Jeff Bullas

Finding out when your followers are most active is a key part of an effective TikTok content strategy, and the platform provides this information directly within its native analytics tools.

First, to access this data, your account must be set up as either a Creator Account or a Business Account. You cannot view detailed analytics on a standard personal account. If you have not already, you can switch your account type easily in your settings, usually under the “Manage account” section. It is free to do so.

Once you have a Creator or Business account, you can find your follower activity data with a few steps. First, go to your profile page in the TikTok app. Second, tap the three horizontal lines, often called the hamburger menu, in the top-right corner of the screen. Third, select “Creator Tools” or “Business Suite” from the menu that appears.

Fourth, within this new menu, tap on “Analytics.” Fifth, inside the main Analytics dashboard, navigate to the “Followers” tab, which is usually located at the top of the screen alongside “Overview” and “Content.”

Sixth, in the Followers tab, scroll down until you find the “Follower activity” section. This area will show you data, typically from the last 7 days, on when your audience has been most active on the platform. It usually displays this information in two ways: one showing the days of the week with the highest activity, and another showing a breakdown of the specific hours of the day. The times shown are generally in your local time zone.

To use this data effectively, identify the one or two days and the specific 2 to 4 hour window where your follower activity is at its peak. This is your prime time. You should experiment by posting your new content either just before or right at the beginning of these peak periods to maximise its initial visibility and potential for engagement.

It is also important to note that you generally need to have at least 100 followers before TikTok will have enough data to populate these follower activity charts for you.

In summary, the follower activity data is found in the Followers tab of your TikTok Analytics, which is accessible with a Creator or Business account. Using this information to guide your posting schedule is a very smart strategy.

Cheers,

Jeff

Finding relevant LinkedIn Groups that are genuinely active requires a methodical approach to both searching for them and then vetting their quality before you decide to join.

First, to find potential groups, you can use LinkedIn’s main search bar. Enter keywords that are relevant to your industry, your specific profession, or your professional interests. Once the search results load, be sure to click on the “Groups” filter to narrow down the list to only show groups.

Second, a very effective method is to look at the profiles of influential people or respected colleagues in your field. Scroll down to the “Interests” section at the bottom of their profile, where you will often find a list of the groups they are members of. This can be a great way to discover high-quality, curated communities.

Third, LinkedIn’s algorithm will also suggest groups to you based on your profile information, skills, and connections. You can usually find these recommendations on your main “Groups” page.

Once you have a list of potential groups, the next crucial step is to assess their health and activity level before joining. First, look at the number of members, but do not let a large number be the only deciding factor, as many members can be inactive.

Second, and more importantly, check the recent activity level. On the group’s preview page, you should be able to see how many posts were made in the past week or month. A healthy group will have at least several new posts and discussions each week. If the latest activity is from many months ago, the group is dormant.

Third, scan the content of the recent posts. Are they thoughtful questions, shared articles, and valuable insights relevant to the industry? Or is the feed clogged with self-promotional spam and irrelevant links? A high ratio of spam is a clear red flag that the group is poorly moderated.

Fourth, look for engagement on the posts themselves. Are other members liking and, more importantly, commenting on the discussions? A group with active, back-and-forth conversations is the kind of community you are looking for.

Fifth, review the group’s rules, which are usually available in the “About” section. Well-moderated groups will have clear rules regarding spam and self-promotion, which is a positive sign.

Finding good groups is a two-step process: use targeted searches and look at the groups your professional network belongs to in order to find them, and then thoroughly vet their recent activity and content quality before committing to join. An active, well-moderated group is a far better use of your time than a large, silent one.

Cheers,

Jeff

While both the Facebook Reels and News Feed algorithms are part of Meta’s larger recommendation ecosystem, they operate with fundamentally different primary goals and therefore prioritise different signals. Understanding this distinction is crucial for your content strategy.

The primary goal of the News Feed algorithm is to connect you with content that is most personally relevant to you, with a strong emphasis on posts from your existing network. It prioritises content from friends, family, and the Groups and Pages you have already chosen to follow. It is designed to nurture your established connections.

In contrast, the Reels algorithm is heavily optimised for discovery and entertainment. Its main objective is to find and serve you a continuous stream of engaging short-form videos, very often from creators and accounts that you do not yet follow.

This difference in purpose leads to different ranking signals being prioritised. First, in the News Feed, signals from people you know are very powerful. For example, meaningful comments and shares from your friends on a post are highly valued signals. The algorithm heavily weighs your past interaction history with a person or Page to determine if you are likely to find their new content interesting.

Second, the Reels algorithm places a much greater emphasis on immediate engagement metrics from a broad audience, including people outside your network. Critical signals for Reels include how quickly a video captures a viewer’s attention, its total watch time, and especially its completion rate (the percentage of viewers who watch it to the end). It also looks at likes, comments, shares, saves, and whether viewers tap on the audio page to potentially create their own Reel.

