Traffic Allocation Optimization on Video Sharing Platforms: Balancing Viewer Engagement and Small Creator Development

To maximize viewer engagement, online short-video-sharing platforms like TikTok often prioritize the established, star creators in viewer traffic allocation. However, small creators, who have a smaller number of followers but constitute the majority of the creator pool, are vital to these platforms, bringing diverse content and fresh perspectives. Collaborating with a leading platform, we conducted two large-scale randomized experiments to assess the impact of small creators on viewer engagement and their development. In the viewer-side experiment, removing 50% of small creators' content increased overall viewer engagement, particularly for less active viewers. The creator-side experiment revealed that boosting small creators' traffic led to a 5.87% increase in video production, higher content quality, and a 289.81% rise in follower growth, especially for experienced small creators. Altogether, our research offers actionable insights into viewer traffic allocation that balances viewer engagement and creator development on short-video platforms.