3 Ways to Be a Great TikTok DJ
You’ve probably noticed that it’s trendy to post TikToks to your Instagram stories. Here’s why. At this point in the pepperoni pan pizza, there’s nothing left to say, every content stone has been upturned. Truly, we are out of things to post about. Enter TikTok. It’s a way to say something without saying or creating anything. So yeah, that’s why we’re all doing it. And you can, too!
It’s true, TikTok is dominated by the youth. But TikTok curation is where my generation, Gen X, shines. I spent my adolescence recording music videos onto VHS tapes to play for my friends at slumber parties. Did you spend hours in your teenage bedroom recording songs from the radio onto your double cassette player boombox? Great! You’re going to be a natural at this.
3 Ways to Be a Great TikTok DJ
Join TikTok.
Be patient. The TikTok algorithm takes time.
Pick 3-ish genres of Toks that best speak to you and “your brand”.
Now let’s break each of those down.
Step one, join TikTok.
It seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people tell me they wish they were on TikTok. You can be! Doesn’t TikTok steal all of your information? Probably. But you know who else steals all of your information? FACEBOOK. “But I’m too old”, you say, “I’m never going to make any TikToks, I just want to watch all the animal videos”. You can! I’ve been on TikTok for years and I’ve never made a single video. I’m just there to watch and repost to my Insta stories to remind you how funny I am.
Be patient.
TikTok is algorithm based, but unlike Instagram, it’s showing you random stuff from strangers. This happens on the “FYP” which stands for “For You Page”. As the name implies, it’s what TikTok has curated FOR YOU. I’m no Tokxpert, but here’s what I know about how the algorithm decides what to show you more of: 1) videos you watch all the way through; 2) videos you heart and/or comment on; and 3) videos you either copy the link for, or direct send via SMS.
Curate your Toks.
When I’m coaching social media clients, I tell them to pick 3-6 things that they’ll post about - things that will speak to their brand and will be easy to put into their voice.
Twitter Sidebar: Do you know why most people struggle to gain a Twitter following? They respond and react haphazardly to too many topics. If you want to gain a following on Twitter, pick 3 things that you’re going to post about and leave everything else alone. For instance, I stick to politics, primarily local, my podcast, and jokes about my cat. Sticking to your (air quotes) ‘areas of expertise’ reinforces your brand and helps your audience trust you because your content is reliable. Contrary to what we all just lived through, no one likes chaos and lashing out and responding to every dumpster fire on Twitter A) is chaotic, and B) doesn’t build trust.
It’s the same with TikTok. You’ve got to curate. I post a lot of Toks to my Insta stories and if you’re not paying close attention, it looks random. Au contraire. What you’re seeing is not random. Unfortunately for my therapist, being funny is my brand. I stick to 3 genres of Toks: 1) normcore dancing; 2) cats; and 3) depression jokes. I also pride myself on not showing you Toks that have 1M views and have already been turned into a Reel that your grandma is sharing on Facebook.
I like to share Toks that are funny to my friends who know my sense of humor; Toks that are funny to you because you understand why they’re funny to me. If the internet has taught us anything, it’s that sometimes what’s funny is funny because of who’s laughing at it. For instance, real heads know how often I watch the movie Twilight, so when I share a Twilight Tok (™️), it’s funny to my friends who know how embarrassed I am that I keep watching it and have attempted to write an essay on my fascination with Doctor Carlisle Cullen as a kind and loving Vampire Dad.
Psst, Reels
A word on Reels. Reels are what Instagram created to compete with TikTok, but unlike how Stories basically killed Snapchat, Reels are LAUGHOUTLOUD to TikTok. Reels so far have just made TikTok stronger. Instagram is so mad that they’re de-prioritizing any content shared on Insta that has the TikTok logo. So if you create a TikTok and then share it as a Reel, and it has the TikTok logo, Insta is PUNISHING YOU and not showing it to anyone. Like I said, laughoutloud.
Two quick points: 1) if you’re trying to get high engagement on Insta with Reels, make 2 different pieces of content, 1 for TikTok and 1 for Insta; and 2) Reels and dogs age in the same way. By the time you see a TikTok on a Reel, it is 7 years old in TikTok years.
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Are you a new TikTok user? Does this help? Longtime TikTok users, what have I left off? Any tips or tricks that you’ve learned? What do you wish you had known in the beginning?
P.S. If you’re looking for a Twitter 101, I wrote one! And you can read it here.