Third, the source of the content is treated differently. The News Feed gives preference to sources you are already connected to. The Reels algorithm is specifically designed to push content from unknown creators if it predicts you will find that content entertaining based on your viewing habits and the performance of the Reel with similar audiences. Originality is also considered a significant factor for broader discovery in Reels.

In summary, you should think of them as two distinct surfaces requiring different approaches. Your News Feed strategy should focus on nurturing your existing community with relevant updates and sparking conversations. Your Reels strategy should focus on creating highly engaging, entertaining, and discoverable short-form videos to reach a new and broader audience.

Cheers,

Jeff

It is very important to begin by stating that this is general information for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. For specific legal questions regarding copyright, you should always consult with a qualified legal professional.

The idea that you can use a 10-second clip, or any other specific length of a song, under a “Fair Use” rule is one of the most persistent and dangerous myths in content creation. There is no such rule in copyright law that automatically makes using a certain number of seconds permissible.

Fair Use is a complex legal doctrine, primarily in United States law, that allows for the limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the rights holder. However, it is not a right you can claim, but rather a legal defence you might raise in court after you have already been accused of copyright infringement.

To determine if a particular use is fair, courts analyse four main factors. First, they consider the purpose and character of your use. This looks at whether your use is commercial or for non-profit educational purposes, and more importantly, whether it is “transformative.” A transformative use is one that adds new expression or meaning to the original work, such as for parody, criticism, or commentary. Simply using a song as background music is generally not considered transformative.

Second, the court looks at the nature of the copyrighted work. Using a highly creative and original work, like a popular song, is less likely to be considered Fair Use than using a more factual work.

Third, the amount and substantiality of the portion used is considered. While using a smaller portion is better than using a large one, this factor is not just about length. Using even a very short clip can be an infringement if it is considered the “heart” or the most recognisable part of the original song. This is why the “10-second rule” myth is so misleading.

Fourth, the court assesses the effect of your use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. This asks if your use could harm the copyright holder’s ability to earn money from their original work, for example, by acting as a substitute for people listening to or purchasing the song.

For creators on platforms like YouTube or TikTok, the practical reality is that automated systems like Content ID will often detect the use of copyrighted music regardless of the length. This can automatically lead to your video being demonetised, having its audio muted, being blocked in certain countries, or having the revenue directed to the copyright holder.

In summary, relying on any “rule” about a specific number of seconds is not a valid legal defence. Using any portion of a popular, copyrighted song without obtaining a proper license is always a significant risk. The safest approach for creators is to use music from royalty-free libraries like the YouTube Audio Library or to purchase licenses from production music websites.

Cheers,

Jeff

This is for general informational purposes and should not be considered legal advice. You should consult with a legal professional for advice on specific copyright matters.

The question of whether you can get a copyright strike for using popular music on TikTok depends almost entirely on how you are using the music and what type of account you have.

First, let us consider using sounds from within TikTok’s own music library. TikTok has licensing agreements with most major music labels and publishers. These agreements allow them to offer a vast library of popular songs for users to include in their videos. If you have a personal account and are creating non-commercial content, using a sound directly from TikTok’s general sound library is typically safe. You are creating your content under the umbrella of TikTok’s licenses, so it is highly unlikely you will receive a copyright strike for doing so. However, it is possible for a sound to be removed from the library later if a licensing agreement changes, which might result in the audio being muted on your existing videos that used it.

Second, the rules are different for Business Accounts. To avoid legal issues related to using popular music for commercial or promotional purposes, Business Accounts on TikTok are generally restricted to a separate “Commercial Music Library.” This library contains tracks that are royalty-free and pre-cleared for business use. If a Business Account uses a popular song from the general library, they are at a much higher risk of having the video’s audio muted or the video removed for copyright infringement.

Third, the biggest risk comes from uploading a video with your own added music. If you edit your video outside of the TikTok app and add a popular, copyrighted song that you do not have a license for, and then upload that video to TikTok, you are at a very high risk of copyright infringement. TikTok’s automated systems are very effective at detecting copyrighted audio, and this will likely result in your video’s audio being muted, the video itself being taken down, or you receiving a copyright infringement notification.

While TikTok’s “strike” system may not be as publicly defined as YouTube’s, repeated copyright infringements can certainly lead to penalties on your account, including temporary suspensions or even a permanent ban. More commonly, you will experience content takedowns and audio mutes.

In summary, for personal, non-promotional content, it is generally safe to use sounds available in TikTok’s general library. For any business or branded content, you must use the pre-cleared Commercial Music Library. And you should avoid uploading videos containing copyrighted music that you have added yourself without a proper license.

Cheers,

Jeff

The relevance of skill endorsements on a LinkedIn profile is a frequent topic of discussion. While they do not carry the same weight as a detailed, personalised recommendation, they still hold a degree of value in a couple of key areas.

First, endorsements provide a form of at-a-glance social proof. When a visitor, such as a recruiter or potential client, looks at your profile, seeing a skill that has been endorsed by a significant number of people, especially by other respected professionals in your field, can quickly validate your claim to that ability. It visually signals that your network corroborates your listed skills.

