In Growth We Trust: Marketing | Growth | Startups

🔮 How To Go Viral On TikTok? Editing Tips and Day-Trading Attention w/ Edward Sturm, Viral Marketer @build_in_public on TikTok

Tue Nov 21 2023

marketinggrowth hackingTikTokcontent creationpodcasting

Description

In a noisy and complicated world, it is important for companies to be clear about what they want people to know about them. The guest on the podcast is an interesting person who is known for their growth marketing and viral marketing content on YouTube. They transitioned into tech and learned search engine optimization (SEO), which they believe is the best marketing channel. Despite being successful, their project did not reach the same level as Axie Infinity, a three billion dollar project that took inspiration from their work. The speaker started using TikTok to build a media presence and gained 68,000 followers. They used their TikTok audience to launch a podcast.

Insights

Consistency is Key

Consistently creating content, even if it's not perfect, can lead to growth and improvement over time.

Reposting Content for Growth

Reusing successful content on different platforms, such as Instagram Reels, can help reach a wider audience and generate revenue.

Building a Presence on TikTok

TikTok offers opportunities for growth in niche markets, such as marketing and growth hacking, with less competition compared to other platforms.

Creating Engaging Videos

The energy and delivery of a video are just as important as the content itself. Tools like Descript and D script AI can enhance video editing and engagement.

Consistency in Content Creation

Treating content creation as a job and maintaining consistency can lead to significant rewards and audience growth.

Maximizing TikTok's Potential

Posting frequently on TikTok, finding good hooks, and leveraging the platform's distribution can lead to viral success and audience growth.

Podcasting Challenges

Podcasts have poor natural distribution, but they offer a deep connection with listeners. Growing a podcast requires consistent effort and learning from analytics.

Expanding Content Creation

Considering new platforms like TikTok and exploring different content formats can help reach a larger audience and create engaging content.

Summary

Transcript

The Importance of Clear Communication

00:10 - 07:07

In a noisy and complicated world, it is important for companies to be clear about what they want people to know about them.

Transition from Nightclubs to Tech

00:10 - 07:07

The guest on the podcast is an interesting person who is known for their growth marketing and viral marketing content on YouTube.
The guest was an early viral video producer on YouTube and also worked in New York City nightclubs.
They transitioned into tech and learned search engine optimization (SEO), which they believe is the best marketing channel.
A mentor introduced them to crypto, and they became involved in the blockchain community, creating the first video game in crypto called World of Ether.
Despite being successful, their project did not reach the same level as Axie Infinity, a three billion dollar project that took inspiration from their work.

Using TikTok for Growth

06:49 - 13:08

The guest has been traveling for the past five years and has started various projects along the way.
They started using TikTok after discovering a hack to get on podcasts as a guest. This led to positive feedback from hosts, encouraging them to start their own show or join TikTok.
They decided to try TikTok because of its built-in distribution compared to podcasts.
The speaker started using TikTok to build a media presence and gained 68,000 followers.
They used their TikTok audience to launch a podcast.
The speaker found a tool called reusevideo.com that allows them to share their TikToks simultaneously on other platforms without the TikTok watermark.
They became the biggest power user and affiliate of reusevideo.com.
The speaker started posting videos on Instagram at the same time as TikTok, but it took months before they gained traction.
After a viral video on Instagram, they directed all their friends to their new Instagram account.
The speaker attended an event where someone recognized them from their newsletters and praised their growth hack newsletter.

Reposting Content for Growth

12:54 - 19:36

The speaker runs Instagram accounts for famous athletes and discovered that reposting content that performs well is a key strategy for growth.
They initially didn't try reposting their own viral videos from TikTok on Instagram, but after running a test, they found success by reposting with a new description and hashtags.
By reusing videos on Instagram's Reels section, the speaker was able to achieve millions of views and generate affiliate revenue.
Reposted videos only appear in the discover section and Reels, so existing followers are not spammed.
The speaker shares their method of automatically backing up videos to Google Drive and downloading them without watermarks before posting on Instagram.
They have seen significant growth in views on Instagram by reusing videos, with some reaching several hundred thousand views.
The speaker emphasizes the compounding effect of audience growth and learning over time, encouraging others to pursue fame in their chosen field.
They share an anecdote about meeting a popular Persian chef on TikTok who started with 10,000 followers after one year and grew to 600,000 followers on TikTok and 400,000 on Instagram.
The speaker reflects on their own journey of starting from scratch after years of traveling and not actively promoting themselves on social media until recently when they began appearing on podcasts.

