Apps
Quit the day job to become a full-time TikTok star? Survey says yes
Experts seem to think that once The Great Resignation is over, things will start to go back to normal and all of these new TikTok celebrities will go back to their normal 9 to 5 jobs
Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.
TikTok started out as a joke for a lot of people. Once we got past the data leak scandal, people started downloading the app as a joke or as a way to pass the time. In the last year or two, especially with people stuck inside throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it has exploded into a global phenomenon, with people creating personas, following trends, building communities, and — making money?
Believe it or not, a growing number of people are making money, even supporting themselves, with the content they create on TikTok. In the midst of The Great Resignation, why are so many people turning to TikTok, and how is it becoming a lucrative way to turn a profit?
One in Ten Consider Full-Time Social Media Roles
A trend is emerging among some European demographics. According to a Morgan Stanley poll, which surveyed 12,500 people, roughly one out of every 10 people in Europe is considering quitting their jobs within the next six months and going full-time on TikTok or other social media, creating content for their fans.
This trend is currently most popular among millennials, especially those who work in white-collar jobs such as IT or finance and those making less than €40,000 a year, though it appears that members of Gen Z are also beginning to share those ambitions. Some may blame it on the COVID-19 pandemic. Others may buy into the media narrative of the flaky and irresponsible millennial, but there’s a deeper reasoning behind this social media exodus.
Chasing the Great Resignation
In what has been dubbed The Great Resignation, people — especially those belonging to the younger generations — are quitting their jobs. As of September 2021, more than 4.4 million people have quit their jobs. Experts have discovered that most of the people who are quitting are mid-career employees, rather than entry-level workers, and most are people between 30 and 45 years of age.
There are lots of different reasons why people have been quitting more often recently. Some blame it on the pandemic. After nearly two years of masking, social distancing, vaccines, and conspiracy theories, people are burnt out.
The popular media rhetoric is that millennials “just don’t want to work,” but when you consider that this particular demographic has spent most of the pandemic overworked and underpaid, with little to no chance to create a healthy work-life balance, they’re just done.
They’ve scraped and saved and done everything they’re supposed to, and they’re done working themselves to death for companies that would have a Help Wanted ad in the paper before they’ve even packed up their locker or desk. TikTok gives people an outlet and a sense of community, and if they can use it to make a bit of money on the side, so much the better.
So are the former employers themselves to blame for this TikTok migration? It would appear so. Many employees are tired of working for companies that don’t openly care about their workers and building connection between them. And the numbers are staggering — today, one in every three employees feels disconnected from their company’s leadership, and 95% of employees don’t know what their company’s strategy even is.
When you compare these stats to a platform with 1 billion monthly active users just waiting to engage with you and your content, is it any wonder today’s employees are scrambling to take their claim to TikTok fame?
Thriving on TikTok
What does it take to turn a hobby on TikTok into a full-time career? Enforce Social shares a few tips if this is something you’ve considered yourself.
Pick a Niche
What do you know? Are you a writer trying to find fans? A reader looking for new book recommendations? A doctor offering unofficial medical advice? A financial expert with tips for creating the perfect budget? Is a makeup artist capable of transforming themselves into fantastic creatures? Whatever your expertise, there is a niche waiting for you. Find it and stick to it.
Follow the Trends
Trends come and go on TikTok, but if you catch one at the right time and go viral, it can change your entire outlook.
Engage Your Audience
Likes are great. Comments are better. Engage with your audience as much as you’re able.
Network With Other Creators
There are plenty of creators out there who are always looking for ways to boost their own brand by working with others. Create a network.
Use That Block Button
It’s the internet — there will always be haters and trolls. Don’t hesitate to police your comment section and use that block button whenever you feel the need.
Use Your Hashtags
Sometimes hashtags work, sometimes they don’t. Pay attention and follow the trends.
Promote Intelligently
TikTok does provide the option for paid promotion, but don’t overdo it. Spamming your way onto people’s For You Page is a great way to get blocked, which is the opposite of what you’re trying to do.
Challenge Your Audience
Challenges are a great way to engage your audience and have a bit of fun. Come up with something unique, create your audio, and watch the internet run away with it.
Have Fun With It
Most importantly, have fun. There’s no point in putting in the effort to build a Tiktok following if you’re not having fun with it.
Looking Forward
Experts seem to think that once The Great Resignation is over, things will start to go back to normal and all of these new TikTok celebrities will go back to their normal 9 to 5 jobs — but don’t be so sure. This phenomenon could represent the beginning of a paradigm shift that will shake the working world as we know it right to its core.
Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.
Editors’ Recommendations:
Follow us on Flipboard, Google News, or Apple News
