1. Distribution likelihood (FYP / Reels feed / Shorts shelf)
A composite score: how much of your creative reads as native to the target platform based on its known distribution biases. Strong signals on all three: vertical 9:16 framing, native captions, sticker- style on-screen text, conversational pacing, raw lighting. Weak on all three: letterboxed footage, brand chrome over the corners, slow camera pans, jingle-style audio.
The platforms don't literally check these — but viewers respond differently to platform-native ads (longer watch times, more saves on TikTok/Reels, more repeat-views on Shorts), and the algorithms read thatresponse. So the signal is predictive even though it's not direct.
Per-platform tilt: TikTok's FYP is the most aggressive scroll machine — UGC look wins hardest. Reels rewards aesthetic-led polish slightly more (cleaner color cohesion, more curated shots) — a pure-UGC clip can underperform a clean shoot if the audio + visual cohesion is off. Shorts shelf ranking weights watch-completion + repeat-views above all else — shorter clips that loop seamlessly outperform longer clips with the same hook.
2. Audio-trend alignment
Whether the audio track is currently trending, recently trended, or custom. Trending sounds get a brief but meaningful distribution boost on every short-form platform — each algorithm bucket-tests viewer reactions to trending audio more aggressively than to original audio.
The catch: trending sound has a short half-life. A sound that was peaking last week might be flat this week and actively counter- productive (looks late) next week. The Deep report scores this contextually, but for fast-moving creators the signal is best checked manually before launch.
Per-platform tilt: TikTok's sound trends move fastest (sub-week cycles common). Reels trends move slower and tend to favor licensed-library tracks over remixed audio. Shorts trends move slowest and skew toward YouTube's own audio library — using a track from there gives a smaller boost but lasts longer. For paid placements (Spark Ads on TikTok, Boosted Reels on Meta), trending sounds also carry licensing risk — the rubric flags audio-copyright concerns separately under risk flags.
3. Hashtag effectiveness
Less impactful than people think — but not nothing. Hashtags help each platform classify content into a discovery bucket; they don't drive distribution by themselves.
Per-platform tilt: TikTok values vertical-specific hashtags (e.g. #tiktokshop, #tiktokmademebuyit for shopping content) higher than generic ones (#fyp, #viral); 3-7 tags sweet spot. Reels caps effective hashtags at ~5; over 10 hurts (looks spammy on a more curated platform). Shorts hashtags barely move the needle at all — YouTube's search index does the classification; 0-3 hashtags is fine, and they're mostly for the description-line preview.
4. First-frame thumb-stopper
A subset of the hook score, scored independently because it measures one specific thing: does the literal first frame — the one the platform auto-plays as the user thumbs past — give the eye a reason to stop.
Strong (universal): a face mid-expression, an unexpected object, a contrast-y color block, sticky text already on screen. Weak: a logo card, a slow zoom into the subject, a black/empty frame waiting for the subject to enter, a long stationary establishing shot.
Per-platform tilt: On TikTok and Reels the swipe is a single-handed flick — the first frame has 1-2 seconds before that motion fires. On Shorts the swipe gesture is faster and the user is acclimated to bouncing through Shorts quickly, so the first-frame stop window is effectively 0.5-1 second. Score the first frame against an even stricter bar for Shorts than for TikTok / Reels.
The first frame matters more than any other frame. If the eye doesn't catch on it, the rest of the ad doesn't exist.
5. Paid-amplification suitability
Whether the creative is suitable for being amplified as a paid promoted post (TikTok Spark Ads, Meta Boosted Reels, Google VAC / Demand Gen for Shorts). The signal weighs the same four factors across platforms:
- —Native organic feel — if it looks like an ad, paid amplification accelerates the scroll, not the conversion. Universal across platforms.
- —Audio licensing— Spark Ads can't use most TikTok trending sounds (rights). Meta Boosted Reels block most non-licensed audio similarly. Shorts paid placements through VAC require YouTube-library or original audio. Original audio or properly-licensed tracks score higher on all three.
- —Scrollable thumbnail— first frame works as a still in the "sponsored" feed slot.
- —Risk-flag clean — paid placements on every platform go through extra policy review; risk flags here are effectively disqualifying.
A high paid-amplification suitability score on an organic-feeling clip is the most cost-efficient ad you can run on any of these platforms — you boost a post that already has organic engagement signal, instead of paying to generate signal from cold creative.