When I was 15, I had the highly unoriginal experience of making a secret TikTok account and blocking everyone I knew. Even worse, One Direction videos were my vice. Little did I know that in five years, it would lead to over 60,000 followers and several doors opened in my career.
I’ve heard the same “how to blow up overnight” tips circulate the apps for years. And I’m sure there’s some great value in them, but my path was different. I learned to be creative in the ways I found the most success. I started out with no plans or expectations, and learned a lot about content strategy in unconventional ways.
By now, I truly feel like I’ve mastered a strange craft in out-of-the-box thinking.
post it anyway
Following my Eras Tour show, I was overwhelmed by the obscene amount of videos in my camera roll. I was so excited to share a clip of my concert experience, but I had no clue where to start.
There was one video I kept going back to. It was a TikTok trend where people would record after the concert to reveal which surprise songs Swift had sung for them. When it was my turn to film it, security was already rushing people out of the stadium. Crowds of people were passing by, and I knew I had just one take to achieve the perfect clip.
And I choked.
I watched the video back several times, hoping that I would eventually hate it less. But of course I never did. Naturally, I posted the video anyway, and immediately powered off my phone.
Imagine my surprise when I checked my notifications hours to a viral hit. This video went on to become my first and only video to surpass one million likes. It currently sits at a near 9 million views. And to think, I almost didn’t share it because I didn’t think I was funny enough.
Thankfully, I loved Taylor Swift enough to hop on the trend anyway.
This taught me that I will always be my own harshest critic. No one else watches my videos looking for something to be wrong with them. My life would look very different today if I stopped myself from posting that video. This unexpected growth in my account has unlocked several opportunities out of my wildest dreams.
My life always seems to work out this way, so I’ve developed a good rule of thumb: the video that you are most unsure about is probably going to end up outperforming the one you spent hours filming and are super proud of. So, especially post it anyway. I swear the algorithm just knows.
cry (and laugh) because it happened
Perfect example: realizing your concert tickets are a scam just hours before the show.
Last fall, I went to New York City to see Gracie Abrams in concert with my best friends. I planned lots of exciting content for us to film throughout the weekend — none of which included us finding out that our tickets were fake.
Preceding the weekend, I thought about outfit reveals and which lyrics I would record with my friends. And while these posts would have been great, I don’t believe that they would have been as memorable as our reveal to the internet that we had fallen victim to a scam.
In the fangirl community, this is unfortunately not an uncommon experience. Many people who saw my videos had been in my shoes before. I learned that day that misery loves to laugh with its company.
Though I would have preferred the reality, where I got to enjoy the concert with four of my friends, I am thankful that I have these videos to look back on. The hours before our failed concert experience were filled with strong emotions and dry, sarcastic humor to cope.
I’d like to clarify: we did get our money back. And for that, sometimes all you can do is make light of your situation!
These videos now capture precious memories. My friends and I — who all live in different states — got to be together for a night, even if it wasn’t in the way that we originally planned. These are the posts that I’ll watch back when I miss my friends and want to hear the comforting sounds of their laughs.
These types of videos tend to perform well because these are the posts that you couldn’t possibly plan. I have moments where I think to myself, “This wouldn’t possibly happen to anyone else but me.” But the truth is, we all feel that way. Documenting these moments makes me feel less alone.
And in an age of social media highlight reels, I always strive to be as personable and realistic as possible. I could have proceeded with my weekend in the city as if nothing went wrong, but owning this crushing moment allowed me to reclaim it as a positive memory and a story I will tell for a long time.
Learning how to laugh at myself and inviting others to laugh with me is a form of vulnerability that I had to learn to see some of my highest-performing content. Rather than trying to showcase a picture-perfect, aesthetically pleasing lifestyle, I’ve pushed myself to be just as open about the lows.
harmless rage bait
There’s no better way to build engagement than to spark a good debate. I post a variety of pop culture content: think music, sports, film, books, etc. Fans of all of these things are very passionate about what they love and what they hate.
Whenever I have a hot take, or any perspective that veers from the mainstream opinion, I’m always eager to share it and open up a conversation.
And I’m not talking about evil opinions or solely harsh criticism — shockingly enough, positive opinions can stir the pot as well. When I love something, people are quick to let me know if they don’t. For example, my favorite Taylor Swift album is The Tortured Poets Department, which is an overwhelming least favorite amongst her fans. I tend to be very vocal about my love for the project because I know it gets the haters talking. And luckily, I can count on the scarce bunch of TTPD lovers to have my back.
In a community that loves to dissect media, people are extremely excited to engage in these conversations. They always generate insightful, articulate discourse that’s often been eye-opening to me. The beauty of subjective media is how people can fully immerse themselves in new perspectives through the eyes of other people.
I’m always happy to instigate these debates, and a bonus to that is how it brings new eyes to my account. And even if people don’t agree with me on a specific take, they’ll recognize that we share similar passions, and often stick around anyway.
It’s a very fun practice, if you ask me. Even if doing so feels like skilled rage bait.
cut the nonchalance
The internet is currently in an epidemic of being nonchalant. It’s become trendy to not care for things. Seeing that I have cultivated a following around caring for things excessively, I could not recommend nonchalance any less.
Taylor Swift, the frequent muse of my content, has a quote that I have internalized: “I want to be defined by the things that I love.” This has become my mantra, and the foundation that my videos are built on.
It’s all around me. It’s in the way that I cover every inch of my bedroom walls with posters of my favorite pieces of media. It’s in the way I surrender myself to music and sing my heart out at every live show. It’s in the way I conquer my comfort zone to wear the wacky hippie outfits I’ve saved on Pinterest for years.
When I started my account, my confident front was a facade. But shortly after I began to display an entirely authentic and expressive version of myself, the assurance became real.
And since then, I have never looked back.
At 20 years old, I can wholeheartedly say that I would not hold the confidence that I do now if my 15-year-old self wasn’t willing to take such a huge risk.
It’s not always easy, but if you are unapologetically yourself online, the right people will find you. There are people out there who will watch your videos simply because they love to see you be yourself. And there are other people who will watch them and learn that it’s okay for them to be themselves, too.
I created my account because I care so deeply that I needed an outlet for my huge feelings and opinions. I never thought that my angle on books and music would reach so many people, but I owe it to the fact that I am anything but nonchalant.
Taking the jump has awarded me with some of my best friends, incredible experience in digital creation, and a level of security that I once considered unattainable.
If you master this one thing, you will fall in love with posting on TikTok more than you ever believed could be possible.
peace over pressure
If I’ve learned anything from posting on TikTok, it’s that there’s so much reward to putting yourself out there.
I see the most growth when I am authentic, and I feel the most inspired when I don’t shrink myself down. And most importantly, I’ve learned that if you love the content you are creating, it will never feel like work.
Finding success on social media should be fun! Every individual is different, so my parting advice is to honor that: experiment and find the approach that resonates with you. This is just the mindset that works for me. Statistically, it’s brought me growth, but it’s also made for a highly enjoyable five years. It’s all about finding the key to what works for both your profile and for your sanity.
I’ve spent endless hours pouring my entire soul into this account, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But creating a forgiving space for myself means that every day I get to show up exactly as I am. This is what frees me from burnout, keeps motivation fresh, and makes me excited about this craft every single day.