What is it like being a Tik Tok creator? How do you become a TikTok influencer?
Recorded 2 years ago, before YouTube Shorts: I'm talking to @StevenMckell about his experiences of having over (NOW) 3.8 MILLION followers who shares how influencer marketing works on the front line. How do you actually make money on TikTok?!
Combined episodes of my podcast with Scottish TikTokker Steven Mckell, about how he structures his comedy and what really works on TikTok... How do you actually gain influence on TikTok?
Magnificent insights on what specifically works with the TikTok algorithm.
MORE EPISODES HERE! Great British YouTubers Podcast playlist:
FULL TIME TIKTOK creator shares his secrets! GREAT BRITISH YOUTUBERS PODCAST @StevenMckell Ep 012
TRANSCRIPT: (CLICK PLAY ON THE VIDEO ABOVE)
THIS IS THE TRANSCRIPT - CLICK PLAY ON THE VIDEO ABOVE!
I've got some zzzz'ing going on here.
Sorry I think it's a fly, my bad, there you go!
[Music]
Steven Mckell!
You have--
Yeah!
2.2 million followers on TikTok
51.7 million likes
I, I don't know how many views how... how many views would that rack up?
I don't know it's something like 400 million, 500 million around that ballpark figure, which is like mad to me it's really it's insane.
I don't know I never thought I'd be able to kind of get that.
But not only that, you also have a YouTube channel, so you are the best Tik Toker I know to ask about the differences between TikTok and YouTube.
Before we get into any of that though, what is your favorite own Tik Tok video on your channel?
Oh that's the hard one!
If you ask a TikTokker this, this is hard.
I think, I think it's the one where I've done Miss Trunchbull.
I've done Matilda and pretended to be Miss Trunchbull and it got like, done really really well.
I think that's my favourite one because I think that really encompasses like my favourite childhood movie, it's acting, it's fun, people really resonated with it.
And so I like dressed up like Trunchbull, had like my hair slicked back and I had my suit on... my suit on-- my suit jacket on with like a belt and like these shorts and I was and I pretended to be the scene where she chucks Amanda Thripp over the fence - just before that?
And so I reenacted that scene with Miss Trunchbull and Amanda Thripp the little girl so it was very-- it was... I don't know what it was.
It was one of those things I was like I'm just going to film that today and we'll learn the lines and then film it and do it in like my way and it done... it done really well.
I was really proud of it and but there's a lot of videos that I'm proud of and it's really hard for me to pick one but I think that one really... that was another thing people knew me for at the end of last year.
They were like "oh you don't like-- you're like Miss Trunchbull!"
I'm like "Hehhh, I am... yes!" [LAUGHS]
And what's your video with the most views?
It's the lip challenge and it's got like, I think it's got like 34 million views or something which is madness.
It's got like 30 million views and it's basically me, this is how... this is how the Tik Tok algorithm works and how anyone can get big on it.
It was me putting like three like lipsticks like with lips, I was going to put one strip there one strip here much like... I... just like this!
It was this to the song and it was madness.
It was like the least effort you could put into a video and that done like... got the most views and everyone knew me as the, the boy... "Oh you're the guy that does lip challenges!" and I was like yeah, I know, and it's...
Even now it would be posted like every 6 months and it'd still get like 10 million views and I'm like "Why!" Why does this? Like, why do people love this?
But I think it's aesthetically like people love to watch those kind of makeup stuff.
Did I detect a slight eye roll when you gave that answer?
Are lip sync videos seen as perhaps a lesser art form?
The worst thing was it wasn't even lip sync.
It was me literally just going... [DOES LIP MOVES]
...to like smudge the lips - the lipstick - to make it look like I had like three colours of lips.
So like it wasn't even lip sync, so it's like even worse, but I think in the realm of lip syncing... so the app used to be called musical.ly, erm... which you know, we don't call it anymore and that... that traditionally was a lip syncing app.
That's how it was - It's how it got its notoriety.
However I kind've done original comedy back then and I've done lip syncs as well but original comedy and like dancing and like meme style content...
