How to be (lowkey) TikTok famous:

USD students with large followings share their tips for finding an audience

Olivia Hunt / Asst. A&C Editor / The USD Vista

TikTok is one of the most fertile digital grounds for creativity, inspiration, and of course, memes. Users can easily find others with common interests to connect with and share content. 

Though some may attribute the app’s popularity to the short video void left by Vine, there’s more to it than that. The platform contains thousands of niche communities, from “FilmTok” (where people critique films or share their favorite movie scenes) to “WitchTok” (for those who practice witchcraft or wish to learn more about it). 

No matter how silly or specific a topic may seem, there’s bound to be an audience for it on the app. But what makes TikTok’s top influencers different from those on other forms of social media? The main difference, it seems, is age. While platforms like Instagram and Youtube have more seasoned, professional influencers, the most popular users on TikTok are ages 25 and younger. 

Being a TikTok influencer also appears to require completely different types of content — instead of the more polished, aesthetic posts one might see from Instagram influencers, the content from TikTok stars feels more casual. 

To help explain this phenomenon, four rising influencers at USD offered their insight into the ever-growing app.

Senior Shane Duffy (@shane.duffy) has amassed over 120,000 followers on TikTok since starting his account last April. 

Though he has had an impressive following for some time, Duffy only recently began creating content with a much larger audience in mind. 

Some of his early posts were science-based comedic videos, and Duffy certainly didn’t expect them to become as popular as they did.

“The first video to take-off was one where I made a joke about combing a neutron and uranium-235 to make nuclear fission,” Duffy said. “I didn’t really think much of the video when I made it, but I think it got on ‘STEM-Major-Tok,’ which really blew it up. I’ve only recently begun to think about the scope of people I’m making TikToks for. For the most part, making videos feels the same now with 100k followers as it did with 100 followers.”

While Duffy’s content has since expanded to include other comedic niches, two of his most recent viral videos poke fun at Isaac Newton and the Multiverse Theory, respectively.

Sophomore students Clareese Santiago and Savannah Alarcon also went viral after doing the “handshake challenge” in their USD Softball uniforms. 

The video, titled “Handshakes for you and your homie: Softball Edition,” has received 1.2 million views and 347K likes since its posting in late January.

Clareese Santiago (@clareesesantiago) explained the story behind the video and the response she received on her TikTok account. 

“My best friend, Savannah Alarcon and I wanted to make some TikToks in our brand-new uniforms and thought that doing different handshakes would be really cool,” Santiago said.

“We just love having fun so it came pretty naturally. We did not at all expect it to blow up the way it did. The video received both positive and negative feedback online, which was new to me because I was used to posting content mainly for my few followers and friends. I was not expecting to hit over a million views, but it was still very exciting.” 

Santiago believes that the most effective way to go viral is to let one’s authentic self shine through.

“I think it’s really about having fun and letting loose,” Santiago said. “Just being yourself and not worrying about potential backlash or hate.”

Like Duffy and Santiago, Senior Lucy Sloan (@suorinjuice) never expected for her videos to reach as many people as they have. 

She started her account in 2019 purely to watch other people’s videos and didn’t consider creating her own content until the first stay-at-home orders were issued. Since then, Sloan has amassed 13.8K followers and 103K likes spanning her videos. 

She recounted the process of growing her account, which, at first, was completely inadvertent. 

“My first post was a makeup video I made as a joke. Basically, it was a tutorial of how to make yourself look like Darth Maul,” Sloan said. “Then, my followers increased to 10,000 after posting ‘thirst trap’ trend videos. But I’ve also had a video go viral where I compared my memory foam pillow to cheese so (going viral) can be very random.”

Sloan notes that while it’s difficult to plan for a specific video to go viral, there’s ways to grow your audience over time. 

“Whether or not you go viral is a crapshoot. But you can up your editing game, make cool transitions, interpret current trends in a creative way, or capitalize on popular formats,” Sloan said.

Duffy had similar thoughts about the randomness of going viral. 

“My favorite thing (about TikTok) is that really anyone can go viral,” Duffy said. “Since users are constantly being shown content from people they don’t follow through the For You Page (FYP), it opens the door for anyone to have a video that blows up.”

He also explained ways in which TikTok creators can increase viewers’ engagement. 

“What I’ve found making TikToks is that it’s all about watch time. When making a video, cut any unnecessary parts from it, and only keep what you think people will be engaged with,” Duffy said. “Also, consistency is key. You don’t have to make multiple videos a day, but at least one a day is a good place to start.”

Since its launch five years ago, TikTok has certainly cemented its place among the top social media platforms. 

And it seems that it’s on track to surpass Instagram, the current most popular platform in terms of monthly users and app downloads. 

Sloan offered her opinion as to why the app is sure to have a long-term impact.

“TikTok has already transformed other platforms, like the Reels feature on Instagram and other non-video based platforms,” Sloan said. “The only constant throughout Internet culture is the necessity of change, so I’m sure TikTok will evolve over time. It’s too monetized and popular to die out, like Vine did.” 

Santiago felt similarly about the influence of TikTok and its success.  

“TikTok will continue to change other social media platforms because it is so successful. It captures people’s attention and has so much variety to it. The app also definitely caters to its viewers,” Santiago said.

With the ever-growing popularity of TikTok, all signs seem to point toward social media becoming more and more video-based in the future. 

If someone has a funny or interesting idea, they might as well make a TikTok about it. Even if it doesn’t become the next viral video, challenge, or meme, it’s bound to resonate with at least one other person.