Social media feeds are now not constructed round who you comply with. Platforms are pivoting to an curiosity graph, serving content material primarily based on what you want, watch and share. Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vee) has been speaking about this shift for years, calling it “curiosity media.” TikTok is the most effective instance of this motion. Its For You Web page (FYP) is personalised for every consumer, rating movies in line with interactions, content material indicators and primary system information moderately than follower counts.
This text explores how TikTok’s curiosity‑primarily based algorithm works, why follower counts are shedding relevance and the way Gary Vee’s insights can assist manufacturers and creators adapt. It additionally provides sensible ideas for creating content material that resonates with the algorithm and drives outcomes.
From social media to curiosity media
Gary Vee has lengthy argued that numbers are over‑valued. In his article “Numbers Don’t Matter, Affect Does”, he explains that giant impression counts and follower numbers typically masks shallow engagement. A model may boast 500,000 video views, but when viewers skipped the video or have been aggravated by the advert, these impressions maintain little worth. He stresses that follower counts solely matter if the viewers cares about your content material. Ten thousand passionate followers can convert higher than 200 thousand detached ones.
This message aligns with TikTok’s design. The platform’s algorithm doesn’t prioritise accounts with huge audiences. As a substitute, it makes use of consumer interactions, content material info and consumer info to foretell which movies every individual is more likely to take pleasure in. TikTok’s assist web page explains that consumer interactions comparable to likes, shares, feedback, and watch time carry essentially the most weight. Content material info, comparable to sounds, hashtags and video descriptions, gives context, whereas consumer info like system settings and language preferences has much less impression.
Gary Vee summarises this shift because the transfer from social media to curiosity media. This pattern implies that content material should attraction to particular pursuits and micro‑communities moderately than a broad follower base.
How the TikTok algorithm works in 2025
TikTok’s algorithm goals to maintain every consumer entertained for so long as potential. In line with Hootsuite’s 2025 algorithm information, the platform rewards content material that aligns with particular communities like #BookTok or #SportsOnTikTok. Watch time, particularly within the first few seconds, is a important sign. A robust hook comparable to asking a query, teasing a payoff or displaying hanging visuals, encourages viewers to look at longer. TikTok additionally makes use of captions, hashtags and sounds to classify movies and advocate them to customers.
The platform’s personal documentation echoes these factors. The FYP shows a novel stream of content material for every individual. It depends on consumer interactions (likes, shares, feedback, watch time) and content material info (sounds, hashtags, variety of views) to resolve which movies to point out. System settings, language and site play a minor function. These personalised suggestions imply that even creators with small followings can attain hundreds of thousands if their content material engages viewers rapidly.
Key indicators to optimise for
To succeed on TikTok, concentrate on the indicators the algorithm cares about:
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Engagement: Encourage likes, feedback, shares and replays. Ask questions or invite viewers to duet or sew your video. The extra individuals work together along with your content material, the extra the algorithm will advocate it.
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Watch time: Hold viewers watching previous the primary few seconds. Begin with a powerful hook and preserve a gentle tempo. Hootsuite notes that watch time is closely weighted.
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Area of interest relevance: Use hashtags and sounds that align with particular communities. Content material that matches into a distinct segment (like #SingaporeFood) is extra more likely to attain the fitting viewers.
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Prime quality: Hootsuite experiences that prime‑high quality, TikTok‑first movies rise up to forty occasions extra follower development than low‑high quality uploads. Movie in good lighting and use native modifying instruments.
Why follower counts are much less necessary
Follower counts can create a false sense of success. Gary Vee warns that some manufacturers purchase followers or chase vainness metrics with out cultivating actual engagement. Such accounts could have hundreds of thousands of followers however little affect. TikTok’s algorithm emphasises high quality interactions; if a video sparks dialog or is watched to completion, it could actually go viral even from an account with few followers.
TikTok’s personalisation implies that no two customers see the identical feed. A creator’s follower depend doesn’t assure distribution; as an alternative, movies should seize the eye of viewers who could not comply with them. This ranges the enjoying discipline for small or new accounts.
Gary Vee’s philosophy underlines this level: one share from a single engaged follower can set off a ripple impact. He writes that one retweet or repost can begin a series response, no matter your follower quantity. Influencers ought to concentrate on depth, not width.
Classes for creators and types
Create curiosity‑centric content material
Manufacturers ought to perceive what their viewers cares about and create content material that matches these pursuits. Actual property brokers, for instance, ought to produce hyper‑native content material moderately than solely itemizing movies. Individuals are extra more likely to interact with information about new eating places, neighbourhood occasions or private tales. As soon as they’re invested, they turn out to be extra open to enterprise‑oriented posts.
For manufacturers in Singapore, this implies tapping into native tradition. A meals supply service may create brief movies that includes hawker favourites or hidden cafe gems. A trend retailer may be part of #SGFashion or #ThriftSingapore communities, providing styling ideas for the native climate. Native context makes content material extra related, growing the probability of engagement and watch time.
Prioritise engagement and worth
When planning content material, take into consideration how viewers will work together. Ask viewers to share their opinions or inform their very own tales. Host dwell classes to reply questions. The TikTok algorithm weighs engagement closely, so these interactions sign that your content material is effective.
Creators ought to present worth with out anticipating instant returns. Offering helpful information or leisure builds goodwill and belief. Over time, this depth of engagement converts followers into prospects or advocates.
Embrace micro and nano creators
Entrepreneurs typically chase macro‑influencers, however smaller creators can ship extra engaged audiences. As a result of the curiosity graph surfaces content material primarily based on pursuits, micro creators who deeply perceive a distinct segment can outperform huge names. Manufacturers ought to collaborate with creators whose values align with their very own and whose followers belief their suggestions.
Iterate and experiment
TikTok tendencies change rapidly. Kobe encourages creators to put up typically and take a look at completely different codecs. Shorter or experimental movies can reveal what resonates along with your viewers. Use analytics to see which movies have greater watch time and engagement. Alter your technique accordingly.
Conclusion: The period of curiosity media
The shift from follower‑pushed feeds to curiosity‑primarily based feeds marks a turning level in social media. TikTok’s algorithm exemplifies this variation by specializing in consumer interactions, content material indicators and personalisation. Gary Vee’s “curiosity media” philosophy captures why follower counts are shedding significance: what issues is consideration, relevance and worth.
Creators and types should adapt by producing participating, area of interest‑centered content material that speaks to particular communities. They need to measure success by watch time, interactions and conversions moderately than vainness metrics. By embracing these rules, entrepreneurs can thrive in a world the place the algorithms reward depth over breadth and the place even a small voice could make a big effect.
