant videos using the For You Feed (or the For You Page, FYP). However, it considers several factors when pushing content. 

Read on to discover all these factors and how to promote your video posts!

A mobile device on a table displays the TikTok logo.

How Does TikTok Promote Videos on the For You Page?

TikTok promotes videos on the For You Feed or For You Page (FYP) by pushing content people may like. The social media app considers user interests and previous interactions to determine the content they prefer.

As a result, getting your videos on TikTok’s FYP is crucial for success on the platform. The FYP is the first page where TikTok takes users once they open the app. It shows users a feed of posts from people they may not follow.

Remember that each person’s FYP is different regarding the content they access. Hence, several factors determine the content that TikTok promotes on this page. A user’s feed depends on the kind of videos they view the most.

Still, TikTok will only promote content relevant to a particular viewer. Thus, content creators can optimize their videos to perform better and reach a larger audience through the FYP. Since this page only displays the best content on the app, put yourself in the picture. 

Again, several factors determine what content appears on this page. Still, limited information exists about how the TikTok algorithm works. However, maximizing interactions and engagements is a great way to start. 

Then, use hashtags, captions, and sounds to add more information to your posts and improve visibility. Trending and relevant hashtags and sounds help more than you may imagine. Finally, your account and device settings, like your language and location, also matter. 

Overall, stick to helpful content practices if you want TikTok to promote your posts on the FYP. While there is no straight route, creating high-quality content and making good TikTok videos draws good results.

A mobile device shows several apps, including TikTok.

Can You Promote TikTok Videos?

Yes, you can promote TikTok videos using the TikTok promote feature. This feature lets you convert your existing video posts into paid feed ads. The app lets users boost their posts to get more likes, views, followers, and website visits. 

Every TikTok account can promote posts on the social media app. When running a promotional campaign, you can always adjust your budget, target audience, and timeline. This is a valid option for people with some spare cash looking to boost their accounts a bit. 

While quite easy to set up, you can quickly choose your campaign goals, choose your preferences, and pay. While running video promotions, you can also access analytics information to monitor performance. 

Hence, how do promotions work on TikTok? First, track the:

  • Video views
  • Number of comments
  • Likes
  • Shares
  • Comments
  • Click-through rates (CTRs)

While TikTok Promote helps promote content on the social media app, other options exist. You can run TikTok ads, opt for influencer marketing campaigns, or any other strategy. 

However, the platform’s promotion feature is more efficient because it works with content you’ve already created.

A promotional design with several social media app logos, including TikTok.

What Are the Requirements To Promote a Video on TikTok?

To promote a video on TikTok, you must be 18 and have a creator or business account. Several other factors determine your eligibility to boost your posts on the app. There are also a few restrictions regarding the kinds of videos you boost.

But, what are the requirements to promote a video on TikTok?

1. You Must Be at Least 18 Years Old

TikTok allows people 13 years and older to access the app. However, the social media app has placed a higher age limit for users who can promote their video posts. The promote feature falls among age-restricted features such as Live and direct messaging. 

This requirement follows regulatory and legal standards in many countries that restrict data collection from minors. These legal requirements also restrict financial agreements between companies and minors. Finally, the age restriction promotes responsible advertising to protect vulnerable audiences. 

2. You Must Agree to the TikTok Promote Terms and Conditions

Before signing up to promote your video posts on TikTok, you must carefully review the platform’s privacy policy. Then, you must agree to the TikTok Promote terms and conditions. This step ensures legal compliance and helps you understand what to expect beforehand. 

The privacy policy explains how TikTok uses the data it collects during a promotional campaign. In addition, agreeing to the terms and conditions ensures fair use on your part. 

3. You Must Have a Creator or Business Account

Only users with creator or business accounts on TikTok can use the promote feature. The platform insists that Government, politicians, and Political Party Accounts are not eligible to promote their posts this way. 

This is because creator and business accounts have advanced features and tools that help with content promotion and analytics. Users with these accounts can also access promotional materials and direct support from TikTok, which is handy. 

TikTok creators and business accounts undergo more rigorous verification and face stricter guidelines. Advertising standards are necessary to maintain security and safety. 

4. You Can Only Promote Public Videos

When promoting content on TikTok, the platform only allows you to work with public videos, not private ones. Since the app places these posts in other users’ feeds, the Promote feature should not interfere with a post’s privacy. You can change this in your video settings. 

