If you read the title of this article and said “What is TikTok?!” then this isn’t for you. And if you are eager to learn and know about TikTok, buckle up.
For starters, TikTok is a relatively new social-media platform. It lets users post short videos about virtually anything and people can like, share, and follow users as well.
For You Page (FYP)
The TikTok app has a For You Page (FYP), which is essentially TikTok’s main view page. The TikTok algorithm shows you an unlimited number of posts catered to our interests. The more you engage and watch videos, the more personalized your TikTok FYP will be. The FYP will keep on serving you content similar to posts that you like, and that’s what makes this app addicting. And all you need to do is swipe up to go to the next video. It’s arguably the easiest way to be entertained online to date and is almost purely a mobile-based platform.
TikTok Profiles and Content
TikTok is similar to other social-media platforms to a certain extent, but it’s also very very different. Unlike Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram, users really spend their time on the app and not just go to the app and post updates.
TikTok profiles are not as important as content. Since most, if not all, of the content posted on the app are getting pushed to the FYP, profiles don’t matter as much as other platforms.
Your content does all the heavy lifting and this makes people follow you, not your profile, not your profile picture, but your content.
How to Keep Your TikTok Audience Engaged?
If ever you decide to post your very first video here are a few things you need to remember:
Audio
Sound is important because it engages audiences.
Great visuals can’t compensate for terrible audio and the main purpose of your TikTok videos is to deliver information, whether it be an explainer video, a dance video, singing video, etc. Make sure you don’t have a noisy background or at least make sure you are heard.
If you’re feeling a little extra. Investing on a cheap lapel mic can do the trick, and it makes sure that you are really heard by your audience.
Lighting
Lighting is one of the most critical aspects of creating a video because it allows you to set the mood for the video. Posting a grainy dark video not only tell the audience to scroll up immediately, but it affects the content drastically to the point that great content can go over someone’s head because of this.
When making videos, it would surely help if you are in a properly lit room, or outside during the day. If you’re feeling a little extra, investing in a cheap ring light can do the trick.
Consistency
We have always been taught to put quality over quantity in everything, however the latter has been proven to be the key to success on TikTok. The way the algorithm works is tricky but the more you post videos and the more you are consistent in your content in this platform the larger the possibility that your content would be pushed to the FYP (For You Page).
Find your Niche
There are certain sides to TikTok as a platform, there are people who dance, people who sing, people who do tutorials, people who educate other people, people who talk about movies, games, etc. What could really help you in terms of being successful in this platform is to find where you belong. The perfect content you can have is the content that can answer the following questions: What kind of content do you really want to produce? What side of tiktok do you want to be on? What content can you talk about or make on a daily basis?
Find your identity. Make your content your own. Find something you can be consistent on. And continue to post and post and post until the numbers go up.
Be aware of politically correct and incorrect behavior
One thing ‘CANCEL CULTURE’ taught us is that everything that you’ve worked hard for can go away in a snap of a finger. Years worth of hard work can be flushed down the drain if you are not sensitive and aware of what’s happening around you.
People may have a negative stigma on people that are ‘woke’ or aware of politically and morally correct behavior but knowing certain things and putting them to heart just might save your career. Make sure to do research on being an enabler, on racism, on body-shaming, on smart-shaming, on mental health, etc. Make sure that you are always aware of the current political state of the world to prevent you from mentioning things, being canceled, and apologizing after.
Trends
Although trends aren’t always the answer to popularity since everyone is already doing it, being updated with current events and putting your own spin to it surely would help the audience to be engaged.
You can also follow popular content creators and celebrities to know what are the viral content and trends. This article on Slingo.com lists creators that are a good source of inspiration since they have high social followings and are already getting income from different social media sites.
Original Content
This is one, if not the most, important thing you need to remember. Nothing beats being original. Always make sure to be yourself. Find something you can talk about for days and not get tired of. Find something you are passionate about. Find something you choose to do everyday even if you’re not being paid to do it.
Be it dancing, singing, teaching, educational content and a lot more. Original will always be better.
Find your niche. Find your identity
In a world where everything is a copy and/or inspired by something, being yourself and being original is what this world needs and what will make you stand-out. With a little effort, hard work, and passion, who knows what could happen.
So… are you ready to start being a content creator?
