How to Become a TikTok Influencer

TikTok is the short-form video and social media app that has taken the world by storm. Its mission is to “inspire creativity and bring joy” by showcasing user-uploaded videos that last from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. TikTok has just under 1.6 billion monthly active users and has been downloaded nearly 5.5 billion times worldwide. That’s a lot of eyeballs, focused and ready to be influenced by talents like you.

Famous TikTok influencers include:

• Khaby Lame (161 million followers) is a Senegalese-Italian influencer who found TikTok fame by silently mocking “life hacks” with funny gestures. 
• MrBeast (119 million followers) is best known for his big stunts and philanthropic efforts. 
• Charli D’Amelio (156 million followers) is a US-based social media personality and dancer. 
• Addison Rae (88 million followers) is an American influencer who made it big through her viral dance videos.
• Kyle Thomas (34 million followers) is one of the biggest TikTokers in the UK. He showcases his love of exotic animals, especially his pet meerkat, Mylo.

Why a video goes viral or lands on a billion users’ For You pages (FYP) can seem like a mystery, but it’s all down to TikTok’s powerful algorithm working behind the scenes. It’s the system that decides what content is shown where and to whom. Becoming a successful TikTok influencer relies on getting the algorithm to work for you, so how does it decide whose posts to promote? 

In an article published in TikTok’s own newsroom, the company says some of the key factors to think about are: 

• Engagement. How do users interact with your content? Do they comment or give positive feedback? More eyeballs means your videos will be pushed out to more people. 
• Geography: Where are you watching from? What language is your video in? Think about top TikTok-er Khaby Lame, whose popularity isn’t limited by language. Anyone can understand his funny facial expressions and gestures. Clever move!
• Video information: Captions, sounds, and hashtags are important. Look at the audio and written information popular videos have, and think about what is trending. Check out the app’s effects here.

The algorithm is designed to push engaging and high-quality content to a wide audience, regardless of the creator’s follower count, which means potentially anyone can go viral. Ka-ching!

Credit: nitpicker/Shutterstock

1. Create a TikTok account. 

To be a TikTok influencer, you have to have a creator’s account. Make sure your profile features a clear picture (although it doesn’t have to be of you), links to any other socials, and has an engaging bio. You want people to easily recognise your brand. Choose a simple, catchy username that reflects your personality and what your content will be about. This landing page is the first thing your potential followers will see, so make it count.

2. Identify your niche. 

Successful TikTok influencers all have their own niche. Tallulah Metcalfe focuses on fashion, while Amelia Dimoldenberg “dates” celebrities in chicken shops. Think about what you may want to focus on. You could carve out a corner within comedy, fashion, fitness, music, or even discussing old episodes of Eastenders. It’ll obviously help to have a subject that appeals to a large audience, but make sure you have a genuine passion for whatever you choose. The more authentic you are, the more your audience will come back. 

3. Be creative and consistent. 

Content is king when it comes to TikTok. If your content is creative and people watch it, you can become TikTok famous. Think about your own strengths: Are you funny? Musical? Hot? Use your talents to engage your audience. Choose a visual style for your videos and stick to it. That could mean a particular font, a unique way of editing, or an animated title card. Make the first two or three seconds of any video punchy to hook your viewers right from the start, and remember that shorter videos tend to work better. The longer viewers linger on your content without scrolling away, the more the algorithm will favour your future videos. 

It’s also important to post consistently. You need people to know you’re out there and you have plenty of content to share. Being an influencer is hard work. Shoot a few videos in one session so you don’t run out of content to post. Take a look at TikTok analytics for info about when your audience is active and make sure you post at those times. Be sure to read TikTok’s community guidelines too.

4. Do your research.

Take a look at the competition. What are other creators doing right and what could you do better? Check TikTok’s For You page, Trend Discovery, or Tokboard to stay on top of what’s circulating. It’s important to master key TikTok trends such as sounds and visual effects, and the sooner you hop on trends the better. Or you could even start your own. 

5. Nurture engagement.

Make sure you use hashtags intelligently. By all means use #fyp, #viral, #trending, and #tiktokviral, but also remember your niche and apply relevant hashtags. Comment on trending creators’ videos and hashtag your own work to get noticed. Consider partnering with other influencers in your niche area so you can both benefit. On your own channel, try to foster a community feeling by replying to comments, asking questions, going live, and encouraging Duets and Stitches.

6. Monetise your influence. 

Join TikTok’s Creator Rewards Programme. It’s a way to earn money based on the views and engagement your videos get. To join, you must be over 18 and have at least 10,000 followers and 100,000 video views in the past 30 days. Then your account has to be judged to be “in good standing.” That means posting original, high-quality content with no ads.

Many TikTok influencers also make money from collaborating with brands. Think about what products may naturally fit with your niche and reach out to the companies you’d like to work with. That could involve posting sponsored content and offering affiliate links.

Earnings vary wildly, but TikTok influencers reportedly charge an average of over $2,700 per sponsored post. The exact amount depends on what you’re promoting, how engaged your followers are, and the size of your audience. The British Neffati brothers, for example, are thought to earn over £15,000 per post.

You can also earn money from offering merchandise to your followers or by collecting donations from engaged viewers while livestreaming.

7. Keep at it. 

To earn the big bucks as a TikTok influencer, you’ve got to build your brand – and that will take time and hard work. So the final step is to keep at it. With dedication, creativity, and a little bit of luck, you, too, could become TikTok famous.