The TikTok class is in session
Those that can go viral do. And they can also teach a lesson or two while they're at it.
Taylor Loren sat in front of a camera, blue and pink lights shining behind her. From her living room to the screens of over 8,300 students, she began to explain what a "meme mentality" was. This lesson, on cultivating a relatable online image, was part of Ms. Loren's class on how to master - or even just understand - TikTok, currently the most downloaded app in the world.
Mrs. Loren, a social media strategist in Vancouver, British Columbia, teaches people how to use TikTok. If all goes well, his students might even go viral. It's part of the program. Being a star, she tells her class, requires several key skills: spotting trends, carving out a niche and, at times, playing the cultural battle between Gen Z and Millennials.
"People are realizing that this is the future of social media and they need to learn how to create video content now," said Loren, 32. "I just saw a really big opportunity."
The success of her TikTok course led Ms. Loren to come up with a new course on Reels, the short video competitor of Meta. Her 2019 Instagram lessons, she said, no longer applied to the platform.
For a social media platform that values authenticity so much that 'she's a bit unfiltered when talking to a camera is enough to go viral, the how-TikTok-like-a-natural industry is booming. Forget learning how to film for YouTube or building your Instagram feed. TikTok is now so big that people are paying to be good at it - and instructor-influencers say that, for a fee, they can teach that.
These courses generally fall into three categories: how to navigate TikTok, how to create videos for the app, and how to make money from it. TikTok's highly personalized algorithm — which recommends videos based on how people interact with the content, rather than how much a creator has already followed — has made more people go viral. As a result, influencers new and old are leveraging their moments of glory into another revenue stream and selling courses to people hoping to reach similar heights.
For some instructors, these courses are a way to make money from their expertise on a platform without using the platform itself. With TikTok, apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat pay people based on the engagement their content receives. But teaching content creation courses means sometimes more reliable income than sharing more posts or ads.
"You can get money for your videos, but it's a very small amount,” said Karen Jordan, a toy design student from Menifee, Calif. She has more than 1.4 million followers on TikTok, where she shares videos featuring a cartoon version of herself, but they don't always translate into money.
Those that can go viral do. And they can also teach a lesson or two while they're at it.
Taylor Loren sat in front of a camera, blue and pink lights shining behind her. From her living room to the screens of over 8,300 students, she began to explain what a "meme mentality" was. This lesson, on cultivating a relatable online image, was part of Ms. Loren's class on how to master - or even just understand - TikTok, currently the most downloaded app in the world.
Mrs. Loren, a social media strategist in Vancouver, British Columbia, teaches people how to use TikTok. If all goes well, his students might even go viral. It's part of the program. Being a star, she tells her class, requires several key skills: spotting trends, carving out a niche and, at times, playing the cultural battle between Gen Z and Millennials.
"People are realizing that this is the future of social media and they need to learn how to create video content now," said Loren, 32. "I just saw a really big opportunity."
The success of her TikTok course led Ms. Loren to come up with a new course on Reels, the short video competitor of Meta. Her 2019 Instagram lessons, she said, no longer applied to the platform.
For a social media platform that values authenticity so much that 'she's a bit unfiltered when talking to a camera is enough to go viral, the how-TikTok-like-a-natural industry is booming. Forget learning how to film for YouTube or building your Instagram feed. TikTok is now so big that people are paying to be good at it - and instructor-influencers say that, for a fee, they can teach that.
These courses generally fall into three categories: how to navigate TikTok, how to create videos for the app, and how to make money from it. TikTok's highly personalized algorithm — which recommends videos based on how people interact with the content, rather than how much a creator has already followed — has made more people go viral. As a result, influencers new and old are leveraging their moments of glory into another revenue stream and selling courses to people hoping to reach similar heights.
For some instructors, these courses are a way to make money from their expertise on a platform without using the platform itself. With TikTok, apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat pay people based on the engagement their content receives. But teaching content creation courses means sometimes more reliable income than sharing more posts or ads.
"You can get money for your videos, but it's a very small amount,” said Karen Jordan, a toy design student from Menifee, Calif. She has more than 1.4 million followers on TikTok, where she shares videos featuring a cartoon version of herself, but they don't always translate into money.
What's Your Reaction?