But I think now, although people that do lip sync still do very well and they can just sit in front of the camera and lip sync a song and get 10 million views... I'm not jealous... um but no, that I think that now there's a higher standard now.
Now it's a platform with... you oh there's there's so much in there and I think lip syncing is maybe seen as something that's not something like they want to push like...
"It's a lip syncing app!" because it's not now.
It used to be but now it's more like you know, if you want to really be like big on the platform and really want to be there for a long longevity you've got to kind of... you've got to be able to reinvent yourself, I think.
And you have a YouTube channel and a TikTok channel?
Yes.
Why is Tik Tok better than YouTube?
So I think TikTok's better than YouTube because, one, it's like it's shorter media.
So it's short form media, whereas you know YouTube's long form media, traditionally.
And I think with Tik Tok it's... it's easy to get involved in videos or see trends that you are um you can relate to, that you can erm, that you feel like you want to do.
The thing about YouTube is that you watch a video and you're like that's great and they make me laugh, it's fun and you think I'd love to do YouTube!
However then you have to get a camera, lights, edit and it's really hard to be a YouTuber really really hard.
It's the hardest platform to gain followers on, whereas Tik Tok you can watch something and you can think to yourself "I know I can do that better" or if not I can have just as much fun as that person, and you just need to set up your camera.
So that the difference between making... to making the content's way on the other spectrum.
YouTube's harder.
TikTok is very easy.
You can upload 10 videos in the space of, you know, half an hour on... on Tik Tok and get you know triple the views you would if you'd done it on YouTube.
So I think the algorithm favours better to people, because it has like a broader spectrum of content that likes to put in the "For You" page, and so it gives people a better chance to be seen, to have fun, to interact with other people, and...
I like YouTube! I used to-- I've not made videos on that in a while and I was doing YouTube until when I was doing TikTok, like a few years, ago so I was doing both side by side, and I felt like you... your Tik Tok was just so much easier.
It was just... it's a platform where um you have to really be authentic for people to really like... to really, to really grow on it.
Whereas YouTube, you have to really have a uh some sort of... not a facade but you have to have a really different kind of push yourself like 110% whereas TikTok about maybe not as much.
I've got some zzzz'ing going on here.
Sorry I think it's a fly, my bad, there you go!
Do you know what--
That's a long-winded answer! [LAUGHS]
No, no, Steven: That is so fascinating because I hadn't thought that the actual, you know, production technique would actually have such a big effect on the what... "what you share" and how you express yourself, so have... being able to just get straight online quicker means that you put out something a bit more authentic.
I hadn't really thought of it like that.
Yeah I think that's erm... that's really, it's a really big um pull factor for when someone who starting out on social media, who wants to kind of be big.
And this is a... this is a delicate question, an awkward question, but do you make money on TikTok?
Yeah I do.
I have um, when I first started it for the first few years and you know, there's different ways to make money on Tik Tok, and I think some people a little bit um dubious to talk about it because, you know, they... they don't want to.
But I'll be the one to set the record straight!
Now, no don't get me wrong - there's, there's different ways you can make money on TikTok.
You can do live streaming and where people then send you gifts and they buy gifts from the app and they send you them, and every time you like some people have livestreams where they play games, where they do... and now you can guest people in sometimes.
It's like something so... you get something back for that, or if you want to support your your favourite creator you can do it that way.
Me personally? I've never asked for that on live streams.
I've been given gifts and no matter... you can tell it... you can tell people "don't give me them" all you want -- some people are still just going to give you gifts, and a lot of minds nowadays like the small gifts and like "thank you but like save it and like donate to somewhere or do something else" erm... whatever,I just want you to join my live streams to have fun but other people can make a living from it.
They can make the--- they put a lot of time and effort into live streaming, and I used to live stream like I used-- I livestreamed like two years straight on the platform every night.
I livestreamed and that... that was for me to build my following.
