I’ve been posting short videos on TikTok consistently, but I’m noticing that some videos get pushed to the For You page while others barely receive any exposure. While researching TikTok growth strategies, I came across discussions about fake or inactive followers and their potential impact on recommendations.
What I want to understand is how TikTok’s recommendation system actually reacts to fake followers. Do they directly hurt an account’s chances of being recommended, or is the effect more indirect through engagement signals? I’m especially curious whether fake followers interfere with early testing phases, watch time evaluation, or audience matching.
Instead of general warnings, I’m looking for a clear explanation of how fake followers interfere with TikTok’s recommendation system in real scenarios, how noticeable the impact usually is, and whether content quality and real engagement can offset any downsides.