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EXCLUSIVE: An Interview With TikTok’s Sameer Mahan
With millions of views and thousands of fans, Sameer is well on his way to becoming one of the lucky few who reach mega-stardom through social media.
We sat down with Sameer Mahan to discuss TikTok and his thoughts on the influencer industry.
1. What is it like going viral?
“Well, it was very weird at the start. I used to work for PacSun, a teen clothing store and I noticed a lot of people would just kind of stare at me. I never really thought of it but I had someone ask if I was from TikTok. I thought it was funny and just laughed it off, but I never thought it would get more serious.”
2. Why do you think your content is successful? What would your tips be for making great TikTok content?
“I think my content is successful because I can share with the world my passion and love for photography and comedy. Things that can make your content successful on TikTok us to make sure that you are always doing the current trends. Whether it could be a dance, a new recipe, etc. There is nothing wrong with trying something new. Something else that is important is that your content should be shareable. If one person sees your video and loves it, they will most likely send it to their friend/s. Lastly, make sure your video is about 12-15 seconds and that you have good lighting and high quality videos. Its key to have your videos 12-15 seconds because a lot of people can get bored easily watching a 1 minute video.”
3. Has anyone reached out to you or contacted you because of your videos?
“Actually, yes people have contacted me. The account ‘@BestVines’ contacted me on instagram and wanted to license one of my videos. I have never really thought of having someone license my videos but they have been a profile I have followed and watched since Vine shut down. They have 10.3 million followers and I was flattered that they wanted to post my video. They told me that most of there videos can make Ellen or MSNBC or even CNN. I was very intrigued.”
4. What inspires you as a photographer?
“Photography There is always a creative quest for new inspiration. I try to travel or visit new places as much as possible. I listen to music to get in the mood to create—music that speaks to me. I also use communities such as LooksLikeFilm and social networks to follow the work of talented photographers. Besides, I get inspired by other artists’ work the same way that I am inspired by the world around me, films, and even books.”
5. Why are you on TikTok?
“I’ve always thought it was very similar to Vine in the way that how it blew up, but bigger! Also, the content is pretty similar, but TikTok I feel has more to offer and by more to offer I mean, you can add music and effects right through the app which makes it great for easy and fast to make content!”