Back then it was really big because it was cheaper for gifts and people some... some creators in America got... done really well on gifting, and but now TikTok have put in like measures to keep it safe for... so kids can't send gifts on the app, you have to be 18 or over, you have to be 16 or over to livestream - which I totally agree with because they-- what they're doing is safeguarding the, the people watching but also the creators who are livestreaming.
But that's one way you can do it.
This is a long-winded answer as well I'm sorry!
No no this is an 'anoraky' kind of podcast so go into as much detail as you feel comfortable!
Yes you could-- do you could do it through the livestream and things like that, which a lot of people do, and a lot of people - most people - put a lot of work into livestreams where some people don't.
And there's other pla-- erm, ways of doing it.
So you could do sponsored content... content like you would do on YouTube or Instagram or Twitter.
Most of sponsored content that's on TikTok is music, because music drives the platform.
It's in all like, most videos you'll see you'll have a music tagged at the bottom of what artists that is etcetera.
And so you get brands that will come to you, want to like promote a song, and like you then get a campaign, and you talk to like the artists-- not the artists, but like the music, record label etc erm, or your management and you kind of figure out what you want to do with that.
Oh there's a variety of ways, you can put things in your bio, you can make videos that are ads.
Like I... like help sometimes I'll try and help companies like build on TikTok.
So if you've really got a lot of knowledge, you can use it to then help companies build on the platform like-- they can like pay you, or you can work with them or whatever way you want to do that.
And you can help them build - give them knowledge to build on Tik Tok, and I know a lot of people that have done that.
There's some people that I know that have stopped doing Tik Tok all together on their page, and went and ran another TikTok account for a business, because that's how...
TikTok now is not going anywhere.
We know that in terms of... erm, how big it is - it's got to a point where it's so big.
I think that it'll just consistently evolve, like things like Instagram, Snapchat and stuff.
So companies are now jumping on it now and realising they'll get... they'll do good to start with, and they'll be like "oh we need to have..."
"how do we keep going?"
"how do we keep putting out the content?"
So there's a variety of ways you can make money on it.
Some more reliable than others.
But that sounds really wise Steven because it means that your um... your income doesn't just rest on the platform on what the the platform deigns to give you, like on YouTube.
The... you, you are building relationships that will last longer than the next...
Yeah.
...pay out.
Yeah exactly and I think, I think there's a difference... whereas we would LOVE on TikTok if our effort... if we ever, ever content was monetized and we've got...
we'd love it, it'd be great!
You know I mean like just like YouTube does.
I don't know how they would do that now, you know you've got different things where they're trying to build different things to help creators and, and brands connect.
TikTok are actively trying to do that.
However I think they need to just be like... they need to make it not for everyone, because if that happened you'd, you'd have hundreds of millions of people like abusing some sort of system - so they have to make it really like they do on YouTube.
You have a certain amount of watch time and a certain amount of videos and stuff.
But we would love it if it was monetized but um there is ways to do it, you know, and relying on me making the, the work the effort to make a video, to get me paid instead of relying on like the views - not relying on the views, but it's better thinking "I've worked hard for this money" than like not doing anything at all really.
If anyone's listening from tiktok: we would still love for our content to be monetized
i.e our, like videos get views, because no one's gonna pass that up are they if they could do that in a way that was that was fun and great then we would love it!
Shall we both ask TikTok now?
Please, TikTok.
Yeah, yeah, do it!
Please monetize.
Monetize the videos!
Monetize videos, and I think that the way to do that I think, you know, it's hard for them, because it is - because they've, they've worked hard to get monetization to like a creative place where you can... brands and creators can connect.
Which is fine and fun.
However brands... some brands are going to undercut the smaller creators, and give them peanuts and they're going to take them.
I like... I love TikTok as a platform and you know I've been on it for years, so like it's my, it's my baby, um but like there's a lot of new creators that come up now and, and they get a bit of a following really quickly and then it kind of plateaus which happens to everyone -- and like, and then you know, if they've not got a lot of knowledge on the platform - or how to um keep themselves safe from brands or people trying to take advantage of them, like management or whatever...
