TikTok “Heats” Videos to Attract Creators and Brands
Source: TikTok
TikTok has been “heating” videos, according to recent document leaks.
What “Heating” Is
A TikTok internal document, the MINT Heating Playbook, defines "heating" as "boosting videos into the ‘For You’ page (FYP) via operations intervention to achieve a certain number of video views." In simpler terms, it refers to employees hand-selecting videos from creators and brands to increase their distribution.
“Heating” videos has never been publicly disclosed by TikTok. But, it's a tactic that most social media platforms engage in to some extent, mostly when amplifying socially minded messages such as information around vaccinations and voting. In TikTok's case, "heating" is reportedly used to attract creators and brands by inflating their video view counts. Former employees also report that employees will sometimes "heat" videos of their own or friends and family, which is a violation of company policy.
The Issue With It
TikTok did recently confirm that it will “heat” videos as a way to introduce celebrities and emerging creators to its community as well as diversify the content experience. The act of “heating” isn’t necessarily the issue. It’s that the platform has always been positioned as a level playing field for creators due to its algorithm. But with revelations of some videos being pushed manually, especially in the interest of TikTok, that perception is called into question.
Whether it's organic or paid content, we assume that the videos we see on the FYP on TikTok are there because the algorithm determined they align with our interests and viewing behavior. When videos are “heated,” the platform instead promotes videos that serve its interests rather than the users. Plus, it essentially takes away the opportunity for a creator to get on the FYP organically.
The Potential Solution
When videos are served to users via paid media, they have a “sponsored” label. If we think about the concept of “heating,” it’s not too different than a video that is amplified via paid dollars. Because of this, TikTok should consider adding a label to videos that it “heats” to provide transparency for users who come across them and provide them with a clear understanding of the content they are viewing. This would align greatly with its recent push to increase transparency for its users.
