A Master in the Making

Social Media is NOT Easy

I think many of us assumed that posting on social media would be easy. And when you look at the functionality of the app, that’s not exactly wrong. It doesn’t take much to snap a picture, maybe adjust the lighting, type up a caption, and hit “post.” In just a few seconds, you can share a piece of your life with people around the world.

But here’s the thing, while using the app is simple, standing out among all of the other content is not. The real challenge starts when you’re trying to capture people’s attention in a space where everyone is competing for it. Getting a large following, let alone becoming an influencer, isn’t as easy as it looks.

Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way when I spent a solid month (I know that’s not really long but I’m a really impatient person) trying to grow my own presence online and realized just how difficult is to become a viral sensation.

What I did & Why I Probably Failed

I want to make it clear that my attempt to become TikTok famous was kinda lazy and there was little to no strategy behind what I was doing. I was trying my best to create multiple posts daily but was only posting around 1-2 times a day and couldn’t figure out how to make quality content so quickly.

I had done some research on tips and tricks for boosting engagement on TikTok, but when it came to putting those strategies into action on my own account, I was completely stuck. I didn’t have a niche I could categorize myself into and therefore it was basically impossible to identify an accurate target audience.

Looking back now, I realize that at its core, my account lacked any real sense of purpose. I wasn’t trying to inform, inspire, or even share any of my personal opinions, I was literally just chasing “clout” without offering anything of real value in return. I was hoping people would click the like button and hit follow, but I hadn’t given them a reason to do so.

I also rarely interacted with others on the platform. On the strange occasion I actually got a few comments, I almost never replied. I’ve since learned in my social media courses that this is a massive mistake, especially when you’re trying to build connections online. Long story short, my posts were basically a one-sided conversation with myself. I was doing the bare minimum and expecting big results.

Will I Try Again? IDK

My time chasing internet fame might have been a short-lived phase, but it taught me so much. Being an influencer takes a lot more than just posting random videos and hoping they get likes. I do think a big part of gaining engagement on social media comes down to luck, and yes, having pretty privilege can play a role too, but long-term success requires much more. It takes structure, strategy, consistency, and purpose.

After learning so much more about social media strategy in my classes, I have started to think about giving it another shot. I’m not sure if I actually will, but just know that if I do, I will creating videos with a lot more of a strategic approach.