Our top seven tips for building a loyal fanbase on TikTok!
Whether you're trying to grow your social media audience to gain societal influence or trying to expand your audience to then monetize your community and escape the 9-5, the first crucial, and challenging, step is growing a fanbase.
Today, an engaged fanbase has never been more powerful in shaping the overall success a creator can experience — both in the digital world, and in the real world.
TikTok creator Axel Webber, for example, provides a look into how an engaged fanbase can change the course of a creator’s life. 22-year old Alex moved to New York City to pursue acting while living in one of the “smallest apartments in the city.” Webber documented his daily life living on an extreme budget and when he auditioned for Juilliard, he was rejected —sparking thousands of his followers to take to social media and make the world renown performing arts conservatory accept their favorite content creator into their school. With the help of his fans, he has now gained millions of followers just within a year, garnering millions of views on each of his videos.
Now, how exactly did he do it??
Although posting tons of videos can help the TikTok algorithm boost your content, content creators that have a loyal fanbase have certain qualities which help them stand out from the millions of other creators in the online world.
Let’s break down what exactly those qualities are that are essential in building a loyal fanbase on TikTok:
Show Personality :D - Posting videos to trending sounds can only do so much. It might be scary at first but most creators that talk to their followers and engage with them end up allowing their fans to feel closer to them, thus creating a loyal fan base. A few creators that have been growing fast and aren’t afraid to show off their personalities include Victoria Paris, Rod, Kirsten Titus, Conor Wood, Mik Zazon and more.
Employ Your Strengths - Perhaps you have knowledge in a certain topic most people aren’t familiar with, you like storytelling for example, or you just have a certain hobby you like and do often. By using your strengths, it’ll be easier for you to create content while facing less creative slumps, and being more genuine with your fans.
For those starting out or trying to rebrand, it’s always good to experiment with different categories to find your strengths.
After you’ve figured out your strengths, narrow down which kind of videos your fans like best and figure out how to make new content based on what your niche enjoys.
Stand Out - Try to bring something unique to the table. It’s great to reference other content creators and how they create content, but at the end of the day you want to be unique and stand out from the rest. Don’t be afraid to try something new or show your own character in your videos!
Make content that’s engaging and easy for your audience to watch from beginning to end as this is a way TikTok views “strong indicators of interest,” pushing your video more onto the FYP.
Fail - Most of your favorite content creators, and even the successful ones, have failed at creating engaging content in the past, so don’t be afraid to fail or think your content won’t do well just because you didn’t get the view count you wanted. The keyword is patience, your time will come.
Livestream - Go LIVE! The best way for your audience to know the real you is to interact with them live.
Learn some of these LIVE features that can help you connect more with your audience.
LIVE features can only be used by those 16 years and older and have 1,000 followers or more. However, creators have to be 18 years and older in order to receive gift points. Check out this step by step guide on using TikTok LIVE if you have any trouble.
Be Consistent - Make sure you are posting consistently as the TikTok algorithm loves users who are constantly using its platform and posting videos. If you want to learn more about the TikTok algorithm and the For You Page, make sure to check out our article about it here.
Say Thanks - Display your gratitude to your followers! Many successful content creators make sure to thank their followers after hitting a milestone in their career. After all, your followers are the reason for your success.
Balance Your Content - The key to keeping your followers and developing your fanbase is knowing how to balance out your content properly. If you’re posting too much promotional content, it’s hard for your followers to enjoy your content or think it’s authentic. No one wants to constantly see ads popping up in their TikTok FYP.
By using these tips, you’ll be one step closer to becoming a successful and even full-time content creator while gaining a loyal fanbase. The hardest part is building up that trust and level of engagement with your followers but after that point, no matter what the TikTok algorithm tries to do, even if your content isn't getting pushed onto the For You Page, you still have a fanbase that will be there for you.
Go ahead, it’s time for you to try it out!
