Getting that TikTok 1000

Just over three months ago, I gave in and made a TikTok account. I’m a slow adapter—I barely use Twitter (even before the chaos there) and never really settled into Insta, so I had little hope for this app overrun by Gen Z.

Luckily, the Booktok side is more diverse, so I’m not the oldest one there, yay! But I was not good at it. I haplessly attempted random videos to get views and the illusive 1k followers so I could get a link in my bio. I never thought I’d see the day. But here I am, just over 60 days in and I reached that this morning, and most are readers or fellow indie authors, with only a handful being spammy randos.
If I can do it, so can you. Seriously.

1- Make those silly, lip-sync videos*. Yes, really. They seem ridiculous at first, but get creative in connecting them to your genre/niche and they get fun fast. I’m not great at them, but they are a great way to connect with people. Just do it. Also, make one of those (literally) begging for follows ones, pin it and wait. That one video got me 150 follows. (*note, you can do these without being on camera, you just get creative about it)

2- Be consistent. I don’t think you have to be consistent in video type. I mix up the fun ones with page-flip ones to keep my books out in front of people. But you need to POST consistently. I do 2 videos a day, one fun, one flip. Shoot a bunch of fun ones all at once, you don’t have to make a video every day.

3- Interact! Posting and running will get you nowhere. Spend a bit of time each day watching/hearting/commenting on videos in your top hashtags. This is your community. Find them, make friends, and have fun. Indie publishing is not being at war with other indies; team up, make connections, and work together. 
I know my whole 1k followers aren’t much, and I’m still working my way out of the 200-300 view trenches, but it is the start. I can link my books on my bio now, making it easier to convert sales.

Am I an expert, far from it—I am a TT beginner and I got there. These are really simple, even bare-minimum, tips that anyone can do. Go forth and get those followers!

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