Okay, people, listen up, it’s time to hunker down and get your a-- on TikTok. I know, I know, if you’re over the age of 23, your finger has probably been reluctantly hovering over that “download now” button for months, but here’s the deal…
You simply can’t avoid it any longer. It's not going away anytime soon, like Snapchat (oops, did I say that?).
To be more specific, if you care at all about remaining relevant on social media, you shouldn’t avoid it any longer. You may a pro at Instagram Stories, you may even know how to facetune videos (yes, there's a way), but if you're not on TikTok, (and you're not using it for dating), I'm telling you, you are fading fast.
With more and more people joining TikTok each day, now more than ever, you’ve got to hop on board. Your social media reputation depends on it.
Here are 7 tips that’ll help you get famous on TikTok:
1. Be Consistent. ACTUALLY Be Consistent.
Let’s start off pretty obvious, shall we? As with most social media platforms, you need to be consistent with your posting on TikTok. No ifs, ands, or buts. If you’re aiming to be just any average TikTok user, sure, post whenever inspiration strikes, but if you’re reaching for the stars, well, then consistently posting daily is non-negotiable.
Take a look at Charli D’Amelio. Who's that, you ask? Well, then you have got more to learn than I thought. This is Charli.
@charlidamelio
She is the most followed person on TikTok. And is she posting sporadically? Nope, she posts daily, and sometimes multiple times per day! And this is an influencer who already has a loyal following.
2. Follow The Crowd Or Be Different
When it comes to getting famous on TikTok, you essentially have two options: follow the trends or get super-niche with your content.
If you notice that there’s a song or dance trending on TikTok, your next move is simple: give it a go. Getting on the “For You” page of TikTok has the potential to expose you to millions of people, so you don’t want to ignore the trends. Even if you do follow trends, put your own spin on it. Nobody wants to see the same exact video, done in the same exact way, over and over again. Because, yawn.
You also have the option to put out super-niche content. While this might take a little more thought and a lot more creativity, it can result in a fast-track to TikTok fame. Take a look at the account of @FriendlyQuest. Featuring videos of a pet ferret, this super-niche specific account has over 8 million followers! If a ferret can capture the attention of that many people, surely you can too.
@friendlyquest##foryoupage ##ferret ##dancing ##foryou♬ Buttercup - MixAndMash
3. Participate In Challenges
Just as you should keep one eye on all the hot trends popping up on TikTok, you should also keep your other eye on the challenges.
Challenge videos are an easy way to build an audience and get your video seen by a large audience. From mainstream dance challenges like the #savagechallenge to more niche challenges like the #unmakeupchallenge, or a challenge as simple (well, depends - not for me) as the #pushupchallenge, these challenges might become saturated once they gain popularity, but if you create something that stands out from the rest, you’re setting yourself up for success from the get-go.
4. Utilize Shock Value
Let’s put a disclaimer on this: You don’t have to go full-on Logan Paul to capitalize off of shock value. Play a harmless prank, capture a priceless moment, show off some really out of this world makeup -- the list of possible “shocking” videos is endless.
For instance, the exploding pool video. With 7.3 million views, this video is short, but the shock of an entire pool exploding was enough to skyrocket the video to its viral status.
@malorielynn14
Swimming pool fails w/ @erin_nichole18 ##fails ##summer ##foryou ##foryoupage ##trending ##featureme
♬ Wraith - Y2K Remix - Ro Ransom
5. Collabs Are Key
Don’t be discouraged if you’re not surrounded by social media stars to partner with. You don’t have to go live in the Hype House (a.k.a. the house where many influential TikTokers live and create content) to make the most out of collaborations.
Connect with people who create similar content to you, whose audiences are similar to yours, make friends with people who have more followers than you, and see who is willing to feature you in their videos, and who will make sense to feature in yours.
Create mutually beneficial relationships where you can help someone out with something you know more about, while they help you grow your following by leveraging their audience.
Make sense?
6. Don’t Overthink It
Sometimes the simplest things tend to go viral on TikTok.
For instance, when Brittany Broski posted a video of herself reacting to drinking kombucha who would have thought it would go viral? Probably nobody, but today the TikToker has 4 million followers and the video has 2.2 million views. Not too shabby.
@brittany_broski
Me trying Kombucha for the first time ##foryoupage ##foryou ##fyp ##AllBrandNew
♬ original sound - brittanyt445
Moral of the story?
You can spend all day thinking about what to post on TikTok, but honestly, your best bet is to simply post and see what hits. The more content you create, the better your odds of reaching that viral status.
7. Be Real
Ugh gag me, after the word “authentic,” there’s pretty much no word more overused when talking about “content (ok, maybe “content”). But seriously, you have to be genuine, so forgive me for just a moment while I attempt to make this point.
Not every TikToker is genuine about their content, but almost always, with videos that rise from nothing to a huge hit, there’s something really real behind the video.
Film yourself recording a genuine reaction to something, like Kombucha girl did. Or perhaps capitalize off a feeling your audience can relate to, like Curtis Roach did when he put out his bored in the house video in response to the world’s global quarantine, essentially becoming social media's soundtrack to the pandemic. Now do you get it? A video that others can really relate to at a human level, regardless of the differences between you and your audiences, has a much better chance at virality.
@curtisroach
You ever be bored at the house bored?🔥🔥 ##checkthisout ##bored ##fyp ##foryou ##xycba ##rap ##viral
♬ BORED IN THE HOUSE - Curtis Roach
To sum up how you're going to get famous on TikTok...
Let’s be honest, you’re probably not going to become TikTok famous overnight.
BUT, here’s the silver lining...I
f you’re consistently putting out high-quality content that’s entertaining, shocking, funny, heart-warming, or just simply genuine, there’s absolutely no reason you can’t reach that Charli D’Ameilo status. It just takes one video, one hit, one good idea.
You’ve got this.
