I'm a professional TikTok content creator. Here are 5 things I wish I knew before I started

• I went viral on TikTok last year and now I'm a full-time content creator.
• I wish I'd known how much of a mental and physical toll it could take on me.

On April 14, 2021, my life changed overnight.

I posted a TikTok announcing I was going to binge-watch the anime "One Piece" and I encouraged people to follow along. The video went viral and I quickly built a dedicated community in the tens of thousands — and my videos got over 1.9 million likes.

In July, I leveraged my account to land a job as an in-house TikTok creator for a company in New York. I now run multiple accounts, the largest of which, Ototo Design, has over 100,000 followers and over 8 million likes.

Being a professional content creator is a dream most of the time. But there are things I wish I knew before making it my career.

Post at your own pace

Once you have an audience it might seem like thousands of people are eagerly awaiting your next post. This can place a lot of pressure on any creator.

Really, there are millions of creators on the app to keep followers busy. For your own mental sanity, don’t burn yourself out. Post whenever you like.

If you’re working for a company as a content creator, however, you’re usually required to follow a posting schedule. To avoid burnout and last-minute content making, I create TikToks in batches.

Never stop being your authentic self

Participating in trends is an easy way to go viral but that success never lasts.

To have longevity on the platform, build a tight-knit community that regularly engages with your content by being yourself.

As cliché as it sounds, when people see someone lowering their guard, they’re keen to stick around and listen to what they have to say. People love seeing people do normal things like getting coffee or telling a story while on a walk.

Turning your passion into a profession isn’t always ideal

A lot of people want to be an influencer but social media can lose its charm once it becomes work.

Posting sponsored content or making content for somebody else with goals attached can put pressure on creators that was not there before.

I love my job and wouldn’t trade it for anything, but my personal account has suffered as a result of it. By the end of most days, I don't have the mental or creative energy left to make my own content.

You’ll lose followers sometimes, and that’s OK

Algorithms change and so does the type of content you want to make and your followers’ interests, which can result in you losing followers.

But true fans will stick around for the long run and grow with you. They’re the most important ones to listen to and ask for feedback about the type of content you’re producing.

The mental and physical toll is real

I’ve started wearing blue-light glasses in an attempt to protect my eyes. My wrists and thumbs will often hurt after a few hours into the day.

For a period, I wore a brace when I slept in an effort to prevent carpal tunnel. I also have to hold my phone at eye level or else I’ll get neck pain from looking down for too long.

Plus I constantly check TikTok to look at my views, which I hate. When a post goes viral it’s addicting to watch the views climb every time you refresh the page. But if a post flops, it can put me in a bad mood.

I’ve also had to have thick skin when it comes to comments. Most are positive but there are occasionally some hurtful ones.

But not everyone is going to like your content. That’s their problem, not yours.