6. The Initial Test Audience: The First 100-300 Views

When you post a video, TikTok serves it to a small, initial test audience. This group is typically a mix of your existing followers and other users who have previously engaged with content similar to yours. The algorithm closely measures the performance within this "test batch." If the video achieves high completion and engagement rates with this initial group, it "graduates" and is served to a much larger audience. If it fails this initial test (i.e., people scroll away quickly), the video's reach is effectively cut off, and it will languish in obscurity. This is why the first hour after posting is so critical.