Second, skill endorsements are understood to be a signal for LinkedIn’s search algorithm. Having a well-endorsed set of relevant skills helps LinkedIn categorise your profile and better understand your areas of expertise. This can directly influence how you rank and appear in search results when recruiters or other professionals are searching for candidates with specific skills. The more endorsements you have for a critical skill, the more likely you are to surface in those targeted searches.

However, it is important to understand their limitations. The primary weakness of endorsements is that they are a low-effort action. It only takes a single click to endorse someone, so they do not offer any context, detail, or nuance about your level of proficiency in that skill.

Because of this, a well-written, detailed recommendation will always be more impactful and carry more weight than dozens of endorsements. A recommendation requires someone to invest time and thought into describing their experience working with you and vouching for your character and abilities.

You can manage your skills section by reordering them to feature your most important and relevant skills at the top, making them more visible and more likely to be endorsed by visitors. It is also good practice to remove skills that are no longer relevant to your career path.

In summary, while skill endorsements are not the most critical element of your LinkedIn profile, they are not meaningless. They serve as quick social validation and can influence your visibility within LinkedIn’s internal search. They should be viewed as a complementary component of your profile, with your work experience descriptions and personalised recommendations holding greater significance.

Cheers,

Jeff

Checking your Facebook Page Quality status regularly is a critical task for any Page administrator to ensure your Page remains in good standing and is not at risk of having its reach restricted or being unpublished.

First, to check your Page Quality, the most reliable place to look is usually within Meta Business Suite. Navigate to the “All tools” section, and you should find “Page Quality” listed there. Alternatively, you might find a direct link to it within your Page’s “Professional Dashboard” or under the general “Page settings” on Facebook itself. The interface can sometimes be updated, but Meta Business Suite is the central hub for these tools.

When you access the Page Quality section, you will see a status, typically colour-coded. A green status, often labelled “Page has no issues,” means you are in good standing. A yellow status indicates your “Page is at risk” or “has some restrictions,” which means there are existing violations that require your attention. A red status usually means your “Page has been unpublished” or has significant restrictions due to serious or repeated violations.

If you find you have violations listed, you need to address them. First, the Page Quality section will show you the specific content that was flagged for violating Facebook’s Community Standards or other policies. It is crucial to review these examples to understand what the issue was.

Second, for each violation, Facebook will provide context and usually an option to take action. If the content is still on your Page, you will likely need to delete it.

Third, if you genuinely believe Facebook has made an error in flagging your content, there should be an option to “Request Review” or “Disagree with Decision.” When you select this, you may have an opportunity to provide a brief explanation as to why you believe the content does not violate their policies. Be professional and clear in your reasoning.

Fourth, you must be patient during the review process. After you submit an appeal, it can take some time for Facebook to re-evaluate the decision. It is not advisable to repeatedly post similar content while a review is pending.

The best approach is proactive. Regularly familiarise yourself and anyone else who posts on your Page with Facebook’s Community Standards to prevent violations from happening in the first place. Consistently check your Page Quality status, and if issues arise, address them promptly by either removing the content or submitting a well-reasoned appeal.

Cheers,

Jeff

The question of whether Instagram’s algorithm prioritises original audio over trending sounds for Reels discovery is a common one, and the answer is quite nuanced. Both audio types can be highly effective for increasing your reach, but they generally serve different strategic purposes.

First, let’s consider trending sounds. Using a popular or trending audio clip is a powerful way to insert your content into a much larger, ongoing conversation on the platform. The algorithm is designed to show users content related to what they already engage with, and that includes popular audio. By using a trending sound, you increase the chances of your Reel being shown to a broad audience that is actively watching and interacting with videos using that specific sound. It is a very effective tactic for discoverability and can be a key factor in a video going viral.

Second, there is the case for original audio. When you create a Reel with your own original audio – for example, a voiceover with a unique tip, a piece of your own music, or a distinct sound effect – you establish yourself as a source of unique content. If your original audio becomes popular and other creators begin to use it in their own Reels, your username is credited on every one of those videos. This can drive a significant amount of traffic and new, highly relevant followers back to your profile. It is a powerful way to build brand authority and potentially start a trend yourself, rather than just participating in one.

The algorithm does not simply rank one type of audio higher than the other in all situations. The primary factor the algorithm prioritises is viewer engagement. A Reel with a trending sound that is poorly executed or irrelevant to the audio will likely perform much worse than a Reel with compelling original audio that achieves high watch time, comments, shares, and saves.

An effective strategy for many creators is often a hybrid approach. You can use trending sounds to participate in current cultural moments and boost your visibility to a broad audience. This can be balanced with creating content that uses your own original audio to share your unique expertise, build your specific brand, and establish your own voice on the platform.

In summary, neither is universally “better” for reach. Trending sounds are generally for tapping into existing, broad discovery pathways. Original audio is excellent for building brand equity and creating your own discovery pathway. The best choice depends on the specific goal of each Reel you create, and the most important factor for success will always be the overall engagement your video receives from viewers.

Cheers,

Jeff