How To Get Famous On TikTok

A recent (and reputable) poll found that Leonardo DiCaprio, Michelle Obama, Kim Kardashian, and Taylor Swift are among the ten most famous people in America. Needless to say, they all achieved fame for very different reasons and in very different industries or pursuits.

There’s an important lesson there for TikTok users trying to become famous on the social media platform. There’s more than one path to stardom, and finding that path is the real secret to TikTok fame.

Don’t believe us? Among the most famous people on the app are influencer and comedian Khabe Lame, dancer Charli D’Amelio, The Rock, and Billie Eilish — and no one had heard of the first two before they made themselves famous on TikTok.

It won’t be easy to make that list of celebrities, of course, but to have a shot at being a TikTok star, you need a plan. Here’s how to get started.

1. Learn Everything You Can About How TikTok Works

The most famous TikTok influencers now have social media teams that know all of the app’s ins and outs, but those who built their accounts and importance from scratch understood how the platform — and most importantly, the TikTok algorithms — operate. We’ll talk more about that shortly.

You should also spend as much time as necessary learning how the platform’s video creation and editing functions work, since creating compelling content is crucial for anyone who’s trying to build a large and engaged TikTok fan base. Also, learn about “other parts” of the app like TikTok Live and TikTok Analytics; they’ll be crucial for maximizing your organic growth.

2. Choose a Niche to Specialize In

TikTok has about two billion users. Your content certainly won’t appeal to all of them, or even a large percentage of them. And just posting whatever comes to mind (or uploading videos of your kids, pets, dinners, and vacations) almost guarantees that the only people who might want to follow your account are your family members and friends.

The proven approach to TikTok success is satisfying a target audience interested in the same things that you are. That means choosing a subject (or in TikTok marketing terms, a niche) to focus on. It doesn’t have to be a topic that “everybody” posts about, like makeup tips or new TikTok dances. 

In fact, it can be almost anything you know a lot about and are passionate about. With two billion users on the app, it’s almost guaranteed that lots of others will share your interest — even if it’s Bulgarian folk songs or Model T Fords. (Choosing a more modern niche would be advisable on a younger-skewing app like TikTok, though; think K-pop or F-150s instead.)

Content creators who generate lots of videos on their chosen subject have the best chance to build a devoted and engaged TikTok follower base.

3. Produce Unique, High-Quality Videos

The knowledge you gained during step one will be a great help here. No one wants to watch poorly-shot or poorly-edited videos, ones that are hard to follow or understand, or ones that look just like everyone else’s.

It’s smart to find influencers in your niche or a similar one and watch their content, but use their videos as inspiration, not outlines of what you should shoot. Find your unique approach or voice and create captivating, must-watch content. And be sure it looks and sounds great, whether you use the in-app editing tools or professional equipment and third-party editing apps.

Be sure to post lots of TikTok content on a regular schedule, too, so you keep your existing fans happy and show potential followers that they can count on you to keep providing videos they want to see.

4. Be Memorable

Surfers have a never-ending supply of content creators to follow; you have to stand out. Lots of people let their personality shine through in their videos; others who may not have an appealing, friendly, authoritative, or compelling on-camera presence do it by letting their content speak for them. That means you shouldn’t make cookie-cutter vids that all look and sound the same.

Many successful TikTok influencers have found a “hook” (some might use the word “gimmick”) that makes their videos stand out, whether it’s the type of language or the filming techniques they use, or the approach they take to their content. Remember, humor always works well.

Think about very popular prank vids and why they strike a chord with so many viewers, or your favorite comedians and why their material resonates with you, or what grabs your attention when surfing your feed. You’ll start to get the idea: being different is an important step toward becoming popular.

5. Follow the Trends

Not everything that’s trending on TikTok, on other apps, or in the media will translate to your chosen niche. Findings trends that do and integrating them into content, however, is how many very influential TikTok users have boosted their visibility and importance on the platform.

There’s a lot to choose from. Trending topics, trending music and sounds, trending editing effects, trending hashtags; you can spot them all by checking out your For You feed and watching lots of TikTok videos to see the trends that pop up over and over again. You can also search for trends in the app’s search function or check the TikTok Creator Center for help.

Just be sure to put your own spin on the trends you find.

6. Use Every Possible Approach to Earn Exposure and Acquire Fans

The key to becoming famous, of course, is building your TikTok follower base — and people can’t decide to follow your account if they never see your TikTok posts.

As you add new fans, your content will start to receive greater amounts of visibility; that’s the way the TikTok algorithms work. Waiting for that to happen, though, means a long, slow climb to relevance.

Being proactive and seeking out new audiences will accelerate your organic growth dramatically, and there are many ways to do it. Not all will be suitable for every user, and this isn’t an exhaustive list, but here are some ideas to get you started.

• Comment regularly: The more often you leave smart and interesting comments on videos that match your niche (especially if they’re been posted by popular creators), the more you’ll be seen by users with similar interests, and the more likely it is that they’ll check out your account. In the same vein, interact regularly with those who comment on your content; it encourages engagement, which is another way to boost your visibility. Running TikTok Live streams will increase engagement and loyalty as well.
• Partner and/or collaborate with influencers in similar niches: Creating Duets and Stitches, collaborating on a video, or joining with them on other projects can earn you exposure to their huge fan bases as well as your own.
• Run giveaways for user-generated content (UGC): Giving followers prizes for the best UGC may not expose you to the same number of viewers, but you’re still likely to get credit and added visibility when they post the videos to their own accounts.
• Use hashtags and keywords smartly: Including relevant and trending hashtags can attract viewers to your posts through the app’s search function, as can using trending and relevant keywords. Optimize your TikTok profile and bio for trending search terms as well.
• Participate in trending challenges: If you create a great challenge video, it can become popular quickly and bring in lots of new potential followers. (Bonus points if you create your own challenge that goes viral.)
• Pay attention to your TikTok analytics: As you see which videos generate the greatest engagement you can fine-tune your approaches, the length of your videos, your posting times, and many other “small details” that can make a big difference in building your fan base and engagement with your posts.

Overall, finding new ways to regularly bring in new viewers is essential for boosting a TikTok follower base and eventually discovering TikTok fame. iDigic can help with strategies for increasing your follower count quickly and effectively; reach out to us at any time!