TikTok, the Chinese video-sharing social network that was nearly banned by President Donald Trump, became a hot sensation in the summer of 2020 during the dog days of the pandemic.
Cooks, bartenders, comedians, and small business owners were some of the many savvy entrepreneurs who quickly found an audience. Likewise, top brands discovered they could tap into an entirely new audience through the fast-paced video-sharing platform.
The result was one straight from a fairy tale: People who were certain they were bound to fall made it out alive. And what’s best, many came out with a ton of money in their pockets.
From Ashes to Glory
As reported by InsideHook.com, the service industry could lose up to $240 billion as several states enter another round of lockdowns, a loss that might lead to eight million layoffs and furloughs by the end of 2020. Instead of waiting for the money to dry up, tech-savvy bartenders realized they could use their time more productively.
On TikTok, food and beverage recipe content is quickly becoming one of the most popular categories, and TikTokers who can no longer make use of their bartending skills in real-life are finding that their cocktail recipes are garnering plenty of views.
As they explored their talents on the small screen, they realized their success had become a valuable asset.
Through partnerships with brands, many of which are facilitated by TikTok itself through its creator fund, these online sensations are creating their own successful venture. In the age of self-sufficiency, those who are willing to share their skills are finding a new way to thrive.
But the popular Chinese video platform isn’t just benefiting the un- and under-employed members of the service industry. Small business owners who nearly lost everything because of the lockdowns also found a way to thrive thanks to the app.
Even before COVID was declared a pandemic, she had already noticed that orders had started to dry up. But when California Gov. Gavin Newsom locked the state down, things took a turn for the worse.
Turning to TikTok, she and her brother turned their small shop into a real Candyland, filming themselves guzzling gummy bears and opening jelly candies using nothing but their mouths. Needless to say, they survived the government-made depression.
Unlike Causey, British chef Poppy O’Toole didn’t have a shop to fight for when the lockdowns ruined business after business in the United Kingdom. However, she did lose her job as a chef in a Michelin-starred restaurant.
Due to the lack of opportunities, O’Toole went home to live with her parents. That’s where her younger siblings introduced her to TikTok.
After posting some simple recipe videos, the 26-year-old chef became a sensation. But it wasn’t until she posted her version of McDonald’s famous hashbrowns that her success got big brands to notice her.
O’Toole recently wrote in Newsweek that she feels terrible about all the people in the service industry who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. But if it wasn’t for this horrific crisis, she wouldn’t have learned about TikTok.
As those who have been paying attention know, TikTok’s success is unlikely to wane. Especially not so long as young people use it. Gen Z is what makes TikTok, and TikTok is what keeps Gen Z informed.
The platform offers an easily accessible and non-pretentious environment where young people feel comfortable to do what they wish. It is their soapbox, so to speak. So it isn’t a surprise when we read in the news that those who make the most out of the platform are, indeed, young.
Video creators between the ages of 16 and 20 who offer nothing but entertaining content are making a bang on TikTok, and some are so popular that they have even become the breadwinners for their entire families.
