The last time I wrote about my TikTok activity was on June 14th when I said that I had built a pretty respectable following at around 30,000 followers.
I now have 389,000 followers. Which is by far the largest following I’ve had anywhere since jumping into the whole social media/blogging pool back in 2012.
When I started blogging, I was in the mommy blog world of SITS, Twitter parties, and Facebook hops. I would follow people to get follows, I would comment on posts from SITS girls to one day get my own SITS day, and I would join Twitter parties for the chance of getting the slightest bit of exposure.
My viewership on the blog was ok, but never great. My social media following across all of my platforms probably never went higher than 2,000 combined, and I just never felt like I was doing it right.
And then TikTok came along.
What Works on TikTok
Drastic Cleans
On CleanTok (TikToks about cleaning) people love to see something go from really dirty to really clean. For instance, this window video was a bit of a throwaway for me, I posted it because I had nothing else to post that day. I had no idea it would get the attention that it got:
@isuckatcleaning Testing out more product recommendations! #cleantok #nowitsclean #cleanthatup #isuckatcleaning ♬ Happy Music – Mystix Instrumentals
That post has over 2 million views!
Engaging Sounds
Also, if there is an audio that you like, or that you engage with, you should use it on one of your videos because there is a good chance that others will interact with it as well.
This sound for instance is one that I interacted with every time I heard it, so I figured I’d make a video to it and see if other people engaged with it:
They did. That was the first video that jumped my follower count.
Viral Videos
And speaking of sounds, if you see a video go mega-viral, find a way to use the sound associated with it. TikTok will often show you videos with the same sounds, so if you liked the original video chances are you going to see my version pop up on your FYP (for you page).
This audio got over 22 million views on the original video.
On my birthday I decided to post a video with the same sound, because I knew it would be a hit. Not a 22 million view hit, but a hit nonetheless:
After I posted this my followers jumped from 35,000 to 85,000 in one weekend.
What Does TikTok success look like?
Going viral on TikTok means getting 3-5 million views within five days.
My first viral video was one that I wasn’t going to post. I had a ton of footage of my tub cleaning but really didn’t like the way it was shaping up.
I needed to post something (I was on a really strict posting schedule before this one) so I edited it together and added a song and a voiceover.
This video currently has 6.7 million views and it is my first viral video.
What is it Like Going Viral on TikTok
There are a few different stages to going viral on TikTok. Here’s how it went for me:
- (Before posting the video) “I hope this goes viral!”
- Whoa this is so cool, people are really responding to my video!
- OMG, my video is going viral!
- Oh wow, people are saying some mean things.
- Yikes, a lot of people are saying a lot of mean things.
- Ugh, I don’t want to look at my notifications.
- When will this video stop showing up on people’s FYP?
- Maybe I should quit TikTok.
- (Before posting the next video) “Please don’t go viral”
I saw a video about the stages of going viral, but I still wanted it. Now, I’m good, I honestly don’t want my videos to go viral. When your video goes viral it ends up on a ton of people’s FYP and that means you get people who are not interested in your content sharing their opinions. And they can be mean.
How to Handle Mean Comments
I’ve always said that you know you’ve made it when you start to get mean comments. And if that’s true, I’ve officially made it.
I was talking my bother this weekend about how the negative comments get me down, and as easy as it is to say, just don’t read your comments, or don’t let it get to you, it’s not always easy in practice.
I check my comments often because I like to answer questions, and interact with people. I mean, I’m a blogger at heart and blogging is all about the comments and the conversation. I learned early on that you have to engage with your audience if you want a lasting relationship.
Since I can’t just stop reading my comments, I need to do something to cope with the horrible things people say.
So I started an Instagram account called You Suck at Commenting. My brother came up with the name, I love how it plays off of my TikTok name I Suck at Cleaning.
I’ve been taking screenshots of my negative comments for the last month or so, and I think it will be fun to post them with my responses. It’s a good outlet for me, and will give me something constructive to do with all of that negativity!
In Summary
You should follow me on TikTok…and Instagram 🙃 But don’t watch my videos if they look like they are getting too much traction! Just keep scrolling.
Friends don’t let friends go viral.
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