They have gained their following and recognition through the content they create on those platforms. And it can be everything – fashion or beauty gurus, comedy sketches, or even something very random which doesn’t need special expertise, like posting your pets.
For those who watch a lot of TikToks or Reels, you might remember Khaby Lame – the guy who became famous for silently mocking overly complicated life hack videos. Can you believe he still holds the throne for the most followed person on TikTok? At this moment, Khaby has 155.8 million followers on the platform. Take this as an experiment - and at the time you’ll read this article, check his count to see if he’s still the king.
And who could forget about the YouTubers era? PewDiePie, Jeffery Star, Liza Koshy, and so on. All of them started by just posting videos of themselves and, eventually, creating a platform and a name for themselves. Some of them even moved from one platform to another. Does anyone remember the Magcon boys? They became famous overnight through Vine, and immediately afterward, they were all over the social media sphere – YouTube, X, and Instagram.
And let’s be honest - they understood and took advantage of the viral nature of social media. By leveraging each platform’s algorithm, they were able to become the pioneers in their fields, and all that by posting content that they felt represented them. In this fast-paced world, the ability to swiftly develop material that resonates with your audience is critical to success.
Just a smartphone, an internet connection, and the courage to post yourself – and you’re good to go! Most of the time, you don’t even need to put special effort into the content posted – just good timing and luck, and boom – you’re a social media celebrity!
And if you don’t believe me, think about Cindy Kimberly. Her name might not mean anything to most of us. But back in 2015, she simply uploaded a normal selfie on her Instagram – something she probably had done many times before. But quickly after, her name started being searched on the internet by thousands of people. Why? Justin Bieber posted her selfie on his own Instagram account with the caption – “Omg who is this!!”. And that’s when everything escalated because this caught the attention of many of his fans, but also of modeling agencies. And guess what? Now she’s a model with a following of over 7 million followers.
You were lucky enough to have your video become viral – congrats! Now what? You continue posting if you don’t want to have just a 15-minute window of fame. Becoming a celebrity overnight requires a great deal of luck. But creating content that keeps people coming back and doesn’t make them scroll immediately requires continuous effort. Even if your videos are only about reviewing rug cleaning videos (yes, this is my side of TikTok – don’t judge).
And remember - prioritizing quality over quantity is critical to attaining success in the long run. Instead of attempting to post as frequently as possible to gain that “viral” video or post, take your time and focus on creating each post engaging and enjoyable - something to make your audience come back for more. Also, never underestimate the power of innovation, as it can become the fine line between success and failure in the online space.
It’s not just about posting something in the hopes that Justin Bieber will notice you as well. Rather, it needs creativity, uniqueness, and overall something that has not yet been seen. Because let’s be honest – while it’s easy to become famous on social media, it’s also just as challenging since there is an entire pool of people doing the same things as you do.
