TikTok basics: The meaning of FYP

It’s not always easy to keep up with the TikTok lingo. One minute the skull emoji is the way to react to funny content. The next, it’s a chair. The #xyzbca hashtag used to be the hot new thing, but that fizzled when #IYKYK came along. Do these examples have you lost? Then let’s go back to the basics.

FYP is the first acronym every new TikToker should learn. It’s as necessary to know the meaning of FYP as it is to understand that IG stands for Instagram and that #IYKYK is “if you know you know.”

So what does FYP stand for, and why are you seeing it everywhere on TikTok? FYP refers to TikTok’s ubiquitous For You page, a landing page where users can appreciate new content the app selects just for them. Your FYP is where the algorithm places the very best and most relevant content it can find based on your viewing habits. You see the abbreviation all around TikTok because aspiring social media stars are preoccupied with getting on this page. They have to be – the FYP is a creator’s best bet at attracting new followers.

Ready to improve your social media toolbox and up your engagement on TikTok? Let’s unpack exactly what the FYP is, how it works and how you can get your content to show up on other people’s FYP.

How do FYPs work?

Remember the days when ads would show up in your feed that didn’t align with your interests, and it took a long time to find exactly what you were looking for on the internet? Things have changed. The algorithms behind social media platforms and the web have become much more precise.

While there’s a lot of speculation and only a few firm answers about how the TikTok algorithm works, what we do know is that it’s efficient at putting content people will like on their For You page. Over time, the algorithm looks at the type of content users interact with and curates a selection based on this data.

Because the algorithm personalizes the content in this space for each user, no two For You pages are the same. If you’re a content creator, getting on someone’s customized For You page is a great way to get a new, organic follower with a genuine interest in your content. In the next section, we’ll explain how to use the FYP to your advantage if you’re a creator trying to expand your reach.

Getting on an FYP

If you’re trying to get famous on social media, TikTok can be a great place to start. As proven by some of the platform’s most successful influencers, sometimes it only takes one post to go viral. Once you land on an idea for content that will spark the interest of millions, you’ve got to get it on their FYPs. Here are some tips for making it happen:

Interactions

While there’s mystique around how theTikTok algorithm works, it definitely considers engagement on your videos. The more engagments, the higher the video ranks.

So what can you do with this information if you’re trying to get on more FYPs? You can drive your interactions up. Here are a few tactics to try:

• Tell stories in your videos, and ask viewers to comment with similar experiences or give the content a like.
• Ask your followers to share your video with a friend who might relate to the content.
• Post videos at times your followers are most likely to see them. People can’t interact with content they don’t see, so be sure to post new videos when your followers are awake and active. With a TikTok Pro account, you have access to analytics that show where your viewers are concentrated geographically (so you can post when TikTok users in those time zones are up) and when they’re most active.

Completion rates

Another factor the TikTok algorithm considers is completion rates – that is, how far viewers are watching and how many people make it to the end of your video. If you want to end up on more FYPs, try boosting your completion rates with the following tips:

• Make short videos your followers can quickly finish, even if their attention span is low.
• Use a teaser at the beginning of a video to get people to watch through to the end for a payoff.

Consider SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) may sound like complex jargon, but the idea is simple. You want to make your content easy to find when users search for relevant terms. Include keywords in your bio and descriptions that can help the algorithm categorize your videos correctly and put them in front of the right viewers. Don’t underestimate the importance of using keywords and hashtags related to your content as well.

@linktr.ee If you're trying to figure out the TikTok algorithm, this one's for you 😌 #tiktokseo #creatornews #tiktokupdates #tiktokalgorithm #seotips #socialmediatips ♬ Lazy Sunday - Official Sound Studio

Trends

While we all want to be a trendsetter on social media, it never hurts to jump on other people’s trends from time to time. Even if the trend has little to do with the content you’d usually post, catching the wave can be advantageous, and there’s usually a way to relate a trend to your niche. Use trending hashtags or sounds in your posts so the algorithm will group your content with other TikTok videos following the trend, potentially putting your content in front of a user who wouldn’t have found you otherwise..

Quality

If your goal is to become a social media star, launch your career with star-quality videos. The first step is to create high-quality content that will grab users’ attention. Upping the production value of your videos won’t trick the algorithm into filtering them to the top of a search or placing them on a FYP, but if your video attracts more clicks and interactions, the algorithm will rank the video higher.