My name is Stacey, I’m a Millenial(ish), and I’m addicted to TikTok. When I first told my friends and family I joined, they told me I was too old for TikTok. We joked about how ridiculous our older Millenial friends looked doing the savage dance. You know what I’m talking about – your friends who share their TikToks to Instagram and other platforms.

@poshinprogressHi 👋 to all my new friends 🤗. ##newtotiktok ##tiktokmom ##momsoftiktok ##tiktokmoms ##momcheck ##momoftiktok ##momsover30 ##ritika♬ original sound – _ritikaaaa

I promised my friends I’d never do TikTok dances (which felt like a safe promise since I’m actually a pretty awful dancer). I also told them I would not share my videos to Instagram. We agreed it was very annoying. We told each other if we wanted to see TikToks, we’d download that app.

If you think you are too old for TikTok, I’m here to tell you you’re wrong, and here’s why.

Why Join TikTok

It’s been two months since I downloaded TikTok, and I broke every one of those promises I made to my friends. Oops! I had no intention of taking TikTok seriously. But, then I saw some of my blogger friends not only have tons of fun on the app, but also starting to get paid gigs. Several of the influencer networks I regularly work with also started offering paid TikTok campaigns. That’s when I realized it was time I tried it for myself.

The main reason I would tell most people to join TikTok is simple. It is plain fun! The majority of the videos are fun, silly, smart, creative, cool, you name it. There are a lot of educational videos too. I’ve learned new things about travel, recipes/cooking/baking, psychology, fashion, beauty, you name it. Now, I do not take all of these videos are fact. But, I do think they give me new things to think about and consider. I also laugh constantly when I’m scrolling through the videos. There are so many funny videos, creative videos, beautiful videos.

@poshinprogressBaby girl tiktoking with me 😍##nofacenocasechallenge ##nofacechallenge ##nofacetransition ##nofacenocase ##plussizefashion ##curvy ##thick ##mommydaughter♬ No Face No Case – Vinny West

I also love that TikTok shows you a bunch of different users that you probably wouldn’t find on your own. Like on Instagram, you have to visit the explore page to find new accounts. On TikTok, based on your search and like history, it shows you new videos. I actually have found so many interesting accounts and people through TikTok, including my new friend Ky, who’s videos always make me smile.

How To Use TikTok

There are really three ways to use TikTok. You can be a creator, you can be a consumer of content, or you can do both. I personally do both, but I know a lot of people who only consume content. Quite a lot of my followers have never made a video. They simply use the platform to view others’ content. In this way, I think of TikTok a lot like YouTube. I do personally have a YouTube page and some videos, but I mostly use YouTube to consume content. The exact same can be said for TikTok.

@poshinprogressHad to try this recipe sound bite. These cookies are yum! ##cookies ##cookierecipe ##easyrecipe ##quickrecipe ##cookinghacks♬ original sound – everydaychiffon

If you are going to create videos on TikTok, then I would suggest you also be a consumer. There are a few reasons for that. First, if you follow people and check out your FYP (for you page), then you’ll see what’s popular and what’s trending. That way, you can join in the trends and be a part of the TikTok Community.

Why TikTok is The Best Social Media Platform

I love TikTok more than any other platform for a few reasons. First, it is so fun! I do not think people take themselves seriously on TikTok like they do on Facebook and Instagram. TikTok, people are silly, they have fun, and it all feels way more authentic. I personally have done silly things on TikTok that I would never think to post on Instagram (like the Rockstar dance). If people follow me on other platforms, I think they’d be surprised to see how much more of my personality you can see on TikTok. Perhaps that’s just my impression, but that’s how I feel. I personally also love TikTok because I feel way more creative. The in-app features to create videos are really high-level and fun. 

I also think TikTok is a lot nicer than some of the other platforms. The vast majority of people on the app are very kind and supportive, even to complete strangers. There are still some trolls, but generally, I’ve found the app to be so friendly and I’ve met a lot of fun people and content creators I hadn’t previously found on Instagram, through the app.

Another thing I love about TikTok is that I think it helps me stay in touch with the younger generation and also be more aware of trends. It definitely seems like the place where trends are starting, so it’s good to be in touch with that as well. For my day job, I work with college-aged kids, so I also think it’s useful that I know what’s cool among the younger generation.

What TikTok Videos To Create

@poshinprogressMakeup is fun. 💋 ##makeuptransformation ##thepowerofmakeup ##makeupchallenge ##makeupcheck♬ eat.my.dirt made this audio – eat.my.dirt

The types of videos you create are totally up to you. I know that some people have suggested you ‘choose a lane’ on TikTok and only create one type of video – such as travel, food, fashion, beauty. I get it – I do understand that recommendation. However, I’ve never followed that rule on any of my social media sites or on my blog, so I’m not going to do it on TikTok either. I do understand why people suggest choosing one lane. It does help you to grow faster because people understand your vibe and what types of videos to expect from you. However, I choose to do several things (fashion, beauty, food, travel) because I like all of those things and those are also the themes of my blog. Ironically, I’ve had several food, fashion and beauty posts do well (over 10K views), so I’m happy with my plan thus far. Honestly, I’m just having fun creating videos, so I’m going to do what feels fun and right for me and not listen to others too much.

If you’re not sure what types of videos to create, I’d highly suggest you follow trends. Watch your FYP and see what people are doing. Use one of their audio clips and copy what they do. The cool thing about TikTok is that you don’t have to come up with every original idea – it is encouraged to use other peoples’ audio and ideas – as long as you give them credit for it.

How to Do The TikTok Vogue Challenge

@poshinprogressLove this challenge! Which cover is your fav? ##voguechallenge ##voguecover ##voguecoverchallenge ##vogue♬ Gimme clout pls – i.i.i.i.i.il

One example of a video I created recently that was following a trend is the Vogue Challenge. The Vogue Challenge is simple. You take some of your favorite photographs and you add the Vogue logo so it looks like a magazine cover. It’s a fun way to show off some of your favorite photos and also participate in a fun TikTok Challenge at the same time.

Why Older Influencers Should Use TikTok

If you’re over 30 and feel strange being on TikTok, don’t be! I promise it’s a ton of fun. There are plenty of older people on TikTok. I’ve seen people in their 50s and 60s using TikTok. It’s just a matter of time before the TikTok audience aligns with your audience demographic. Not to mention, it’s not a bad thing to also have younger followers too. 

Another major reason that older influencers should use TikTok is that many brands are starting to use it and I have a feeling it is going to be the next big platform for influencer marketing. Sure, Instagram is still the current gold standard, but I wanted to jump on the TikTok trend while it was still fairly new so I could be a fairly early adopter and be sure that I was also in tune with what brands are looking for. I’ve already had my first paid campaign on TikTok, and I have a feeling there will be more to come.

Overall, I do not think there is an age limit for TikTok. I do think it can be for everyone. There are over 500 million users, and I bet you will find people with whom you can relate, content you will enjoy, and videos that will make you laugh. Give it a try and let me know what you think!