What Does “Ratio” Mean On TikTok?

Writen By Murphy
on December 19, 2022

4 Min Read

Recently, you’ve likely noticed the term ‘ratio’ quite a lot on TikTok. To learn what it means, and what it might mean for you and your content, take a look at the article below.

TikTok was launched in China in 2016 and became wildly successful almost instantly. It is a video-sharing application where users create short clips and share them with their friends, family, and other TikTok users. The app now has over 500 million daily active users worldwide.

However, thanks to its ever-changing nature and how quickly trends come and go on TikTok, it can feel like a bit of a mystery to some people. Every day there seems to be a new word or phrase popping up in people’s captions and comment sections.

We will also cover some other classic TikTok phrases to make sure that you’re as TikTok savvy as possible!

What Does Ratio Mean on TikTok?

The term ‘ratio’ is used by many different people across all social media platforms, but it’s most commonly seen on TikTok. On TikTok, the ratio refers to the number of likes compared to the number of replies (or comments) for a particular post.

For example, if you post a video and it gets 10 likes but 30 comments, someone may comment on your video with the term ‘ratio’ or ‘ratioed’, because you have more comments than you do likes. So, now that you know what ‘ratio’ means, you are likely wondering… “but, why?”

Is Being ‘Ratioed’ on TikTok a Bad Thing?

Generally speaking, if a video has more comments and replies than it does like, this implies that there are more people disagreeing with your content than there are people agreeing with it. As such, if you get ‘ratioed’, it’s safe to assume that you’ve posted something unpopular.

However, if you have been ‘ratioed’, don’t worry too much just yet. If the comments on your post are generally positive, then it is likely to be a fluke incident. If, however, they are negative, you should perhaps take a minute to re-evaluate what you posted.

What Are Ratio Requests?

Ratio requests on TikTok are different from being ‘ratioed’. If you notice a comment that reads something like ‘Ratio me 1:1’, this isn’t the same as being ratioed. In fact, ratio requests are considered to be a good thing rather than a negative thing.

If someone comments ‘ratio me 1:1’ on a video, this is essentially a call to action. It is asking other users to ‘like’ the video and the comment so that the ratio of likes to comments is the same. People might do this to increase their engagement.

You may also see people state something like ‘ratio me 1:1:1’. This is a call to action for other users to like the video, comment, and reply to the comment in the same ratio. So, if the video has 100 likes, the creator would also like 100 likes on their comment and 100 replies.

Is ‘Ratio’ Used on Twitter?

If you use the social media platform Twitter, you might have noticed that people use the term ‘ratio’ quite frequently there too. If this is the case, you are likely wondering, is being ‘ratioed’ on TikTok the same as being ‘ratioed’ on Twitter?

We’re sure that you’ll be thankful to read that being ‘ratioed’ on Twitter is, in fact, the same as being ‘ratioed’ on TikTok. If someone is ‘ratioed’ on Twitter, it means that their tweet has received more retweets or quote retweets than it has replies or likes.

Similar to the situation on TikTok, this is generally perceived as a bad thing because more people are talking about the tweet rather than liking and agreeing with it. However, on Twitter, this definitely isn’t always the case. The use of Twitter video tools, for instance, can sometimes alter the context or impact of being ‘ratioed’, as videos can go viral for positive reasons, attracting a vast number of retweets and quote retweets, which might not necessarily reflect negatively on the original poster.

How To Get More Likes on TikTok

If you’ve been ratioed, this can be a little disheartening. Whilst it is likely that you want a larger following and reach, it is unlikely that you want this accomplishment to be based on negative opinions of your content. If you want to get more likes on your content, take a look at our tips and tricks below.

1. Assess the desires of your target audience.

If you’re looking to get more positive feedback and likes on your content, you should first check that you are making the most appropriate content for your target audience. Check out what other, more successful content creators within your niche are making for inspiration.

2. Closely follow trends.

Trends come and go very quickly on TikTok, but if you’re looking to increase your reach in a positive way, you should try to keep up with the trends as best you can. If you notice a particular sound is becoming popular, make sure you use it!

3. Be authentic.

TikTok users are more likely to respond positively to authenticity. Give your followers and other users a chance to see who you really are and what you’re about. This way, you can also be sure that you’re building a platform that is truly right for you.

4. Use hashtags properly.

Make sure that you use trending hashtags when appropriate. Using hashtags increases the chances of your content being seen by more people, and thus, will increase the chances of those people liking your content.

5. Make sure your videos are high quality.

The quality of your content will be a significant factor when it comes to your likes and reaches. Make sure that your videos are always very well-lit, and clear, and that you can hear the audio well. If the quality is lacking, then your reach will likely lack as well.

Conclusion

TikTok can be a super fun app. However, it can also be super confusing. We hope that this article has helped you understand exactly what ‘ratio’ means on TikTok, and has given you the confidence and information you need to try and grow your platform.

You can read additional TikTok articles here.