Building a Presence on TikTok

19:15 - 26:26

The speaker wanted to get backlinks for their project, Commit Club, so they started going on podcasts and gained popularity.
They acknowledge that fame can be challenging but are curious to see if they can handle it.
The speaker finds excitement in viral videos and the validation of converting viewers into users.
They explain how they chose to build a presence on TikTok because there was less competition in the "building public" niche.
Despite initial challenges, the speaker now ranks number one when searching for "building public" on TikTok.
There is an audience on TikTok interested in marketing and growth content, as evidenced by successful entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts on the platform.
The speaker enjoys building a library of valuable content around growth hacking and marketing while gaining traction themselves.
They discuss monetization opportunities, such as selling courses or doing a crowd fund for a SaaS startup where their audience becomes shareholders.

Creating Content Consistently

26:06 - 32:47

The speaker discusses the idea of doing a crowd fund for a SaaS startup and building it in public, where the audience becomes shareholders and learns from the process.
There are no specific examples mentioned of people who have done this before.
The speaker highlights the importance of consistency in content creation, citing their own experience of posting videos on TikTok every day for over a year.
They mention that coming up with growth hacks and video ideas is mostly done off the cuff, although they have a general mission statement for their content.
An example is given of how they made a video about site maps on Google Search Console in just 15 minutes at a cafe in Poland.
The speaker acknowledges that not all their videos will be great, but by doing them every day, they believe they will improve over time.
They draw inspiration from Mr Beast, who left his early YouTube videos up to show his progression as a creator.
The speaker mentions having developed an efficient workflow for creating videos quickly.
They discuss two approaches to scripting: either writing a script or recording spontaneously and finding a good hook during editing.
The speaker uses an iPhone 8 and a 2014 MacBook Pro to create content, emphasizing that there are no excuses for not starting.

Tips for Content Creation

32:18 - 38:51

The speaker built their audience on TikTok and their podcast using an iPhone 8 and a 2014 MacBook Pro.
They recommend shooting videos on the front-facing camera for better quality.
The fastest and easiest way to start making videos is to shoot, edit, add captions, and music in TikTok.
Consistency is important, even if it's just 10 minutes a day.
The speaker encourages others to keep making videos every day for a year.
Despite being sick with a stomach virus, the speaker still posted a TikTok video.
They haven't missed a single day of posting videos or recording podcasts.
Editing the podcast themselves takes around 30 minutes to an hour, sometimes longer if they get in the flow.
Treating content creation as a job has led to tremendous rewards for the speaker.
Even with full-time jobs or other commitments, there are no excuses not to make videos or record podcasts.

Improving Video Quality and Editing

38:33 - 45:36

Making videos with high quality scores on social media platforms can help improve personal brand visibility.
The energy and delivery of a video are just as important, if not more important, than the content itself.
It is better to consistently create content, even if it's not perfect, rather than no content at all.
Using tools like Descript can streamline the video editing process by removing gaps between words and adding captions.
Descript may introduce clipping technologies in the future to automate the creation of clips from podcast episodes.
Suggestions for improvement include an AI feature that automatically edits out bad takes and recognizes good hooks in videos.

Enhancing Videos with D script AI

45:06 - 52:26

D script AI has the potential to edit existing scripts and make them more engaging by rearranging sentences.
The speaker had a positive experience with D script and was able to connect with the software engineer team through Twitter.
Using D script, creators can make their TikTok videos more engaging by recording rants, removing gaps between words, and adding captions without music.
The script can identify good hooks in a video and suggest where it should start for maximum impact.
A good hook is crucial for viral success on TikTok, even with average content.
The speaker has improved at finding hooks over time due to frequent posting on TikTok.
Initially, the speaker posted three to four times a day for two months before going viral on January 7th.
The speaker's friend started making TikTok videos but took longer to produce one compared to the speaker who made seven videos during that time. One of those videos went viral and gained millions of views on both TikTok and Instagram.
Currently, the speaker posts one video per day but may consider going back to posting twice a day once they have stability in their new apartment.

Expanding Content Creation on TikTok

52:10 - 57:39

The speaker is considering signing a lease for an apartment and plans to post more videos on TikTok once they have stability.
They mention a TikTok influencer named Riley Brown who posts multiple times a day and has a large following.
The speaker expresses their love for TikTok and how easy it is for them to create content on the platform.
They discuss launching a podcast and compare its distribution to that of TikTok, noting that podcasts have poor natural distribution.
Looking at podcast analytics daily can be demoralizing, unlike TikTok where performance can be learned from.
The speaker mentions learning from launch days and trying to measure if guests with bigger followings attract more listeners.
They acknowledge that looking at analytics can be ego-boosting but also lead to disappointment when expectations aren't met.
The speaker agrees with David Senra's view that podcasts offer a deep connection with listeners but acknowledges the difficulty of growing a podcast.
A media buyer advises not giving up on podcasting and mentions Bobbie Alt-Huff as someone who successfully grew her podcast in four months.