The actor’s guide to tiktok
To launch Season 4 of the It’s a Slate of Mind podcast, I decided to talk about one of the biggest trends (and controversies) of the 2020 pandemic - Tiktok. This social media platform has taken the world by storm and has proven to be a powerful marketing tool for actors. Many actors around the world have developed strategies to leverage the power of Tiktok to expand their personal following, get noticed by agents, managers, and casting directors, and ultimately have a new outlet to share their art with the world.
Whether you’re already a fan of the content on the app, have no clue where to start with it, or are already preparing yourself for the app to be banned in the United States, this article is for you. We’re going to walk through what Tiktok is, how actors can use it, what we’ve learned from actor’s who have found success, and the big marketing takeaways we can apply moving forward (even if it gets banned!). Get your notebooks and pens out, because we have a lot to cover.
Want to listen while you read the blog? Click here to go to the podcast episode.
what is tiktok?
If you don’t know what Tiktok is, it’s essentially coronavirus’ social media app of choice. It was created several years ago but until recently was mostly populated by young kids in middle and high school. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world and we all suddenly found ourselves crazy bored at home, it’s user base expanding massively and rapidly. It truly has exploded and become incredibly popular with a wide range of demographics. There are even special hashtags for #TiktokOver30, and grandparents who have become fans of the app too. Not to mention that brands and businesses have found their way onto the app and have been using it to promote new offerings via ads.
Tiktok has even made an impact on the U.S. government, with immense scrutiny over the security of the Chinese-created app. While there is a threat of Tiktok being banned soon in the the States, there’s no final word as of August 2020. Who really knows how long Tiktok will be around for, or how it will evolve, but it has proven to be a powerful tool for creatives and actors who know how to work it the right way. We’ve been seeing articles and videos lately from artists and business folks alike sharing how its helped actors find representation, grow their following, and get in front of casting directors.
All this being said, in spring 2020, I became determined to crack the code on Tiktok for my clients. Because as you know, I’m all about the rising tide lifts all boats mentality. So I want to see more actors killing it on Tiktok! However, I am by no means the expert on this platform, so I enlisted the help of 3 actors who have been hanging out on the app way longer than I have and have found incredible success. They were kind enough to share what they’ve learned, editing suggestions, their best tips and tricks for using Tiktok for an acting career, and their unique content creation approaches.
But before we meet our incredible guests, I’m going to give you a little background on the Tiktok Basics and what I’ve learned so far.
how tiktok works
The Tiktok platform is all about video content. If you remember the Vine app, it’s probably the most similar to that. However, Tiktok has really developed its own personality. Videos on this social media platform can be anywhere from 15 seconds to 1 minute in length. Users can incorporate many elements to tell the story in the video including:
Trimming the length of clips and adding multiple videos together
Adding audio
Layering audio clips over your original audio
Adding text for set durations and styles over your video
Adjusting the speed of your videos
A “beauty mode” filter to erase blemishes
Filters to adjust the lighting and composition
A built-in timer to count down a recording
Green screen
Games
A “cloning effect”
A duet feature to collaborate with other TikTokkers
Using pre-set templates with built-in effects
and so much more.
Within these parameters, Tiktok creators have started their own challenges and trends. This works to further unite and categorize users on the platform around specific themes. When creating your Tiktok video, you can choose to design everything in the app, or simply upload the finished project from your video editing apps of choice. Similarly to other social media platforms, once you upload videos, they are stored on your personal profile feed. This area is located under a profile photo, brief bio, and links out to the websites or apps of your choosing. This section also notes how many users you follow, how many follow you, and the total number of “likes” all your Tiktok videos have accumulated.
All your published Tiktoks will be stored on your profile (and Drafts will be saved in a private folder in the first slot on your profile). The published videos are also shared to the feeds of your followers. The app algorithm analyzes your video content and shares it with certain users’ “For You” page. This will be people who are not yet following you, but have watched similar content to your video in the past. If those users watch it all the way through, watch it multiple times, or like or share it, you essentially get bonus points, and Tiktok will share it with even more people on the For You page. If this continues to happen, you could end up with millions of people checking out your content.
why tiktok has potential for actors
The reason why Tiktok has such huge potential for actors is that at the moment, there are WAY more users than there is fresh content, so anything you post is going to be tested several times with new audiences and pushed to the front of the line in the hopes that users will like it. Simply because there’s not enough unique content to go around yet. Seriously, anyone has potential to be successful on this app. I follow an entire account about cheese boards. And another about cooking Italian food. There are folks who share their artwork, there are doctors and dentists who share health information, fashion bloggers, comedians, and so much more.
It’s important to note, that unlike other social media accounts, Tiktok really likes to put you in a niche category and keep you there. So, you want to decide what kind of topics and content you’d like to focus on before you start posting, otherwise, you might get stuck in a category you regret. For example, I started posting a few different types of content relevant to my life and career. However, my first viral video was about my past working as a Disney princess, and now, those are the videos that do best for me on Tiktok. So I pretty much post about Disney, acting tips, and a few other videos thrown in for fun.
However, this actually works for my brand and has directed a ton of new followers to my Instagram accounts, and even a few new listeners of the podcast! So hi, if that’s you! I know it might be overwhelming when you first start, but try to just get in there and play around with all the features to get comfortable. Checking out successful videos from other actors can also help you figure out the strategy that’s right for you. Our guests Nikki G, Aaron Goldenberg, and Nicole DuBois are great options to get you started!
advice from 3 actors who have found tiktok success
Nikki Garza
339,800 followers and a total of 6.5 million likes (as of late-August 2020)
“My number one tip for actors who want to get started on Tiktok is to just DO IT! We go in overthinking our brand, but just produce content! Your people, your niche will find you. The more time you sit on it, the more time you’re wasting. Stop ‘what if-ing’ yourself.”
