I downloaded TikTok at the very beginning of the COVID-19 lockdowns: March 23, 2020. Within my first day of downloading the app, I had created 7 different videos, each of which had a different subject. One was an instructional workout video — another was a list of my various self-isolation “favorites” — even a video of myself doing a dance to “Savage” by Megan Thee Stallion (in fact, this one has come full circle now that I’ve seen her perform the song live at Coachella). Over the past two years, the app has sustained its boom and now, according to TechCrunch, has become the most downloaded app of Q1 in 2022.
So needless to say, I grew very excited that Kudzi Chikumbu, Director of Creator Community at TikTok, came to speak this past Friday at Stanford’s GSBGEN 317: Reputation Management course. As we have seen throughout the course, everyone has their own viewpoint on social media. My peers seem divided on its value for their careers. As a digital native and proud Gen Z’er of the Class of 2023, I view social media as an essential tool for my career. Even further, I believe one needs social media to participate in modern life. For Kudzi, social media is his career and how he crafts his own story. Let’s dive in to some of his arguments and tips:
Social Media for Reputation
“Tell your own story, or others will for you.”
When crafting a social media presence to bolster and craft your reputation, there are three facets on which to focus:
Intention: Who do you want to be? What value are you bringing? How do you help?
Action: How will you show up online? Which platforms? What formats? How often?
Results: What outcomes do you want?
I often have approached social media as a consumer. I don’t create my own narrative, I consume others’ narratives and use it to influence my story in non-online life. However, this framework got me thinking — how does this apply to me? Can I shift from a consumer of content to a creator and advance my career as such?
Often, we do not think of TikTok as a professional platform in the same way we think of LinkedIn. In fact, I would argue that the platforms complement each other. Consider LinkedIn as the “resume” — a list of roles, accomplishments, and degrees. The format is the same for each user. Consider TikTok to be everything that adds color to your resume: your interests, experiences, and viewpoints. There’s much more room for creativity and an opportunity to see the person behind the resume.
The Secret Sauce of Social Media
Of course, there are metrics that we all follow on social media. Likes, followers, and engagements are all traditional measures of success for content and content creators. So what makes a TikTok star or a LinkedIn influencer? According to Kudzi, it’s “being of service to others (i.e. uplift them on your social media accounts.” Reflecting on the content creators I follow, I’ve realized they all provide me with some sort of service. That may be as tangential as product recommendations, or as direct as career advice. But every creator that I regularly consume content from provides me with something that I can use in my non-online life.
The Magic of TikTok
To go back to what I discussed earlier, TikTok is HUGE. Not only is it the most downloaded app this quarter, it also has surpassed 3.5 BILLION all-time installs. The average user session on TikTok lasts 10.85 minutes, making it the most engaging app on the market. Kudzi went into some of the components that have factored into the app’s success.
The Viewer to Creator Journey
It’s not hard to quickly become immersed in TikTok. The dopamine surges you get from scrolling, as the algorithm figures out what you find funny and interesting, are essential to TikTok’s success. But what is truly special is the fact that it’s easy to join in the fun. When I went to Colombia for spring break, I made a TikTok of my trip while waiting in line at the airport — no more than 5 minutes. That single video alone got over 800 views the first day, and it was a simple collection of videos I had taken on the trip, set to “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira. These results quickly ingratiate you into a broader community, as people align around common interests.
The Creator Incentives
The fact that TikTok aligns around interests rather than looks (Instagram) or personal connections (Facebook), also facilitates quicker audience growth. For example, Heider Real Estate (https://www.tiktok.com/@heider_realestate) has amassed over 3.3M followers simply by showing DC-area luxury real estate.
The Business Incentive
When creators and the audience are simultaneously engaged, conversion can happen. When people are thinking about the content, they are far more likely to click on that ad and buy that product. On the business side, TikTok makes that easy with TikTok Ads Manager, where business choose a goal (connect with customers, get website visits, or generate customer leads), select an audience, set a budget, and design their ads.
How to Take the First Step
With all this in mind, I think it’s time for me to begin to create alongside my consumption. As someone who has always been a bit apprehensive about telling my story on social media (fear of racism and homophobia play deeply into this, but that’s well out of the scope here), where do I start? For this, Kudzi suggests:
- Do not be afraid to go against the grain
- Show your full self
- Be of service in your digital approach
- Your side hustle should power your main hustle
& use social media to tell your story and the foundation in case things go wrong.
So with this in mind, just go out there and create. Post that Instagram story, write that LinkedIn post, make that TikTok. Take ownership of your digital presence. Create what you enjoy, and let the chips fall where they may.
