How to become TikTok famous

You may be wondering what qualifies me to write such an article, readers, but I am proud to say that I was once TikTok famous for a grand total of seven days, give or take. In November, I uploaded a video of myself showcasing a pink and blue outfit I wore to a gender reveal, which, before I knew it, had amassed 2.7 million views. That’s almost equivalent to the entire population of Lithuania.

Be warned, though: TikTok fame is fleeting. One day you’re a viral sensation and the next you’re a nobody. I’ve always said I’d never let fame get to my head should I one day achieve my goal of being properly famous, but this oath was very quickly discarded upon reaching TikTok virality. After reading three or four positive comments from strangers, I saw myself in a whole new light: food tasted better, birds sung louder.

At the height of my short-lived ascent, I remember thinking I shouldn’t even have to queue in Sainsbury’s anymore because I was so goddamn famous. Hell, I shouldn’t even have to shop in Sainsbury’s at all. My friend once had a video go viral and warned me of this extreme high; that the attention would quickly fade and I shouldn’t forget my roots. He was right.

After one measly week, I had been forgotten and the TikTokerati moved on. My friends welcomed me back with open arms and I snapped back to reality. That sweet taste of fame, however small, had me hooked. It’s a similar feeling to trying crack cocaine, so I’m told. I now want it more than ever.

If you’re also in pursuit of TikTok fame, the tips I learnt from my heyday are valuable. Firstly, you should never underestimate the power of good lighting. In fact, I strongly suggest buying one of those selfie rings that clips onto your phone – you can nab one for about four quid from Robert Dyas, batteries not included. Another non-negotiable is hashtagging, so swallow your pride and hashtag like there’s no tomorrow. This will set the foundation for your virality and is a key way to get your content onto people’s For You Page. #please #make #me #famous.

What I find really interesting, though, is the people who make it big on Facebook (or should we call it Meta?). That kind of fame is way more impressive to me because it’s so much harder to attain. I recently added the office caretaker as a friend and noticed his profile picture got 300 likes. If I get over 10 likes on Facebook, I’d count that as a win. He’s also one of those people who has Facebook followers, which is a realm of the internet I haven’t even dipped into yet. I’m very happy for him and think it’s really cool that the adults in this world have a place to thrive.

That’s what puts a lot of people off about TikTok. It’s thought of as a strictly Gen Z platform, while Instagram is mostly reserved for millennial fodder, leaving boomers to quite literally boom on Facebook.

If TikTok isn’t working out for you, why not try blowing up on another social media site? People who are well thought of on Twitter are generally smart, usually politically-orientated or are comedians on panel shows. Speaking of politics, did you know Matt Hancock has his own app? It’s called the Matt Hancock App (yes, really), which he used to exclusively publish content about himself. That’s one way to reach internet fame, I suppose: eliminate the competition by building a solitary platform. Thankfully, the Matt Hancock App is now defunct as of this month, after five years of taking up valuable space on what I can only assume was about three people’s phones.

But I digress. Back to the matter at hand: consistency and quantity over quality is the key to TikTok success, end of. In case you were wondering, my favourite TikToker is a dental assistant from York, @charlottelawson4, who I came across thanks to the algorithm working in my favour. She posts her lunchtime Tesco meal deal every day without fail and I’m here for it. With only 2.7k followers, she might be considered a micro-celebrity, but we’re a loyal band of fans and that’s what matters.

My parting advice: be bold, be you, be cringe. Hopefully I’ll see you on my FYP in no time.