What TikTok ‘Heating’ Means About TikTok’s Algorithm
You may have heard about TikTok “heating” posts. I want to throw my hat into the ring because this debate has been growing across the web and social media and I think there are a few arguments being made against TikTok that don’t necessarily mean the algorithm isn’t still doing an incredible job of curating content for users.
First of all, what is ‘heating’ and how does it impact TikTok’s algorithm? In a recent Forbes article entitled, “TikTok’s Secret ‘Heating’ Button Can Make Anyone Go Viral,” heating is “...a manual push [from TikTok and ByteDance employees] that ensures specific videos “achieve a certain number of video views,” according to six sources and documents reviewed by Forbes. The article goes on to state that the tactic of heating certain TikTok posts impacts around 1-2% of TikToks, thus affecting the core metrics of the platform.
I don’t think this necessarily robs other brands and users of their engagement because there isn’t a cap on total engagement. Yes, someone may be served a heated TikTok over a non-heated TikTok in their FYP feed, but that doesn’t mean a TikTok creator’s video won’t be served to a different user’s FYP feed who may also like their content. There are over a billion active monthly users on TikTok, so there are a lot of opportunities for organic, non-heated content to go viral.
It’s important to note that Instagram and most social media platforms have a similar tool to TikTok’s heating tool. Obviously from a financial standpoint it’s beneficial because it helps to encourage influencers and brands to use and stay active on TikTok. For example, a couple of years ago I worked with a brand that had a formal content partnership with TikTok and when this brand posted content, TikTok would highlight the video at the top of their ‘Discovery’ page, resulting in more exposure and subsequently, engagement. This video was entertaining on its own, but definitely wouldn’t have garnered the same impressions and engagement if TikTok had not highlighted the content. Critics cite violations of the First Amendment when it comes to the practice of heating, but one thing I like to remind people of is that all major social media platforms are private, for-profit companies and not run by the government. This means social media companies are not compelled to give all of their users the ability to say and share whatever they like on their platforms, which is why they all have strict (and often restrictive) community guidelines, which is proof that there are limits on what you can and can’t share on their platforms. Social media is far from perfect and it is important to put into perspective how all of the major social media platforms (Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, etc.) have restrictions on speech.
TikTok recently introduced a new transparency tool called the “Why This Video” info panel, which lets users know why a particular video has appeared on their FYP, but regardless, the practice of heating does pose some ethical questions, especially since TikTok could theoretically amplify the messages of certain political candidates over others or help push disinformation campaigns. In recent years, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube have all been guilty of pushing disinformation to their users.
I want to end on a simple tactic you can use to figure out whether or not a viral TikTok is legit. To judge this, you just need to look at the performance of a particular viral TikTok across other social media platforms. If the same video has done comparatively well on Instagram and YouTube, for example, then that’s a good indication that the substance of the video (and not heating) is the reason why that video went viral. All of my viral TikToks have always done really well on Instagram and sometimes even YouTube. My most viral YouTube video is of blind skateboarder Justin Bishop skating the double set at last summer’s Dew Tour. After posting it to TikTok and getting over 4 million views I posted it to YouTube where it currently has over 30 million views. Food for thought…
