“It's not high production. It's not stuff that's working on Facebook and Instagram. It's raw and shot with an iPhone. Even editing in TikTok made the difference of it working or not versus using something that you created in Instagram.”

TikTok creative must be raw, shot on iPhone, and edited in TikTok — polished content fails

TikTok's algorithm deprioritizes content that looks like an ad — polished graphics, professional color grading, and branded formats all signal paid content and kill organic reach. Stewart found that even the editing tool mattered: video edited within TikTok's native editor outperformed identical content re-uploaded from Instagram. The platform rewards authenticity signals at every technical level, not just content style.