As local TikTok star Tatum Merrill walks into Starbucks On The Hill, the store manager appears from the back and immediately greets her by name. She politely waves back and approaches the register to order her drink. When her hand reaches for her wallet, the cashier lets her know it is on the house. She takes a seat, only to be approached by a series of girls whose eyes are full of recognition. While this celebrity-like attention may bother some, Merrill relishes it.
“I love talking to people and they say they have seen my TikTok and we talk about it,” said Merrill.
With over 12,000 followers, Merrill gets recognized nearly everywhere she goes on the University of Colorado Boulder campus. Her candid “Get Ready With Mes”, motivating “Day In The Lifes,” and relatable comedy videos took over students’ For You Page when the freshman arrived in August.
“My roommate and I posted this funny satire video to a random audio the first week of school, and it got over 200k views,” said Merrill. “Then I was like ‘Should I be an influencer?’”
Merrill’s genuineness made the possibility of being an influencer a reality. Unlike most influencers, Merrill keeps it real. She openly shares her boy drama. She recounts compelling stories about her wild nights out. She does not make every day look productive.
“Yesterday I laid in bed for half the day, but I still filmed that,” said Merrill. “I feel like the biggest thing is just being authentic to myself.”
Merrill’s authenticity does not waver offline, either. She finds it easier to be how she is in real life so she does not have to navigate a facade offline. This also allows her to stay grounded and develop genuine relationships.
Anna Bradburn, Merrill’s best friend, said, “She is exactly as animated and funny in real life as she is on camera, which helped to grow my confidence and sense of self and brought so much more joy into my life.”
As a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority, Merrill uses her bubbly personality and originality to make Greek Life more inviting and inclusive. She wants to destigmatize the stereotype of sorority girls having no personality and being carbon copies of one another. To do that, she records her and her sorority sisters going to philanthropy and sisterhood events to give insight into what life in the sorority looks like and encourage others to join.
Gamma Phi Beta president Emma Winkelbaur said, “I believe her social media presence has brought more attention to our sorority and has shown people more of the fun events we have.”
Not only is Merrill inspiring people to go Greek, but she is also persuading people to commit to CU. Social media gives incoming freshmen a look into students’ realistic day-to-day routines that college tours do not necessarily provide. These representational videos can determine a student’s college decision.
“During college acceptance season, I was looking up all these colleges’ ‘Day in my Lifes’, and for Boulder I really didn’t see a lot of stuff,” said Merrill. “So right now I’m wanting to be that person for incoming freshmen because I had no online guidance.”
Like most of the incoming freshmen Merrill is posting for, beginning college daunted her. Originally from San Diego, she arrived at CU not knowing anyone. TikTok changed that though.
“TikTok has helped me be more comfortable at Boulder because if I’m airing my business out online, then what is stopping me from talking to a random stranger in a Starbucks or meeting new friends?” said Merrill.
Not only has TikTok grown Merrill’s confidence, but it also grew her professionalism. She currently acts as an ambassador for clothing brands Princess Polly and South By Sea. The brands send her free products in exchange for a promotional video posted on her platform. Local businesses like Tom’s Waffles and Rush Bowls do the same.
Merrill said, “If I never would have posted videos, my life would be totally different. Because I post, I get sent products and clothes. What 18-year-old can say that?”
Although Merrill enjoys the benefits of online fame, she does not let it get to her head. She knows virtual attention and relevance are scarce commodities that can disappear at any point, so she has no intention of becoming a full-time influencer a la Alix Earle. TikTok being a way to express herself is just enough.
“It is so much fun because me and my friends are in the videos together,” said Merrill. “It is just fun to do.”