You've got to try, and you try and let them know, but at the end of the day you know, some people just are going to choose their own decisions.
But that's the issue that you have now.
You've got a lot of people coming up. Get big for a little bit and then get like "oh what are they doing?
People trying to take advantage of them.
It's like any platform you're on - any social media - anything like that.
There's always someone that's probably out there to kind of see what they can get from you without really giving you your worth.
Whereas I'm really lucky.
I've kind of... I've built my knowledge up, I know--
not worth in terms of money because money's, you know, it's something you think about - because it's a job - but it's not my first priority.
My first priority is that "will my content inspire people in some way"
That's all I... that's what I think about when I make content.
Money comes like third or fourth for me.
What advice would you have for anyone starting out on TikTok?
There's a lot.
Oh, some really cool advice would be stay authentic and do the trending hashtags, and do the content that's trending erm... and you know don't be discouraged by not getting you know loads of views whatever really quickly, and don't be discouraged if you do get the views or if it kind of plateaus a bit - that happens to everyone... and but really stay authentic to what you like, what you do.
If there's a niche content that you love doing whether it be point of view content, meme content, makeup, dancing... hone in on that craft and do that.
TikTok loves people that um can have like some sort of niche that they're really good at and if you consistently... be consistent.
Post-- I post every day where I think TikTok you know they advise to post like maybe between three and five times a week, but most creators post every day um or every few days.
So it's like really... just depends on like what you're kind of in-- like what your schedule would be.
But yeah stay authentic be consistent do the trending hashtags and have fun!
Have like the best time you can.
That's what I do.
Sorry I just let my cat in.
And how do you cope with that Steven?
Do you have um so if you post every day some some days presumably you post more than once a day? Do you have times where you feel I’m absolutely killing it and... and other times where you think “oh I'm falling behind”.
That I’m not outputting as much as I would like to?
Yeah yeah absolutely right now actually I’m in that kind of zone where I’m not outputting as much as I want to because my views aren't great.
And it should never be about the views and I think that's something people have to understand that it should never be about like your views, likes and stuff.
However if it's part of your job you then worry about it.
So I do worry about that because sometimes you have big, big times you have low times...
Everyone has it.
It's just any social media so at the moment I’m kind of like that, like I'm not going to put out like videos every day.
Sometimes I put out three videos to five.
Some people-- sometimes I’ll put one video.
Back in the day years ago I put out like 15... 20, because it was mostly like dancing, you know lip synching, or acting videos which are very easy to do.
I think kind of what I’ve done is... I kind of set a bar really high for myself in terms of my content, so that I can't revert back to that now to kind of do that for an easy win.
It doesn't work on my page - the algorithm doesn't pick up - so it kind of... you have to, you know, some days are going to be bad.
So sometimes I have bad days I’m like oh my gosh like I’ve worked for four years, it's um it's slipping through my hands and with-- my accounts dying and which I say that a lot and and sometimes I just I have to kind of just have a rant to myself or to my friend and then just get on with it.
Because at the end of the day I make content for um myself and other people and if someone watches it and goes “oh he inspired me”
Somone watching it goes “that made me laugh”
Then my job's done like that's my day done, like you know, in the grand scheme of things to... to make someone's day or to make someone feel comfortable in themselves as a gift that... that's you know priceless really.
So yeah I just get through my bad days by just having a day off.
Posting one video and being like if it does bad it does bad, or if I am-- I really post a video that I don't enjoy, I think if I’m not I’m not gonna post if I don't enjoy the video.
You know what I mean - I have to have fun doing it.
That was probably a long answer to the question - very broad but yeah!
Steven Mckell what shouldn't I do on tik tok?
Don't get swept up in the things - this is from personal experience - but don't get swept up in this, you know, looking at everyone else's accounts for the views... comparing yourself to other people to erm thinking you've got to be like someone else.
I’ve done all those things and it honestly what it does it just ruins your whole entire vibe.
It's not something you want to get involved in.
You've got to be able to be yourself, so don't-- don't compare yourself to anyone else ever.
