Cafes and restaurants: using place data to pick a filming location

Filming at a location many people tag in videos gives you two advantages: people searching for that location may see your video, and you do not have to explain what the place is. Public data gives you a list of such places in a few minutes.

Building the list

TikTok places — 6 credits per run, 2 pages — takes an area or place-type keyword and returns the locations with the most videos tagged there, along with place type, rating, review count and map position.

Run three different keywords for the same area, for example "coffee shop district 3", "rooftop coffee Saigon", "old-style coffee Saigon". Each surfaces a different set. Total 18 credits.

Four things to check before you go

1. Rating and review count. Both are in the results. A low-rated venue may still film well, but if you intend to recommend the place, a low rating is a risk.

2. What people criticise. Run Google Maps reviews — 15 credits, 200 reviews, runs in the background. If most reviews complain about noise or slow service, that is worth knowing before you book a crew.

3. How many videos have already been shot there. Many videos means attention, but also that the good angles are used up. Consider a location on the way up rather than one saturated.

4. Whether the venue allows filming. The data does not say. Call ahead.

Rising versus saturated

Run the tool twice, two or three weeks apart, and compare the lists. Locations newly appearing or climbing are on the way up: few videos yet, but attention rising. Those are worth filming first.

Locations sitting at the top for many weeks are saturated. Your video will sit among hundreds of similar ones.

The courtesy involved

Call ahead and say you intend to film. Many venues in Vietnam are happy; some are not, because it affects other customers. Filming and then being asked to delete costs you the whole session.

If the venue agrees and you feature them in the video, that is a relationship worth having. If you intend to use the footage in paid advertising, say so up front — that is different from an ordinary post.

If you are a venue owner reading this

The data reads in reverse too: if your venue does not appear in the area list, that is a reason to encourage customers to tag the location. And if a nearby venue is climbing, go and see what they do differently.

Frequently asked questions

Can I see exactly how many videos were shot at a place? The tool ranks by how much a place is tagged, and that is an estimate from public data the platform displays.

Is there TikTok effect data? No. This tool is about places. The source has no effect data.

Do I need permission to film in a venue and post it? As a courtesy, yes. Legally it depends on the situation; this article is not legal advice.