How 20-Year Old Rom Raviv Became an Overnight Tiktok Star With one Video of a Gumball Machine

2020 saw the emergence of TikTok as the new social media destination for everything from hip entertainment to colorful marketing. With TikTok’s new-kid-on-the-block status comes a flood of users, trying different angles and content styles to break into virality through the platform. Very few ever get to crack this code, but 20-year-old Rom Raviv managed to strike gold with just one video of a Google gumball machine. The 15-second video has garnered a total of 31.5 million views, skyrocketing Rom into TikTok stardom overnight. He currently stands at over 404,000 followers on the platform, and his follow-up videos have collected a massive 6.9 million likes.

What makes Rom’s story genuinely incredible is how he avoided the one-hit-wonder syndrome that many aspiring creators fall prey to, overcoming the challenge of converting his 15 minutes of sunshine into 24-7 stardom.

“I have been in a few paid TikTok masterminds,” Rom shares. “These programs showed me the ins and outs of the algorithm. I also learned how to use human psychology for audience retention and increase shares and likes.”

The first lesson Rom learned is the art of utilizing the shock factor; how to pause the scroll and capture his audience’s attention long enough to deliver his content.

“ Scrolling is something that we do without even realizing sometimes.” Rom divulges. “It is important that as creators, we do something powerful enough to stop that habit and keep them watching. Create a shock factor or an action that grabs their attention instantly and doesn’t let it go.”

The second strategy Rom uses is to optimize his content for sharing. Many TikTok creators commit the primary error of trying to get the highest number of likes possible while completely missing the mark on shares.

“TikTok loves shares because it brings more users on their platform,” Rom reveals. “They will reward you accordingly and make your video go viral.”

“Another thing you should pay attention to is the quality of the content you are creating. Quality Is King. Whether you commit to 3 posts a day or one every other day, make sure that the videos you post are all high quality and well thought out. People can see right through the quality if you rush a video versus if you took your time making it.”

Perhaps the most crucial ingredient that contributed to Rom’s lasting success on TikTok was his ability to interact with the audience he gained through his viral video and convert them into permanent fans.

“Interact with your audience. Build a community. Take advantage of TikTok Lives to talk to your fans and create a community around your content. People support creators that make them feel like they’re part of something special.” Rom shares. “Going live and posting community-oriented content can help scale your audience, but it will also make your current followers fall in love with you and your content even more!”

Reach out to or follow Rom on Instragam: @romraviv

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