Buzz
If you’ve been out of the loop, TikTok has emerged as a dominant force in social media. Whether you’re an avid user, a casual scroller, or someone curious about joining, there are numerous myths about how TikTok works and who its audience is—let’s set the record straight.
TikTok is exclusively for Gen Z
Although TikTok initially attracted a younger crowd, it’s no longer just for teenagers. What began in 2016 as a Chinese platform for music and dance has exploded into one of the world’s fastest-growing social media giants. Statista reports that over half of TikTok’s users are over 30, with 20% aged 40-49. From 55 million global users in January 2018, TikTok became the most downloaded app in 2020, and by September 2021, it boasted one billion active users worldwide. With such explosive growth, TikTok is a platform no one—regardless of age—should overlook if they have something to share, create, or promote.
TikTok is only for dancing and lip-syncing
Not true. While it began that way after ByteDance merged with Musical.ly in 2017, TikTok has evolved into a platform for all kinds of content. From storytelling and ASMR to home decor and comedy sketches, the possibilities are endless. You can follow—or become—an elderly advice guru, a trauma counselor, a fitness coach, a snack enthusiast, a soccer mom, a humorous married duo, or even a fortune-telling dog with shaky legs. (Okay, you can’t actually be the dog.) Can you still dance and lip-sync? Absolutely. But it’s not a requirement. These activities are just a small part of TikTok’s vast, diverse community, where authenticity, knowledge, and emotional connection thrive.
You need to be attractive to succeed
Incorrect. While some attractive individuals gain massive views by syncing their facial expressions to music or making playful gestures, many ordinary people amass large followings through comedy, cooking, dance routines, adorable pets, or by sharing parenting, mental health, marketing, and life advice—or simply by discussing everyday topics in a captivating way. On TikTok, success isn’t about looks; it’s about talent, expertise, and being relatable.
You’ll gain your first 1,000 followers in X weeks
Anyone claiming to predict how quickly you’ll gain followers is mistaken. There’s no universal timeline. Some accounts struggle to surpass a few dozen followers, while others skyrocket to hundreds of thousands in days. Many creators, despite posting consistently high-quality content, may see little growth initially before experiencing sudden bursts of virality. The key takeaway? Don’t stress over your follower count—growth happens at different rates for everyone.
Your initial videos dictate your page’s success
Not entirely true, but there’s a nuance. Many creators whose early videos underperform eventually achieve success. That said, TikTok’s algorithm might give new accounts a slight boost since there’s no history of poor performance. But if your first posts only get 25 views, don’t panic. Every video is a new opportunity to go viral.
“TikTok shadow-banned me”
Possibly, but unlikely. Fluctuating views are normal on TikTok—you might hit a million views one day and barely scrape a few thousand the next. Creators often blame “shadow-banning” for their content being hidden from the For You Page (FYP) or their followers, leading to fewer views. (The term “shadow” implies this happens without notification.) While this can occur if you breach TikTok’s Community Guidelines or appear spammy (e.g., rapid liking or following), many creators mistakenly claim shadow-banning when their content simply isn’t resonating. It’s not a ban—it’s a call to improve your content.
Joining the Creator Fund will reduce your views
The Creator Fund is TikTok’s initiative to “celebrate and support creators for their creativity, effort, and passion” by offering monetary rewards. However, the payouts are modest unless your videos consistently attract hundreds of thousands of views. When the Fund launched in 2020, many creators reported a drop in views after joining, but this is purely coincidental. According to TikTok, “any declines in video views are due to natural in-app fluctuations.” Personally, after joining the Fund with some hesitation, my views and followers actually increased. The algorithm is unpredictable, and views can surge or dip unexpectedly. Ultimately, the key factor remains the quality of your content.
You must produce professional-grade videos
Kris Collins (@kallmekris), a Canadian comedian with 38.5 million followers, once shared her “process,” which involved placing her phone on a windowsill with good lighting and hitting record. While high-quality videos using professional gear or editing tools can enhance your content, they’re not essential. The TikTok app itself allows creators to record, edit, add music, captions, filters, and effects. While dark or blurry videos aren’t ideal, countless creators thrive using just a $40 ring light and their smartphone.
Hashtags are useless
Incorrect. Hashtags enhance your content’s discoverability and assist the algorithm in identifying your target audience. Incorporating three to five niche-specific hashtags (e.g., #cleaningtok, #momlife, #inspiration, #hiking) helps TikTok categorize your video and boosts its visibility in relevant searches. While it’s possible to succeed without hashtags—especially with outstanding, broadly appealing content—they’re invaluable for beginners or those aiming to grow. As your audience expands, hashtags become less critical.
However, use trending hashtags cautiously unless they fit your content. They might increase views but won’t connect you with your specific audience. And avoid #fyp and its variants—they’re ineffective.
You should remove underperforming videos
No. TikTok operates on delayed virality, meaning videos can gain traction days, weeks, or even months after posting. I was shocked when a forgotten video from weeks earlier suddenly exploded, jumping from 5,000 views to over two million in days. Why it went viral then remains a mystery, but deleting it would have cost me a massive new following. Instead of deleting, set videos to private if they no longer fit your niche or personal brand.
View-to-like ratios dictate your video’s success
Incorrect. A common misconception is that a video with 1,000 views and 300 likes is guaranteed to succeed. However, this isn’t always the case. Factors like comments, shares, and watch time matter too. TikTok’s algorithm (which frequently changes) prioritizes watch time and completion rates over other metrics. High engagement, such as comments and shares, also influences performance. The likes-to-views ratio is just one aspect. TikTok aims for viewers to complete videos, so it’s wise to keep them short (under 15 seconds) until your audience trusts your content enough to watch longer videos.
If you’re considering becoming a creator, here are some tips to help you get started.
