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TIKTOK
Debunking the TikTok algorithm
Like every other platform, TikTok uses machine learning to evaluate the quality of every video uploaded to the platform. But how does the TikTok algorithm really work?
Savannah Sanchez recently shared her take after testing the platform, and here’s what her thoughts are:
Every time you upload a video, TikTok begins by showing it to a small set of users ‘in between’ the more popular videos. This ensures the user doesn’t get bored. Then the algorithm measures how much of your video was actually watched, along with the engagement such as likes, comments, and shares it receives.
The probability of the content going viral depends on its ability to hook users and entice them to watch it till the very end! So, watch time is very important.
The sweet spot ratio to trigger the algorithm to show the video to more people is one ‘like’ per 10 views. The algorithm is triggered by the velocity of the engagement it receives.
Videos that don’t hit this 1:10 like-to-view ratio fade quickly, while those close to 1:10 grow at a slower pace. If your content is good enough to maintain higher than the 1:10 ratio, it will spread like wildfire!
Best part is that you don’t need a lot of followers to go viral. One can simply record a video, upload it to the platform and start getting views from other users.
How is this different from other platforms like Instagram and Snapchat? TikTok uses AI to precisely measure how good your video is, and it then ranks it on a scale of 10 views to 10M views.
The higher the percentage of video completion, the more distribution your video gets.
Every time your distribution grows, the velocity metrics your video needs to achieve to keep growing increase. This means it is much easier to go from being shown to 10 people to 100 people than it is to go from 50k users to 100k users.
Well, this is the first time we found someone trying to debunk the TikTok algorithm. So, while advertising on the platform is still restricted to a few individuals, this might help you get some juicy organic clicks!
BUSINESS
ePayment shut down by FCA
If you’re an ePayment user, you’ve probably already received an email about it. If not, the news is that, after an FCA ordinary review, ePayment froze all its accounts due to some limitations the watchdog found in their systems.
What does it mean? During the course of this suspension, users will not be able to use their account or manage their balances in any way.
However, the company stated that funds are safeguarded as normal and will remain so unless they can’t find a solution that satisfies FCA requests.
Definitely bad news for everybody that uses this platform, especially considering this came out of the blue without allowing customers to take any precautions.
1M accounts are now frozen, although it’s unlikely that all the balances will be lost. Chances are that ePayments will solve the issues, but let’s see how this evolves.
SPONSORED
👨💻 This is where you find skilled, reliable & hard-working remote workers!
Why do we say that? Well, because THAT PLACE is exactly where we found our first and oldest hire over 4 years ago. OnlineJobs.ph is literally the Job Board for Virtual Workers from the Philippines.
21,793 jobseekers signed up on the platform just in the last month. Get access to their profile.
3,521 employers signed up on the platform just in the last month. Join these employers and put up a job listing.
It all works in 3 easy steps:
- Post a job: Let talented workers come to you and apply for a job. Or simply search resumes to proactively look for staff with skills you need.
- Find the perfect staff member. Communicate over email, interview candidates, hire the right person for the job, start working immediately.
- Hire & manage: Manage work hours, pay them through EasyPay and no other administrative headache.
More reasons why you shouldn’t ignore OnlineJobs.ph:
- Everyone speaks English. In case you didn’t know it, just about everyone with an Internet connection in the Philippines has a good level of English.
- Background data checks on your candidates.
- No long term commitment. Once you’ve found the right candidate, you don’t pay anymore. You just enjoy the productivity of your new hires!
Try it for yourself! You can post 3 jobs for free. If you are already convinced, check the Pro or Premium options at $69/month or $99/month.
If you want to test it out for free, all you have to do is sign up for an account right here and post your job.
E-COMMERCE
How the new coronavirus is hitting the e-commerce industry
The new virus that has literally taken the world by storm. We already pointed out some problems and solutions, but things have continued escalating since then and this has caused more problems to worldwide shipments.
There are many issues ongoing, so let’s try to take a good look at the general picture of the situation:
+ Chinese suppliers postponed the dates to restart operations: Initially, Chinese companies extended their New Year celebrations as they waited for the situation to stabilize. Unfortunately, the virus has continued to spread so they didn’t get back to work on February 10 as they had previously hoped. It will probably take another 7-14 days before operations restart.
