We are all in for a treat! This week we spoke to Kalani Smith (ghost hunter), who has a following of 1.9 million on TikTok, 62.3 thousand on Instagram, and 14 thousand on Youtube. He shared his journey and what he’s learning to become a marketer for his brand through social media.
Can you still become TikTok famous?
Yes! This month, Kalani hits his first year of doing TikTok, and he’s proving that you can still gain an organic following fast. When Kalani was eleven years old, he encountered a paranormal little drummer boy in the fields of Tennessee; from that
experience, he was hooked on everything paranormal. Kalani was a photographer with five years of experience, which led to videography, and from this background, he decided to start TikTok focusing on his passion for ghost hunting.
How to make it profitable
When Kalani hit 10k followers, he decided that it was time to quit his day job and become a full-time TikToker. He said, “I decided to go all-in, and it was a scary choice, but I knew I would either make it or fail.” With his following, he’s able to make money from Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok for his content.
Other ways to make money:
- Selling Merchandise
- Receiving Donations from Subscribers
- Ads
(Kalani sees his engagement drop a lot when he’s advertising. He’s learned not to make it all about the ad because it comes off as ingenuine.)
Good is better than perfect
You don’t need a crazy expensive camera to get quality videos. Of course, Kalani does have his fancy cameras, but he shared with us that his number one virtual video was recorded on an iPhone. He said, “Youtube is where the quality of the video matters because everyone uses professional cameras. But in TikTok, it’s a 15-second video.” Kalani posts about 5-6 times a day which requires him to meet in the middle-focusing on quality but not putting an over-emphasis on perfection.
Now that you know it’s possible, start posting. 👌🏼