5 Things I Learned from Using TikTok since Last Month
Don’t judge me, but don’t believe every word I say either.
It took me this long to start using TikTok for two reasons:
- I am always late to keep up with technology and stuff. I was also late on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat previously.
- Everybody was saying TikTok was cringy and was only for kids and “time-wasters.”
But now I am finally on TikTok, I have earned more than Rs. 1,00,000, got a beautiful girlfriend and got the chance to visit Indonesia twice.
Nope. None of that happened. But the other little things I learned have brought a profound change in me. Here they go:
1) I’ve Gotta Start Loving Myself.
Talking about me, I get so lost in the outer world that I sometimes forget about myself.
If you are like me, probably this happens to you too. After we wake up to the time we go to bed, we talk to so many people. But we forget to talk to our inner self for even once.
When was the last time you looked inside of yourself and asked if you were fine? Did you take a moment to be mindful and think if what you were doing was actually making you happy?
TikTok made me realize this within the first few days of using it. I was laughing, feeling inspired, and watching crazy things people upload on TikTok. I felt fresh like never before.
Yes, some will say you are spending too much time. Yes, you are spending time, but for yourself. Not many people give enough time for themselves. But in the end, isn’t it all that matters?
2) People’s Opinions About Me Don’t Matter
I expected they’d judge me. Sure they will try to. It takes time for your friends and family to digest the new haircut you have, the new kind of outfit you wear, and of course the new social media you get into. But after the issue is addressed for the first time, it starts to get normal. It always does.
I thought a lot would change after I get into this cringy platform. Well, nothing did.
Life moves on. And I am not the center of the universe. Knowing that hurt lol. But after I realized that the spotlight wasn’t always on me, I was free to do what made me happy. I was able to be, well, myself.
And this is very important. The wider the gap is between the real you and the face you show to the world, the more stressful your life becomes.
Whether in social media or real life, don’t try to be somebody else. Somebody else will always have a sexier jawline, fancier car, and better assets to show. In fact, social media is just an extension of the world we say real.
And even if people do judge you, why does that have to matter? Their opinions have no weight in front of you.
Just be yourself, spread your wings, and fly.
3) The most successful businesses are those that merely advocate a change.
They don’t necessarily have to make the change themselves. Take Facebook, for example. Facebook doesn’t produce any content of its own. It only serves as a medium between those who want to say something and those who want to listen.
Similarly, Amazon does not sell its own products. It just brings buyers and sellers closer together. Likewise, Tootle and Pathao (Nepalese equivalent of Uber) don’t have vehicles. They just connect vehicle owners with those who need a ride.
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TikTok works on this same principle. Users are free to create any content they want (given that it is appropriate). They can view the content they want to see by following people they like. In other words, people of all interests find “their people.”
And this is exactly the reason why TikTok is so scalable. It isn’t confined to certain demographics because it can be used by anyone from anywhere around the world. And people with similar interests will simply follow suit.
4) TikTok is going to be even more popular.
In a world of instant gratification, TikTok is what we want. We do not want to watch longer-form content. We like content that is short but gives maximum information and/ or entertainment.
And this is exactly what TikTok is all about. You cannot make videos longer than 60 seconds. In fact, it is better if you make it just 15 seconds long. Maximum engagement and content-sharing in minimum time. Just what everybody is looking for.
What’s more, TikTok is still unsaturated. This means that even beginner content creators can reach more people with their videos. And yes, it is possible to go viral on TikTok with just one good video. This rarely happens on Facebook and Instagram.
What’s more, the stats are equally mind-boggling and are evidence that this app is here to soar higher.
5) There is a heck lot of potential to earn money from TikTok.
This app can be easily monetizable by users. You’ve gained a massive following on TikTok. But what do you do with all those followers?
Influencer marketing. Many have started doing this, and you should too. Chinese companies use TikTok heavily as a marketing platform. If you love a certain brand (local or international), make a video and refer them to your followers. This can be done to anything from clothing brands, make-up items, to hotels and gadget companies.
I’ll give you a living example people have earned using TikTok.
I think everybody knows this guy:
Of course, Chicken Leg Piece!
You certainly have watched this guy eating specialties of biryani, chicken lollipop, and chicken leg-piece. But what you might not have realized is that he is using his massive followers to earn cold, hard cash.
Don’t believe me?
Look at this screenshot of a video:
He is giving a shoutout to the food station behind him. The guy in white is the owner of the station.
Do you think he did this for free? Of course, not! He is introducing a food station to his followers (who are food-enthusiasts, obviously.) And the food stations are paying him for the shout-out since they are likely to experience a surge in the number of customers and sales.
Wrapping Up
TikTok taught me to live for myself and ignore the outer noise. Its business model is designed to be suitable to the present world of speed-learning. Moreover, TikTok is massively scalable.
Needless to say, this is an ideal platform for influencers, advertisers, and the entire TikTok world is expected to keep growing.
Originally published at https://nepalearn.com on February 22, 2020.
