The phrase refers to the practice of gradually increasing activity on a new or dormant TikTok profile to signal authenticity and platform compliance. This incremental engagement simulates organic user behavior, often involving activities like viewing videos, liking content, following accounts, and sparingly posting. An example would be initially only viewing and liking videos for a week before starting to follow other accounts and engage with comments.
This process is undertaken to mitigate the risk of account suspension or shadow banning, which can occur if a profile exhibits sudden and unusually high activity levels. By mimicking the natural growth pattern of a legitimate user, accounts can build trust with TikTok’s algorithms and increase their chances of content visibility. Historically, such strategies have been employed across various social media platforms to circumvent automated detection systems designed to combat spam and bot activity. The benefits include improved deliverability of content to the target audience and the establishment of a more credible online presence.
