Fort Collins influencer and creator "Dude Dad" offers advice to TikTok creators in Colorado
After social media platform TikTok was temporarily deactivated over the weekend, Northern Colorado influencer and content creator Taylor Calmus, or "Dude Dad," is encouraging others to diversify their content. Calmus and his wife nearly lost 2 million followers on Saturday just on TikTok alone.
"It's been a pretty wild 48 hours. Obviously, we knew this thing was coming, but everyone was wondering if it would actually happen," Calmus said.
Calmus started the Dude Dad brand nine years ago on Facebook and YouTube. Since then he has formulated a presence on social media that helps increase traffic to his merchandise store and comedy show ticket sales.
"You spend years and years and years trying to figure out how to make good videos that get people's attention," Calmus said. "To do that for years and years and years, and then have one of your platforms cut off, is pretty wild."
Calmus said his brand is fortunate, as the TikTok ban didn't threaten their company's survival as much as it may have other businesses.
That's because the company makes revenue not just off of views, but merchandise and ticket sales as well. And, his team has worked to make sure they're reaching audiences in more than one way.
"We have diversified what we do enough that we are on all the other platforms doing well," Calmus said.
Even though TikTok was brought back to users on Sunday, with the company citing a relationship with President Trump, it is still possible that the platform could one day be re-banned from U.S. consumers.
Calmus said that could deeply impact new content creators, influencers, and small businesses trying to attract views.
"TikTok has a unique algorithm that is unlike any of the other platforms that allows small businesses and smaller creators to find their niche, Following that they would not be able to find on the other platforms," Calmus said.
Calmus said it's more difficult to reach specific audiences on other social media platforms, whereas TikTok's algorithm increases the odds of someone being able to get specific content before larger audiences.
"The TikTok algorithm is different in that it kind of allows everybody to go viral a couple of times," Calmus said.
With TikTok back, Calmus encouraged those looking to make a profit off of their content to consider broadening their reach via other platforms in the chance that TikTok does get banned again.
"That is one of the hardest parts about being a content creator, you are reliant on the platforms," Calmus said. "My advice to young creators is diversify, get on every single platform, and have fun making the content, 'cause that is sometimes all you are going to get."