TikTok is what I envision hell to be.
No flames or horned devils. Just endless posts from TikTok shop affiliates and how to grow and make $20k a month selling shit on TikTok. And the occasional thirst trap.
But…It hasn’t been all hell.
I’ve learned a lot. Made a few new friends (hey Marijana!) from unique places (Serbia). And slowly refined my ability to create videos.
Before I share my learnings, I need to confess something:
I vowed to NEVER go on TikTok.
I spoke to Chris Roche on my podcast in 2021 when he told me to get on TikTok. It took me 2 years to take his advice. And was I stupid for that.
Why? I stunted my growth as a marketer because I missed THE shift.
What’s the shift? Going from follower-led to interest-led algorithms.
Gary Vaynerchuk calls this the TieTokification of Social Media in his book, Day Trading Attention:
"The shift is clear—on platforms like Facebook, you connect with friends and family. On TikTok, the algorithm serves you content based on your interests, regardless of who created it."
This is one of the main shifts I've observed over my first few months on TikTok—from LinkedIn, a platform built on social relationships, to one centered on shared interests.
Posting daily on TikTok has been an exercise in understanding how content can reach beyond those who know you. The algorithm doesn’t care how many followers you have. It only cares about how well your video holds attention. And that’s a radical departure from old social media.
And then, others revolt against this, like Jay Acunzo:
Facebook may have turned social media into a corporate arms race, but TikTok went nuclear. “Mutually assured destruction? We’re in!”
Here’s to slow media. Podcasts, newsletters, books, niche communities and memberships.
RIP, social media. You were fun while you lasted.
Also you weren’t that fun.
Sorry Jay, you’re wrong (he’s right that it’s not been that much fun)
While I love 90% of what he says, I can’t help but see how Jay and many others are using fear to dismiss the future. Myself included, until I jumped into the TikTok pond.
Sure, there are things I don’t enjoy about interest-led algorithms. But if it’s here, we must adapt.
The first thing TikTok showed me is the risk adverse state of marketing.
So many of my peers don’t give TikTok, vertical videos, or short content a chance.