Social video data: This will be embarrassing (low view counts!) but insightful!
This is the first full year I took social video serious. I mostly hang around on TikTok and re-post elsewhere so I was surprised when I noticed my Instagram reach growing faster in the last few months, while TikTok reach declined. I was curious what might stand out, knowing that the algorithms are being tweaked all the time. TikTok does get some real large outliers (for me right now, that’s 50k+ views), so I’m interested in the averages, that exclude the big swings.
When I charted it out, two really clear moments stood out, which each can tell a clear piece of advice that will sound familiar.
(1) The algorithms really reward *every* single day posting: For a chunk of Q2, I was posting daily on TikTok and saw average views steadily growing. Then I fell out of the habit for a couple weeks and when I returned average views collapsed — and I’ve struggled to climb out since.
Even excluding large outliers, I was averaging 3k+ views per video on TikTok after posting daily for 30 days. After I broke the habit? Average views were closer to 600!
(2) The algorithms might (?) punish you for not using paid advertising: I had never paid for any social advertising for a personal account of mine before, but I was curious by how aggressively TikTok was pushing theirs. So I spent $8.91 to promote a Technical.ly video I posted on my personal account.
The company kept pushing me to buy more, but I just didn’t, and it sure looks like I’m being punished for that. Even after removing large outliers, my average views on the 15 videos before I tried the advertising? 900. Then the 15 videos after the single boosted video? A woeful 520.
I had never done a paid boost individually and gosh I don’t think I will again. Though it seems increasingly that these companies are cornering brands to a place where they will have to.
What’s my read? Social media as a strategy right now just really is a DAILY thing, but only mess with paid advertising if you intend for it to be an on-going part of your strategy.