Just don't do it. Believe me it's the best thing, just don't do it.
And, and it's it's almost as if you almost found your medium because you were posting on YouTube but this one it just it just kind of unleashed something different?
I think TikTok is just more easier for me to make content.
I think it was more easy for me to like have fun and like connect with fans.
So it was very much easier for me to make this, the short form media, and have... and work around like the 15 to a minute, 15 seconds to a minute videos, whereas YouTube is like long... long... like longer videos and it was fun.
I can't say YouTube wasn't fun - it was great - and it's not that YouTube is bad I’d love to go back to it and plan to go back to it soon - and do videos but like I...
It's the idea of like having to post like every single like week or every few days whereas TikTok is just so much easier to post.
It is hard for someone like me.
I can't just post, you know, a lip syncing thing or dancing thing - it does well.
I have to really put effort into it, so um and that's you know I mean... because I think someone like me on Tik Tok, or any platform: I don't look like the natural beauty standard as people would have it.
I'm still beautiful but you know I think I don't have like what the... you know, our society nowadays deems is beautiful and like what you should watch.
So I kind of look out of place a little bit.
I act a bit out of place, which I love that.
I love being like the alternative kind of influencer or creator whatever you want to call it, but I’m all... I’m on the outside looking in at a lot of stuff when it comes to being in on the in-things.
My cat's just jumping around my room right now so I do apologize, but yeah, and YouTube was just a bit long.
It was just long videos and it was filming it, editing it. and I just think TikTok just... just took off over that and I thought: I just need to focus on TikTok now and that's what I did.
I thought - I’ve had focus on both of them now.
I don't think I’d be as successful or as big on TikTok as I am now, because I am... I just ditched YouTube and I don't have the-- I don't have time for it!
I’ve got to just do something else and then that's what I did so...
And it sounds like there's something driving you behind that then because it's... it's one thing to post a lot, but to keep going there--
It seems like there's something behind it Steven, something that--
Yeah
Um, there's something you want to express.
I want to be the person that I didn't have growing up, watching on TV or... or social media.
So I-- I’m 26 so I... I didn't really... social media was a thing in the mid-noughties, but it wasn't as big when I was the ages of like you know... 10 to 16.
You know you were outside all the time.
That's what exactly-- that's what I explain to people.
You weren't on social media all the time.
It wasn't massive then, um and especially in like Scotland or anything.
So I wanted to be the person I didn't see in like TV shows or I didn't see in like social media.
Wwhen I first started it was all very much the same people, brands or companies were only focusing on the same people... whereas um I’m not you know...
I’m fat.
I'm someone that's asexual and someone that's looks a bit out of place and that's all positive for me.
Fat - it's not a negative word that for me I-- I use it as a positive because I’m fat but I’m flawless.
You know what I mean?
Erm, so I want to be the person I didn't have whilst watching social media, whilst watching TV and so I was like "I know I’m going to be that person then" and I think that I have-- I like to think that if tomorrow TikTok shut down or my account was deleted, or whatever happened... I like to think that you know what, ain't even set over social media in general,
I think - I like to think that I’ve done - I’ve done well and hopefully I've inspired people and I’ve been inspired by people.
So my legacy if you could call it one is - it's been positive - it's been fun.
I've stayed very authentic and... and that was one thing I just - that was it.
I just didn't really see anyone else like me and now there's a lot of people that are like me - not like me I think I’m quite a unique taste - but there's a lot of people that are - that have got my initiative really I think that are like "okay I’m just gonna be different" because different's okay and different's fun.
If you know, if everyone, if everyone was the same the - like the world would be such a boring place - so and yeah I just wanted that person that I never had online or on TV's and movies and stuff that I didn't have growing up.
Totally what we're seeing now is the death of "mass" isn't it.
Mass media, mass entertainment, mass... one size fits all.
It's so positive that you're inspiring people to, to... to share their voice.
Yeah that's it I think that, and for me it's never been like being big than anything because size is not part of my comedy.
