How TikTok's Content Graph is Reshaping Social Platforms—Including LinkedIn

How TikTok's algorithm is setting new standards for content discovery across social media platforms—why should you care?

Oct 21, 2024

So, it seems like I enjoy interpretive dances. At least that’s what my TikTok For You page (FYP) is telling me. It was suddenly filled with hilarious interpretive dance videos this weekend, all with the same rhythmic music of Laterals by Fat Code Studios and now I can’t get this tune out of my head. While it was delightful to discover a new trend, it also got me wondering about my TikTok consumption preferences.

As someone aptly put it, ‘TikTok knows me so well that it serves me content I like without my having to follow them!’ Which begs an intriguing question: does TikTok know me better than I know myself? Afterall, its algorithm curates content based on interests and interactions, which keeps me scrolling in the feed for longer. This feedback loop is what makes TikTok so addictive for many of its users, but it is also something marketing leaders are still demystifying.

The importance of good content for brands

The reason why TikTok is so ’sticky’ is due to its social content delivery algorithm or its ‘interest graph’’. While other social platforms were built around connections, known as the social graph, TikTok prioritizes user behaviour and interest-based interactions. Hence, it is not about simply filling your page with any content but content that TikTok knows audiences will consume because that is how platforms optimize the user experience.

If your content is engaging and of high quality, you encourage users to interact and share that content. This in turn signals the algorithm to promote what you’ve published. That is the reason why brands are in a race to figure out how to get onto the FYPs of their target audiences, and that also comes with embracing creativity, speed, and authenticity. As the example on the interpretive dance, trends thrive on user-generated content that feels relatable, creative, and genuine.

How TikTok’s content graph is influencing other social platforms

TikTok’s interest graph has influenced social media platforms in evaluating their content delivery. As users seek more personalization over seeing just what’s in their social network, platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn are shifting away from social graphs to interest-driven content discovery.

Instagram Reels is Instagram's initiative to enhance content discovery based on user interests rather than focusing solely on interactions between friends. This move allows users to discover videos from creators outside whom they are already following, similar to TikTok’s content recommendation system.

YouTube has already been acing their interest-based recommendations, but TikTok accelerated their approach to focus on more short-form content through Shorts. YouTube’s algorithm has become more aggressive in suggesting content that matches your viewing history. It is improving its ability to predict what you might want to watch next with its analysis of your viewing behaviours.

While LinkedIn traditionally catered to professional networking, its shift towards a content graph has led to a more dynamic user experience. They have made several changes to their algorithm and, in recent years, transitioned into elevating content by LinkedIn creators.

And similar to TikTok, it has also made its algorithm more intuitive to ‘trending content’. It may be a post that resonates with a wider community within a short period of time. The algorithm will serve that content, especially if it also aligns with current trending themes such as RTO and AI.

Video content has been increasingly popular on LinkedIn, and you might have noticed the video tab on your LinkedIn mobile app. So besides doomscrolling videos on TikTok, you can also do that on LinkedIn now. (yay) The LinkedIn algorithm allows for broader reach beyond your network, but it is also about creating value-driven content that resonates with your audience and staying consistent with your content. Again, an individual’s behaviour on LinkedIn is generally a little different from TikTok or Instagram, as the platform is still technically a professional networking platform, and bearing in mind people behave differently in their professional capacities.

In summary: What it means for brands

We are all drowning in this massive content space with podcasts, videos, and articles, among others. This will increase exponentially with Gen AI playing across content creation to delivery. Users will gravitate towards content that resonates with their interests and needs, and the social platforms’ continuous evolution of algorithms to focus on user behaviour, engagement, and preferences underscores this trend.

However, many brands are still not taking an audience-centric approach to creating content. Brands are creating content based on what they want to publish. While there’s a place and value for brand-voice content, brands will need to diversify their content strategies and content mix. With the rise of AI-generated content, it is not about producing more content but also considering the right content that aligns with the brand messaging while appealing to the nuanced preferences of your audience, ensuring that your content intersects with their FYPs.

If you are looking for advice on your social strategies or want to learn more about leveraging the creator economy, feel free to reach out.

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