3 things no one tells you about starting your first TikTok

TikTok has grown significantly since it first launched, and these days everyone wants to know how they can turn making videos on their phone into a brand.

There is a lot of advice out there about how to start, grow, and monetize your content on TikTok and across social media. But there are some things most advice-givers won't tell you. But I will.

1. If you try to go viral, you're never going to make it

There are benefits to following trends, posting often, and making high-quality content to the best of your ability. But one huge mistake people tend to make when first starting out on TikTok is immediately hitting the ground running trying to go viral.

That's a quick and easy way to burn out and stop posting altogether. Slow and steady is the way to go. Try to post as often as you can as you figure out the kinds of content you enjoy making, then go from there.

2. What makes you unique isn't a mystery

If you have ever watched a popular TikTok account and wondered, "What do they have that I don't?", you're asking the wrong question. It's not about what someone else has that you do not have. It's about something you have that others don't.

Whether that's a specific talent or interest, hobby or aesthetic, something about you is unique -- unique enough to capture the attention of total strangers on the internet (ideally in a positive way).

3. Anyone really can do it

It may seem as though everything that could make someone popular on TikTok has already been done. But remember those things discussed above that might make you wholly unique? Those things are what will set you apart enough to generate and maintain an audience.

You may not be able to do makeup tutorials or bake sourdough bread or share pet care advice. But there is a type of content that you can make that can make you successful on social media. You might just have to try some things out to see what works.