+ US Postal Service suspended all shipments toward China and Hong Kong as more than 70 airlines companies cancelled their flights to China.
+ Shipments transitioning China will be affected as well due to restricted airline activity.
+ China’s domestic courier services have also been disrupted amid the contagion. This is the most likely cause of an interruption to suppliers’ activity. However, on Saturday, the State Post Bureau urged the country’s major courier companies to restore over 40 per cent of their normal handling capacity by the middle of this month.
+ A leaked Amazon email revealed that the company is stockpiling products made in China over coronavirus fears, despite the company stating that operations “would have not been interrupted” by the virus outbreak. Well, if a giant like Amazon is suffering the consequences of this virus, what can the rest of the e-commerce world do? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Actually, if you run Facebook Ads there is something you can do to avoid your Page Score getting hurt. As shown in this email shared by Depesh Mandalia, Facebook is well-aware of the virus outbreak and the fact that it will cause shipping troubles.
So, the company recommended actively monitoring your shipments and following up with your customers regarding the difficulties. Inform them about your cancellation policies and ask if they want to cancel their shipments.
Well, probably something that you’re already doing. If not, keep in touch with your customers and make sure they’re informed about what’s going on.
This won’t solve the problem, but showing them that you haven’t forgotten about their shipments will definitely make them feel better. This, in turn, will hopefully stop them from leaving bad reviews that will hurt your Page Score and business reputation in general.
That’s all we know so far. Even large companies like Apple and Under Armour are experiencing issues… so apparently there isn’t much else you can do! Unless, of course, you have the luxury of finding some local suppliers….
Let’s hope for the best!
ROUNING UP THE STACK
- GOOGLE: Google Ads interface has automatically changed the “recommended” geo-targeting exclusion settings without informing advertisers about it. Check your campaign settings. Thanks for the update goes to one of our readers, Neil Stanley from Alamex.
- TOOLS: We found this Chrome extension that looks very useful for SEOs. A lot of features in it: Get page-level insights, see all heading tags, check a page in your favourite SEO tool and many more. Have a look at it!
- MANYCHAT: ManyChat launched its own Pixel that will allow tracking conversions attributed to your bot conversations. Also, they launched an analytics report. In this video, Rutger Thole walks you through the installment and features.
- SORRY: In one of our recent Poolside stories, we talked about Bill Gates buying a hydrogen-powered super-yacht. It seems that this was a mistake and Mr Gates never actually bought that boat! Sorry!
- INSTAGRAM: The platform has introduced a new way for you to engage with audiences beyond your existing followers by using interactive elements in Stories Ads, using the polling stickers.
BRAIN TEASER
How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?
You can find the solution by clicking here.
POOLSIDE CHAT
Cool tech, (funny) business, lifestyle and all the other things affiliates like to chat about while sipping cocktails by the pool.
Valentine’s Day presents or revenge? Take your pick, courtesy of The Crew
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and The Crew is super excited about it.
It’s the first Valentine’s Day of the new decade and mushiness is in the air.
Everybody is on the lookout for new and unique ideas to celebrate the day, whether they have a partner or not.
If you are also on the lookout for some really crazy ways to make it special for your partner or for yourself, here’s what you can do.
For those who want some really sweet and valuable gifts, all you gotta do is share & refer our daily newsletter with your marketing friends (plutonic or platonic) and you might soon be on a flight to Vienna for an all-inclusive trip.
There are so many other gifts up for grabs too, such as a fah-ree ticket to your favourite marketing conference, heart shaped Tees and much more.
Although, for those looking for sweet revenge instead of chocolates, head over to the San Antonio Zoo in Texas and they will make the day special for you… and your ex.
How? They will name a rat after your ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend. Not enough? Well, on Valentine’s Day they will feed the rat to a snake! So sweet!
Want something equally romantic but slightly cheaper? You could opt for a cockroach instead. For just $5, they will name a cockroach after your Ex and feed it to some bird or other animals. This will surely make her/him regret that trip to Venice you had together…
Well, our guess is you would want to stick to the first option. It’s much more rewarding, honest.
Choice is yours, don’t be late!