You'll never see a video where I’m like "I’m so big!" that's never been part of my comedy because it's just it's not I’m-- I can you know, if that is part of someone's comedy then good on them and like that's how you can relate to people, then great.
It's never been part of mine so my thing's always been about, it's all about... be like be there for you is I’ve always had that - that and my sassy squad.
But 'Be the For You' is a slogan I always use to people because it really is the hardest thing in life and this is the truth is to really be your free authentic self, because you know when you are being free in yourself uh you know you put yourself up-- you open yourself up to ridicule and people opinionated about you people being awful because they might not agree with what you do and to that I say you know - I won't swear - but you know it - you just let, let them jog-on, because you know life's way too short to really worry about about what everyone else thinks of you.
And people think that oh he's like that on social media but I bet in real life and you'll meet me and I'll be like "I don't give"
I really don't care like if someone doesn't like me that's a them problem not me problem, and-- and they can deal with that to the side and it really is... I think especially nowadays - generation coming up you know - I think my generation's a bit soft.
We're the millennials so we're a bit soft but I was - in my family I was brought up really tough you know really like you've got to be tough and I think a lot of people don't have that kind of toughness to-- and so I try to teach people that you know if you're getting bullied this is a big rant now - if you're getting bullied like you know, or think people are saying something to you then like don't never let them see you sweat.
You never, you know, and call them out on stuff because people that are like that, hate getting called out.
No one loved-- bullies never like getting called a bully, you know what I mean?
So I try and teach people to love them-- the skin that you're in and if you don't love it, change it to a way that - to your standard not someone else's.
So it's just - I want to be that I just want to be that voice that people can listen to but it's about your size your mental health what about your sexuality and whether it be about um being inclusive and diverse...
I just hope people kind of watch my content and be like "oh like he's someone that gets it" and I learn every day.
I don't know everything about everything you know what I mean - that's the truth I don't know learn... I learn just as much as everyone else does so um people think that I’m - you know he must know or he thinks he knows - oh I don't.
That's the end of my TED talk.
[LAUGHS]
There's this one... should we take a little drink break?
Yes that'd be great actually.
Let's take a little drink break I’ve got some, I’ve got some juice here.
And you too at home, why don't you have a drink too?
I love oh yeah I love it - I love water.
Ahh, refreshing!
I love that it's a good segment I love it.
Steven Mckell!
What do you find are the hardest videos to make?
Hardest? Original-- original comedy content is very hard to make because you have to be-- you have to be funny and you have to have a good sense of humour.
You have to be quick.
How do you make a funny TikTok video?
What's your process?
How do you go about it?
It depends on what I’m making.
If I’m making a video like, if I’m using like a sound underneath it and it's not me talking - I think "what's going to grab someone's attention in the first four seconds", because that's your window that you've got.
Sometimes it's shorter depending on what kind of video it is, but you've only - only got your first few seconds to... to hit someone with what you need.
So my thing is how what if I make a video that I want to watch for 15 seconds or more, how can I get the punchline in there - if it's non-verbal - within the first few seconds.
So I think of that, I think "how can I get that in there quickly" then, "what's the story
after that?"
Because people love watching a storytelling that-- if it's-- and that's hard to do itself if you're doing a comedy video without you actually talking.
And you're just doing something that's funny, you're trying to tell the story through your actions or through the writing on the screen.
So you've got to have a plan and I think: "plan but don't plan too much"
It's hard, it's like "do this but don't do this!" You know "go to work, don't go to work" but anyway um so you've--
You've got to plan but don't plan too much.
Plan like: "this is the beginning middle and end" and allow yourself to have a bit of leeway of um spontaneity have been-- like spontaneous.
Put that in there as well and just do stuff that you think will be funny and watch it back, but yeah...
I think that have a plan for it, making sure you're getting that real comedy punchline the very first few seconds to hook people in.
Because if you do it for the first few seconds they'll stay for 15.
If you're still good then they'll stay to 30.
And people that are really intrigued-- if you can get them intrigued on what you're doing then great.
