USC TikTokers develop platforms through community

Like many of us Anna Fujii downloaded Instagram in middle school. However, her account would soon surpass a typical triple digit following. Also, like many of us, she downloaded TikTok last year. But again, few have been able to make their mark on the social media world like Fujii has, most recently, on TikTok.

Several months before the coronavirus would close schools, send countries into lockdowns and bring millions to the social media app, USC seniors Brianna Seaberg and Anna Fujii joined TikTok. In January 2020, the two began creating videos on their personal accounts that would soon boast thousands of followers. 

As long-time members of USC’s social media organization “Reach” — a club that helps students connect to other influencers and brands — neither Seaberg nor Fujii were strangers to social media. Both creators held substantial followings on other platforms like Instagram, where Seaberg currently has 15,000 followers and Fujii has almost 40,000, but TikTok held unique opportunities for them with its short-form videos. On the app, Seaberg and Fujii boast over 18,000 and 695,000 followers respectively. 

Fellow Reach member and Tiktoker, Conrad Rocha, commented that Seaberg, like Fujii, was able to make a smooth transition into the newer app because of her familiarity with social media and preexisting work on other apps like Youtube.

“[Seaberg has] been doing social media since our freshman year, so I don’t think TikTok was [far] out of her range of ability; it’s right up her alley.” Rocha said, “She was making YouTube videos her freshman year, so like I think TikTok was just a really easy way to translate her already existing platform to another.”

The TikTok algorithm not only shuffles through trends but also allows newer creators and products to become popular. Both Seaberg and Fujii have taken advantage of this element of TikTok and have been able to partner with various brands to advertise their products in videos. 

“TikTok is great for promoting growth, letting people find new things and just spreading information about different products,” Fujii said. 

Seaberg began her career in TikTok when the app contacted her through USC Reach and asked her to become a brand ambassador for the University. Since then, her collaborative videos have not only promoted TikTok to USC students but also showcased other well-known brands. 

“Honestly, when I first downloaded TikTok, I don’t think I realized the effect it would have on my life,” Seaberg said. “It’s opened up so many opportunities for brand deals, partnerships. I’ve gotten to work with huge brands like Papa John’s, Kendra Scott, Amazon.” 

For both creators, what started as just another social media account turned into an opportunity to get professional work experience.

“I think every interview I’ve had for internships and jobs and freelance work, every single one asks me, ‘Tell us about your TikTok account,’” said Seaberg, who is majoring in communications. 

While Seaberg and Fujii acknowledged the skills they learned from TikTok, they also pointed out the ways their respective studies influenced how they use the app. 

Fujii, who is majoring in cinema and media studies, talked about how her formal schooling in media studies influences her videos. From implementing editing and cinematography techniques, to learning how to look at videos through the eyes of a film critic, Fujii has put lectures into practice. 

“I have become very analytical, so even when I try to watch things for fun, I can’t help critique it a little in my mind. So, it’s definitely helped me view myself as a creator,” Fujii said. 

But for these creators, TikTok isn’t just about establishing connections to the classroom, it’s about creating connections with other people. 

When Seaberg started making more videos during quarantine, she began to see questions in the comments asking how she filmed certain portions of her videos. Paying close attention to that feedback, she decided to share a video detailing the steps of her editing process. The tutorial video soon went viral, and since then, most of Seaberg’s TikToks have been teaching her followers editing techniques. Her comment section is full of not only questions for upcoming videos but also thanks from the followers she’s helped along the way. 

“So many people were like, ‘Thank you, I saw so many creators do this trend, but I didn’t know how to do it so I couldn’t do it’… I think that’s what really drew me to help others,” Seaberg said about the experience. 

On her lifestyle and fashion page, Fujii also builds relationships with her followers through what she posts and how she films it. Fujii’s comedy videos create a sense of familiarity between her and her viewers, as she talks to them like old friends and shares stories about her life. 

“Social media is all about vulnerability and authenticity so I think people like it when it’s less refined,” Fujii said. 

Rocha, a long-time friend of Fujii, attested that she is authentic with her followers, as she interacts with people on the app like she would in her normal life. 

“Obviously you can’t display your full self on social media, but I think [her in-person and online presence] lines up. If anything, Anna is even more funny and outgoing in person,” Rocha said. 

Seaberg and Fujii’s commitment to their craft has allowed them to break down the barriers between themselves and their viewers. Even though they post to thousands of followers everyday, they are able to turn that number from an audience into a community. 

“I like interaction. I love talking to people on the internet,” Fujii said. “It’s fun to make internet friends from different places and loyal followers I can recognize and converse with.”

As Seaberg puts it, “When you start getting conversations [going] you can really kind of build [a community].”