TikTok: Socially Authentic
Photo via Instagram @baddiewinkle
Aspiring social influencers rejoice. Let me preface with the fact that I am not a social media star. I am not TikTok famous. However, if I told myself it’s too late to embark on a social influencer career I would be doing myself and others over 30 a disservice. Seems odd that I can compare a 92-year-old Instagram influencer to a TikTok famous adolescent but that’s the beauty of social media. The two women are perfect examples of how the right content slays on the right platform. Were the platforms built for them or were they built for the platform? They are the gateway users to ads, branded content, and successful brands building meaningful communities on social.
When I discovered Baddie Winkle on Instagram (she’s also on TikTok) I was reassured. If you’re authentic and stand out you can be whatever you want. The same is true for brands. Then I fell into the deep, binge-crazy abyss that is TikTok. I’m inspired by the geriatric community who bust moves, copying trending dances to sound bytes I’ve never heard but can’t get out of my head. #DadsofTikTok is a fantastic celebration of dads dancing, challenging each other, and showing off. One of my favorite TikToks is one filmed by a #DadofTikToks daughter who confessed that she’s not famous enough to be in her dad’s TikTok videos. There is a father daughter duo, @nickandsienna who recently visited the Hype House. They filmed their signature dance move while Charli and Chase cuddled in the background. If you don’t know who Charli and Chase are, they are the biggest deal in the Gen Z universe and they’re dating. Follow along for the meaningless videos. It seems they became TikTok famous overnight and they’re not the only ones.
“I didn’t even know what I was looking at anymore.”
There’s no doubt that social media is still in its infancy. Given it changes so often, so quickly that it may never mature. I’ve met some Gen Z’rs who turn their nose up at Facebook and haven’t joined Instagram because it’s too much pressure to be “perfect.” TikTok is whatever perfect is not. Currently, there is a trend on TikTok where users throw weighted blankets on themselves to see if it’s heavy enough to knock them over. It’s ridiculous but you better believe if I were a weighted blanket company I would jump on that trend so fast you would think I started it.
As I continue to dissect social media from a personal and professional perspective I find myself in deep TikTok holes. During some eavesdropping at a water cooler I heard someone mention they spent four hours on TikTok before they went to sleep. They said, “I didn’t even know what I was looking at anymore.” I nodded to myself in agreement. It’s easy to binge on TikTok. It was built that way. Not only are you spending time scrolling but filming. You watch a trending dance choreographed by an influencer and their followers. Maybe you can learn that dance. The little voice inside your head says you can. So, you start filming. Fast forward two hours later. You nail the dance, film a duet, and never post it. I am a victim of this time suck. Witness dances from all walks of life. There are high schoolers who choreograph dances in their bathrooms, midriffs and baggy sweatpants required. Dances from other countries inspire. I scroll through troves of people who seem to be living a more authentic life than what I find on Instagram.
Close your eyes and imagine a VSCO vs. a Paint world. That is Instagram vs. TikTok, respectfully.
Most videos feel raw and in the moment. There are people with cerebral palsy proving they can dance as well as anyone else. I see parents walk their children to the “cancer free” bell in a hospital tears streaming down my face within seconds of watching. That’s worlds away from the #fluffypuppy hashtag I follow on Instagram or the ads I get for dry shampoo, baby announcements, and food porn.
TikTok is a celebration of life. It’s divulging some of your deepest moments. “Hey-yo, some things that may have changed my life check.”
“Brands should aspire to be influencers. They are the influencers of their industry. They are the brand.”
Launching internationally in September of 2017 TikTok already has 500 million active users. Instagram launched in October of 2010 has 1 billion monthly users. Watch out Instagram.
As I watch for pleasure I think about brands. If I were brand I would capitalize on TikTok like this. They’re already advertising. Rule no. 1. Do not advertise on a platform where you don’t have a solid presence. What I think most brands miss is that organic and sponsored content are not independent of each other. Organic, branded content, and ads should work together. The content should feel seamless to the user. The only reason I know I’m being served a Glossier ad on social is because it’s disclosed somewhere on the post. Otherwise, that branding and messaging is tight. The marketing team at Glossier has that on LOCK!
Brands should aspire to be influencers. They are the influencers of their industry. They are the brand. Social is the future. You can see it in every trending dance on TikTok. You can feel it with every weighted blanket thrown.
Again, I am not an influencer and do not aspire to be one but I dissect social as if I’m trying to be. And if you’re a brand who is not following you will eventually get left behind and no Renegade dance will bring you back.