If it's stuff like you know, you actually want to be a character, and you want to do like an actual original comedy video where it's just you talking?
Plan your characters out.
Plan what you want to say out, film it and film until it's good you know that--
You know those kind of ones where you pretend to be people and you're trying to be like "oh I’m gonna you know" - you have to make sure - I make sure that my timing's quick, so if it's from speaking from people to people which a lot of TikToks are and you've got to get that timing really quick between the characters.
You've got to know what you're going to do, and you've got to think how is TikTok going to perceive this?
What's my caption going to be um-- is
Is it going to be a build up to the end where people know what's going to happen but are still going to watch and that's the kind of stuff that my process is.
If it's character-wise you've gotta, I’ve got to make sure it's character developed and but also be spontaneous throughout it because, if it's too planned TikTok will know.
People that are watching will figure it out.
That's why it's different to YouTube.
YouTube like... people make sketches of actual like tv shows right.
You can do that on TikTok as well and-- but if it's not authentic and you really have planned it out to the point where it's like: "My name is Stacy, and I’m doing this! My name's bit--"
People are going to click right off and be like that's not fun, the person's too much in their head.
That's really interesting.
When you-- when you're planning do you-- do you literally write it out or do you keep notes for yourself?
Sometimes I write it out, if I want to get a point of view across, if it's-- if it's not-- if it's a comedy video, but I want to get a point of view of what I want to say in the video, I’ll write it out because then-- I’ll put it in my head but then my head gets jumbled - mambo jumbo - I've got dyslexia so sometimes it's like, "what did I just say?" and, and that's why I always record if I’m doing takes and stuff because sometimes you forget what you said - you have to like watch it back!
I’ll write some stuff down and like this is what's going to be like a few of the lines but not all of them because I think you have to have a way of just ad-libbing it and doing it and-- and not everyone can do that, erm.
What you might not be good at doing comedy, you might be good at singing.
If you're not good at singing maybe dance.
If it's not dance maybe it's art stuff, maybe it's arts and crafts, maybe it's point of view content.
Some people do really really great acting on point of view content which I don't-- I am not great at, I’m not, because how they edit it and how they make the videos it's...
Yeah if you go on TikTok, you just put in #POV you'll find a lot of these like dark videos and you think you're watching like a little episode of-- it's great!
People do like 10 part series of stuff and I’m like... I’m watching the whole thing!
What you're actually outlining is basically rehearsal on camera.
Do you, you tend to just rehearse record?
See me, sometimes I wake up at 3 in the morning like "this is gonna be such a great comedy stuff"
Put my phone up and I’ll film it there then because my... my mind was telling me this is really gonna get the best kind of content for this video, now, so I’ll be in the hallway--
Mum and dad will be asleep and I’ll be like strutting down pretending to be like a character and, and I think that's really great because once you start doing that it's tough to start with - but it's like any content, whether it be comedy, singing, dancing, point of view, meme style, artsy craft and telling-- storytelling you find a way of doing it that works for you... works with people watching your content and for it to do well.
That's the one thing when you work with brands, they're stuck with YouTube and Instagram in mind.
You can't do that for TikTok.
You-- you really should, brands... if the brands are watching this.
Brands should really open it up to the creator and say "well what this is - what that's the idea that we have - and it's great whenever... when a brand comes with an idea... be like "we think this" because it shows that understanding of TikTok and that's great because any company should look into the platform, they're looking to promote on or Insta the product on - that's just the tee! um
So they'll come with a plan and I’ll say-- this is me just rambling on now-- and I’ll say that's great and then we'll take stuff out and say "but this would work on my account because of this"
So having that between-- some brands have a fully realised campaign.
Fully realised brief and I’m like "That's great, I love-- and I love the... the, you know, the music or the product and that's great and that works for me and my fans or people that follow me..." I don't want to- I call them Sassy Squad because like "fans" is like a weird thing um
But I'll tell them this will work this way on my account because we're all different.
And so sometimes you get a bit sometimes and I’m like I’ll do it like I’m happy to do... because what you've got is good, but I know it won't work.