“I wish I knew sooner how easy it was to find my niche on Tiktok. The algorithm is so specific that your community will find you. On the other hand, there can also be a lot of hate on the app. I’m unapologetically fat on there and I think I get a lot of hate because of that. But even the people leaving hate comments are boosting me up in the algorithm, so it’s a blessing and a curse.”
“TikTok has connected me to my ideal community and over time my followers have learned more about me and shared my creative projects on other social media platforms. I can’t talk about it yet, but Tiktok has led to acting-related opportunities coming soon!”
Connect with Nikki on social media here: @ItsNikki (Facebook, Tiktok, Instagram) and @ItsNikkiGarza (Twitter)
Aaron Goldenberg
23,200 followers and a total of 447,000 likes (as of late-August 2020)
“I got burnt out on Tiktok for a while and spending hours and hours without getting many views. I had my first viral video and tried to use the same formula, but for whatever reason it just wasn’t clicking with my audience. I decided to shift my strategy to Duets. I created a "casting director” character and leveraged my improv and screenwriting background to create my own one-sided conversations to encourage other people to Duet me.”
“I also wanted to make sure that I talked about things I really care about which are LGBTQ+ issues. But even though I do have some variety in my content types, I’ve seen a massive amount of engagement and increase in followers. I definitely know that my work, and my face have been exposed to more people than before which can only help my career.”
Connect with Aaron on social media here: @AaronGoldyboy (Twitter, Tiktok, Instagram)
Nicole DuBois
213,400 followers and a total of 9.4 million likes (as of late-August 2020)
“My biggest tip for actors is to throw a bunch of sh*t at the fan, see what sticks, and if you do have one take off, keep doing that type of content again and again. Tiktok is strange because people follow you for one thing and every time you post they want to see that one thing.”
“As fast as you can get your point across, the better because Tiktok is all about ‘watch time’. If your video is 10 seconds and people watch all the way through, maybe more than once then the algorithm will push it to more people. Watch time is everything because that’s what gets your video to the ‘For You’ page.”
“It’s a great outlet for actors to be seen. I follow other actors and they follow me back and even if people just are used to seeing my face that’s a good thing. And you never know when casting might be looking for a specific special skill or type and think of you.”
Connect with Nikki on social media here: @NickyDoobs ( Tiktok, Instagram)
17 tiktok content ideas for actors
Test out a new character
Create short stories for your “wheelhouse typecasts” (nurse, student, mean girl, bad boy, lovelorn friend, etc.)
Recreate snippets from your favorite projects and dream roles
Create a video for other actors to duet
Show off a special skill
Share a tutorial to teach your special skill
Demonstrate your dialects in a clever way
Tell a joke
Build your stand-up set in 15-second increments
Get creative using other sounds and making a new story
Share a behind the scenes look at the life of an actor
Give users a look at your self-tape set up
What’s in your set bag?
What are your typecasts?
Share clips from your reels
Share stories from past auditions or on set
Give advice to newer actors or your past self
If you want to learn more about how to use TikTok for your acting career, there are a few ways I can help you!
Join the A-List Monthly Membership Club to dip your toes in (only $25/month!)
Go all in with The Social Media Script online course
Get a customized social media strategy with 1-1 coaching with me!
what actors can learn from tiktok moving forward
Like I said, the future of the Tiktok app is up in the air, however, I think that even if it’s banned in the U.S. there’s something important we can learn from the whole experience. And that is, “Early adopters have higher chances of success.”
In the case of Tiktok, the actors who were curious and looking for new opportunities and then followed through and did something about it are the ones who really succeeded on Tiktok. Historically, the same is also true of literally any other marketing or social media opportunity that might arise. Remember when Youtube was brand new? Or Instagram? The people who were eager to explore, learn about these new social media outlets, and run with it had a leg up on the rest of us.
Obviously, as with any potential opportunity in your careers, it’s important to always do your research and make sure it’s the right situation for you. However, it’s important to realize how many actors missed out on the potential exposure they could have received from Tiktok simply because they weren’t willing to get out of their comfort zone and learn something new. Again, viewing the world through that lens of curiosity and seeking to create opportunities for ourselves is a skill that applies to every aspect of our acting careers.
The truth of the matter is this; in our modern digital world, things are changing so rapidly. The entertainment industry is changing rapidly. Certain aspects of what worked for actors 5-10 years ago don’t apply anymore. What worked 30-50 years ago doesn’t work anymore. It’s important to keep an eye on what’s moving and shifting. What new ideas and opportunities are appearing. We also must be able to recognize what is no longer working. To be open to throwing out that idea that the traditional routes and opportunities are the only ones available. That faulty mentality is built around waiting for opportunities to be offered to you. While it can still happen that way, you’re putting your eggs in one basket and limiting your chances. With the way our world works now, that’s not the only way, which is so exciting for us. But it’s up to each of us to research and explore these new channels as they appear, figure out how to use them for our brands, and get after it to make an opportunity for ourselves.
Want to listen to the full Tiktok episodes and hear from my 3 incredible guests?! Click here to tune in now!
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P.S. THERE ARE THREE WAYS I CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR ACTING CAREER RIGHT NOW:
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