5 Steps to Become a TikTok Influencer

Do you want to become TikTok famous?

With over 1 billion active users, TikTok is easily one of the most popular social media platforms to date. Its sudden rise in popularity since 2018 is all thanks to the short-video format that the platform builds on. With easy-to-digest content and intuitive UI, it’s easy to see how the platform stood out the way it did.

Nowadays, TikTok has a well-established reputation. It’s enough to monetize the video-sharing platform, marking the era of TikTok influencers. Becoming a TikTok influencer is a great way to establish an online reputation and quickly gain a massive following.

What’s great is that becoming one is easy, whether you’re experienced or just starting out as one. To be among the top TikTok influencers, read what we have below. Understand what you need to do and watch your brand grow.

1. Pick a Niche

To become successful on TikTok, pick a niche to specialize in first. Identify your strengths and see what you can do with them on the platform.

An excellent dancer can take advantage of the multiple dance trends the platform produces. Having a great fashion sense means you can be among the top TikTok fashion influencers.

Tons of other niches are on the platform if you look hard enough. The challenge is standing out among the rest. Doing this means finding something unique about yourself that can work to your advantage on the platform.

Take our previous example and let’s say you have a great sense of fashion. What else are you good at? Finding another interest to combine with another will help you find a niche on TikTok.

Are you a fitness enthusiast who knows the proper forms for workouts? That’s great! It means you can be prominent among the other TikTok fitness influencers by wearing eye-catching gym outfits thanks to your fashion expertise.

You can also advise followers by sharing what makes great gym outfits to wear. Creating a “Workout Outfit of the Day” type of post is a great way to upload content for your followers. All this and more is possible as long as you know how to capitalize on your specialties.

2. Know Your Competition

Once you have a niche in mind, check out the competition. Look at the other TikTok profiles in the same or a similar niche and see what they do. Do this by doing a quick search on the platform and clicking on what comes out first.

TikTok showcases its videos by the total number of views and engagements. More views and activity make them go on top, so they’re good examples of what you have to contend with on the platform. See what they do and what makes them successful on TikTok.

Popular videos are popular for a reason, and there’s no shame in taking inspiration from them. It’s only shameful if you outright plagiarize their work and try to pass it off as your original idea. Instead of doing so, see what you can do to personalize their ideas and then add some of your own.

You won’t appear as a second-grade copycat by doing so. Viewers will see you as a fresh new creator with tons of content to bring to the platform. Executing the next step will be easier after that.

3. Build a Following

Building a following is the first step toward TikTok success. The more followers you have, the higher the chance of you becoming one of the top TikTok influencers. There are tons of ways for you to do this, but content creation is the best way to do so.

TikTok users love the platform because they can easily find media to entertain them. Others want tips to improve different aspects of their lives. If you can create a video that fills in either category, you can succeed on the platform.

Posting videos every day will get you some viewers and followers, but it’s not enough. You can improve your discoverability, though, by adding hashtags to your posts. 

Check out TikTok’s main page to see what hashtags are trending on the platform. Figure out a way to integrate them into your profile to reach a bigger audience.

If all else fails, you can always buy TikTok followers to improve your profile’s presence. Doing so is a great way to kickstart your profile and become an influencer sooner.

4. Engage Your Audience

TikTok influencer marketing is all about engaging with others. Before anything else, engage with your audience first to improve your TikTok profile.

You can do this in different ways on the platform. One such way is by live streaming. TikTok has a Live feature that allows viewers to join you in real-time as you do your thing. They can ask questions, suggest ideas, and ask for shoutouts this way.

You can also follow the platform’s latest trends. Cashing in on trends allows your audience to interact with your videos, making duets or stitching them with theirs.

The simplest way to engage with people is by replying to their comments. It shows that you’re a creator that takes the time to respond to their queries. Doing so builds trust, creating a loyal community on the platform.

5. Monetizing Your Account

Now that you’ve built quite the following, monetizing your account is easy. There are two ways a TikTok influencer can make money. Collaboration is the prime choice for those who want to reach a wider audience.

Reach out to brands and express your interest in showcasing their products to their audience. You can do the same with other influencers on the platform to create a partnership of sorts.

You can also publish sponsored videos if your account is popular enough. With a large enough following, brands will approach you with a deal to advertise their products. They’ll present you with a contract which you’ll need to follow.

Upon completion, you’ll receive payment based on the influencer rates for TikTok. Payment primarily depends on how many followers you have. TikTok micro influencers get up to $1,000, while mega-influencers can get $2,500 per post.

Become a TikTok Influencer Today

Succeeding on TikTok means securing prospects for you and your brand. Learn what you need to do to become a TikTok influencer and start your journey now. Fine-tune your profile and thrive on the most viral social media platform today!

Do you want to learn more about social media and digital marketing? Check out more of our guides to learn all you can today!