How to be TikTok famous
A 5-step guide to appear on the For You page.
I get it. You just downloaded an app called ‘TikTok’ fresh off the nearest store, peeled off the package, and devoured all of its content for 2 hours. Now you’re thinking — What can I do to become famous like the creators?
You begin searching Google on ‘How to post on TikTok’ or ‘How to be TikTok famous’, which the latter probably made you end up here, huh!
But wait up. It isn’t going to be easy letting the world know that you are [insert your name here]. It is going to take you months, or even years to become a well-known TikToker. That’s insane, right?
Or is it?
I won’t bore you out with all the numbers and statistics that your school teacher has thrown at you. Instead, I’ll only give you one number. 800 million. Yes, 800 million! TikTok has over 800 million active users worldwide as of late. That is a lot. Even the world’s greatest footballer’s net worth isn’t worth that much. (oops..)
With the majority of the world using TikTok right now, a short 15-second video that has been posted will get noticed by no fewer than 40 people within a minimum of a week (I guarantee you).
With that said, I will be showing you 4 quick tips with examples below each on how to become famous on TikTok. I am not, by any means, a social media or a Tiky-Toky expert. But I am an avid user of TikTok for the whole 3 years, and have seen lots of trends going on.
Ladies and gentleman, without further ado, here are the 4 quick tips (to appreciate your hard work, stay until the end for a bonus one):
1. Stay Relevant
Understand your user - this is the key in rising to the top of TikTok. More often than not, we see people posting on the events that are closely relatable to our lives. These include posts that allow the viewers to watch the videos and go “Hey, that’s me! I always do that!” or “That did happen to me before! How did this guy know that?”. Staying relevant and knowing yourself well enough means that you can literally put yourself into the viewers’ shoe. The next thing you know, your post will be shared right away, and you will gain traction in no time. Keep in mind that you are a TikTok user too, and you see what the users see.
Examples:
When dad walks into my room —
When a delivery arrives —
2. Follow the trend
When I first started using TikTok, I was just a normal kid wanting to become famous on the platform (except that I was 16 years old at that time, don’t judge me). The first thing I did was to open the camera function at the staircase landing of my school, raise it up and point it at my face.
That’s it. I did not know what I was doing at all. Within the shortest period of my life, I threw my phone back into my bag and carried on my dreaded day in school.
The next day, I woke up and brushed my teeth. A sudden thought hit me just as heavy as Dwayne Johnson’s punch— “Wait a minute. What if I started my first video by following the trend? Wouldn’t I be famous right away?”. I grabbed my phone and started shooting a trending video from 2018 (I’ll show in the example below). Within the first 10 minutes, I swear I was having an anxiety attack. I checked my phone after the first few minutes. A few views, but no likes. But an hour later, guess what - there was a whopping 21.1k views and 10k likes! I kid you not, that is the power of TikTok. Still don’t believe me? You can call me and I will demonstrate (Just kidding).
Remember: The trend is there for you to follow, and you will never go wrong sticking with it. Better still, improvise it to make it more appealing.
Examples:
Playing the dusted Guitar that you left at home for years —
Weird trend —
3. Get funny
More often than not, majority of the video content on TikTok are funny. Humour is the genre that many people always head for when they are creating short videos on TikTok. It creates a form of entertainment and make people laugh. What’s better? It attracts the attention of any age group.
However, the competition for humour is massive, especially on a platform that requires you to grab the viewers’ attention within a 15-seconds time limit. Be sure to evoke the right sense of humour to the right target audience, or else…it’s gonna be hideous. You could start off with a banana slip, or maybe even bringing in your mum and dad to use household equipments as musical instruments. Better to be laughy than not!
Examples:
Tony Stark, or not? —
Funny video —
4. Go for the facts
This one is a no-brainer. Everyone likes a bit of facts in their life. As the saying goes — ‘A fact a day keeps the factory going.’ Wait a minute. Anyways, imparting your viewers at least one new fact daily can allow them to learn something new (that is free!) and have a better remembrance of your TikTok channel. Not only that, it broadens your area of target audiences as everyone likes a little ‘taze’ in their brain and go, ‘Wow! I didn't see that coming at all!’.
However, the more facts you provide to the viewers, the more user opinions come into play. People tend to have different opinions of their own. This is just like playing a chess, there are approximately 10¹²⁰ chess moves possible, and others will always think that your move is a bad one. Be aware that going for the facts isn’t a bad move, but having strongly justified and relevant facts is a must-have!
Examples:
Hobbies under $50 —
You are born with 2 weaknesses only —
(✨Bonus✨) 5. Be yourself
Each of us has our own unique traits. Imagine being the same as everyone else and creating a similar short video as theirs. Wouldn’t that be dull and boring?Why not go your own path and explore your own passion where you enjoy whatever videos you are in charge of? Something inspiring, something amazing, something eye capturing. You name it. When you are posting the things that you like, others who are interested in your content will be following along to your videos. Why? Because it is you. You are unique.
Example:
Awesome Transition —
“TikTok is no longer a name, it’s a tradition.” — Anonymous, 2020
Always remember this: You don’t have to be a celebrity or good-looking to be famous on TikTok. Everyone has their own appearance, and nothing can stand in your way if you are committed to entertaining your viewers with the videos you post. Work hard, play hard, and you will win hard. Remember to share the word on ‘How to become famous on TikTok’. Trust me, you might help someone out.
Or, if you’re lazy, just take a second to give me a clap(...or a few). It will really help me a lot.
Some fresh ideas to start you off (a few might have already been taken)—
- Starting a new life after lockdown
- How to code
- Gym hacks
- Tips on earning money
- Short product reviews
Want to share with us more suggestions? Sure! Do drop a comment down below and see your accepted suggestion(s) pop up at the top. Or alternatively, you can send an email to me at [email protected] Let’s keep this forum going! 💪
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I write about self-development, life, and technology topics. Follow me on my journey with free exclusive updates to my content.
References
[1]: Montelli, C. (2020, May 13). How to get a TikTok Pro account to enhance your account using analytics. Retrieved from
[2]: Williams, K. (n.d.). Top Social Media Apps Worldwide for February 2020 by Downloads. Retrieved from