Remember that you’re promoting your video post to boost your reach, while private videos limit their reach. Promoting private videos may result in contradictions on the part of the content creator. For this reason, the app maintains this requirement. 

5. You Cannot Promote Videos With Copyrighted Sounds

TikTok only allows you to promote videos with original sounds or commercially available sounds. For this reason, consider using sounds from the TikTok commercial music library. This library has over a million sounds that you can use for free. 

This requirement helps to prevent copyright infringement and maintain brand safety. Since copyright issues on the platform cover both TikTok and users, the app always ensures legal compliance. Consequently, this requirement protects content creators and artists. 

6. Your Videos Must Keep to TikTok’s Guidelines

TikTok does not promote videos that violate its guidelines. Since the platform prioritizes the safety of its users, these guidelines protect them from inappropriate or harmful content. Promoted content must adhere to guidelines to contribute to a positive environment. 

This also ensures that users only promote high-quality content to improve other users’ experiences. TikTok then uses this requirement to stop the spread of misinformation and other harmful content on the app.

A machine prints the word "TikTok" on paper.

Does Promoting Videos on TikTok Work?

Yes, promoting videos on TikTok does work. However, while users often ask if a TikTok promotion is worth it, the answer depends on your objectives and goals. Of course, it can be a helpful way to push your content to a wider audience.

However, promoting videos does not assure you of any long-term results. Instead, consider these four key factors first to understand if it’ll work for you.

1. Determine Your Target Audience

TikTok’s most active users are young people, mostly Gen Z and millennials. Promoting videos on the app may work for you if your target audience falls within this category. While this is not the only factor at play, it is important.

On the other hand, if your target audience is way older, consider other forms of promotions. Since the older demographic is not as active on TikTok, the return on investment (ROI) can be low. Hence, it may not be worth it. 

2. Set Your Objectives and Goals

Before you start, set clear goals and objectives for the promotional campaign. For example, decide whether to increase brand awareness, boost engagement, or get more followers. 

Then, choose the key indicators that help you track your progress. In this case, monitor the likes, views, profile visits, and overall engagement you get from the promotions. 

3. Consider the Costs

Check how much it will cost you to promote your videos on TikTok. Then, compare it to the cost of other advertising and marketing strategies. This way, you can decide which method to use. 

Also, compare these estimated costs to your budget and the expected ROI. If it does not look too promising, then it’s not worth it. However, if you’re satisfied with the projections, go for it.

4. Track Your Results

Constantly track your results to understand if your promotions are converting. In this case, check the net effect on your other posts by comparing your past posts with the recent ones. This helps you decide whether to promote your videos.From there, check the overall effect of these metrics on your targets and objectives. For instance, if you were trying to increase brand awareness, track your resulting engagement and follower levels. This is how TikTok promotion works.

Two people with a smartphone showing the TikTok welcome screen.

How To Promote a Video on TikTok

TikTok allows you to promote your videos from your creator tools, the business suite, and the video itself. While promoting a video on TikTok is straightforward, you must be familiar with the app’s features. 

Thus, here is how to promote a video on TikTok:

1. Open the TikTok promote tool: You can access the promote tool from your business suite, creator tools, or the video of interest. To do this from the video, tap the More button and choose Promote. You can also visit the Creator tools or Business suite to access this feature.

2. Select your goals: When promoting a video, TikTok prompts you to choose a goal. You can aim for more video views, website visits, profile views, followers, and messages. 

3. Choose your audience: The next step is to define your audience and choose who to promote your videos to. In this case, you can let TikTok choose an audience for you or create your own. 

4. Set up a duration and your budget: Choose how long you want the promotion to run and how much you’re willing to spend. TikTok allows you to adjust the budget and the duration using two sliders. 

5. Make payment and begin the promotion: TikTok shows all your details on one page after choosing all your preferences. From here, choose the Pay and Start promotion button, push your ad live, and sit back. 

FAQ

Can you tell if a TikTok video is promoted?

Yes, you can identify a promoted TikTok video. Typically, the social media app adds a Sponsored tag to posts other users have promoted. This tag appears just below the post description. 

Does paying to promote videos on TikTok work?

Yes, paying to promote videos on TikTok works. Still, its efficiency depends on your goals. For instance, if you’re targeting more reach and engagement, it can be a useful option.

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