So like sometimes I’ve had-- I’ve done it and it's been alright, I’ve enjoyed what I’ve done but other times I’ve been like "if I can't do it that way then I’m not going to be able to be part of it" because it doesn't fit and-- and what it's going to do, is it's going to do an injustice to you as the artist or the brand. It's going to do injustice to me and injustice to people watching.
Where some people wouldn't do that.
Some people be like "give me the money and I’ll post to you" and that's you know, that's, that's-- that's alright.
That's people that you know will do that and they have that.
Me? I’m not.
I want to do stuff that I feel that I’m really passionate about.
That if it's a song, if I don't click with a song I won't do it.
If it's a TV show, whatever.
If I don't like the idea of it, I won't do it because then that's essentially what every creator should be doing.
You-- you should be doing it in a way that, "okay this is fun and I think my fans would love watching this"
Or fans would love listening to this.
Or they're going to have fun watching me doing this.
That's the issue that you have nowadays with brands with er--
if that's a conversation you have with someone, that's the issue that you have, is you're just-- they're so like Instagram driven.
Instagram story driven?
No.
They look like ads!
[LAUGHS] That's right, it's true!
Steven what... what would you say to your 1000 follower self?
Oh that's hard!
I would say um you'll... stick to your-- stick to your guns on, you know, how you want to be perceived and how you want to be kind of um looked at in the world I think, um.
And you're gonna have ups and downs and that's alright, um, but it's alright just to say to people like, you know, no!
Get away.
You don't have to be-- you don't, you know and people... some people might be a bit mean to you.
Social media wise some people are gonna be mean to you, or some people are going to have opinions about you that you don't... they've never met you and they never are going to meet you and you have to just really take yourself out of that mindset and just focus on doing what makes you happy.
Because I didn't do that to start with, okay.
I was like "other people--" and people didn't like me on musical.ly
I was you know my name was "Mr. Chubby" or something like that - it was so bad um
Well, I say "fat" isn't my comedy but I had my name as Mr Chubby!
But yeah I’d say to myself, just stay authentic, have fun and-- and just don't let what other people think of you, like annoy yer.
And I don't do that now, but it took me a bit a while to kind of get into that, you know, I got hate on the first-- my first day on TikTok.
On social media in general I’ve had hate comments.
I have them now so it's just about persevering and realizing...
My Mum taught me you've got two options: you can really let it consume you and reply to them and kind of defend yourself... and then like think about it or like you know really argue with them.
OR you can kind of take it in, let it go over your head and just move on.
And so that's what I did.
I said "that's it!"
That's what I’ll do, just like move on.
If someone's got an issue that's them, so 1000 follower me, keep doing YOU and don't let anyone stop you!
Steven what do you think TikTok will be like in 2021?
Oh I, I think it'll be more um... I think it'll be bigger than it is now.
I don't think it's-- good I’m looking at the wrong camera...
I think it'll be bigger than it is now TikTok 2021.
I think that... that the fight for the "For You" page is going to be a lot tougher than where it is now.
I do think it'll be bigger and it'll be better and I think that it's going to encompass a lot of stuff that the... this... all generations can get involved in more and more because it's a platform for everyone.
There's everyone of all kind of ages on it and there's not a... there's never been another app or platform that's rose to this kind of fame, in such a short time.
So for 2021 I just see it being bigger.
I see... I hopefully see creators you know getting more monetization for the the work that they do but I am, I think-- it'll be... I think it'll be harder for creators though.
I think it'll be a lot-- it'll be a tougher game, what YouTube was back in like you know 2012... 2011 a lot of people just uploading content and it's you know, it's survival of the fittest and only the strong survive.
When it comes to being a big creator on it.
But in terms of people making content, you know, I think that it'll be more people of all ages that are on it hopefully... you know, hopefully it's not shut down!
You know these things about getting banned and stuff - it never will be like that.
But yeah I do see it-- I see it being twice the size it is now and just taking over the world even more.
Should we just pose for thumbnails?!
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