Sequoia Craig (@sequoiacraigdesign): Creator Coffee Chat

Welcome to our Creator Coffee Chat: Presented By the TrendTok App where you get to learn about the very best tips, tricks and advice for growing your TikTok account from viral creators! We know that growing your TikTok account can feel overwhelming at times, so we’re breaking down the strategy that these creators used to help you through the process! Whether you’re a new creator on the platform that hasn’t chosen their username yet or a creator with a huge following behind you, we believe that this series will provide you with some new insights that you can apply to your TikTok strategy!

Today’s coffee chat is with Sequoia Craig! Sequoia (@sequoiacraigdesign ). Sequoia is a college drop out who found her way into the coaching world. After discovering the coaching world, she realized that the "behind the scenes" aspects of business is where she thrives. She specializes in building websites for coaches and provides marketing consulting to teach them how to use their skills to find more clients.She first got into TikTok after one of her employees told her to give it a shot! After resisting for a bit, she took a few weeks to check it out before deciding to start taking it seriously!

We asked Sequoia to share some advice, tips and thoughts with us that could help creators with their TikTok journey!

What was the process behind creating your first video on the platform? How did it feel?

My first video was a trend video that my employee told me I should do. It was exciting to be trying something new in a new format.

How did your first video perform? What was your reaction to it’s performance?

It got 378 views which surprised me. For someone who had no following, several hundred views is significant in my mind.

How did you decide what kind of content you wanted to post on your platform or what audience you wanted to reach?

So I have a background in marketing which helped me. I knew that my ideal clients are coaches, so I started making content for them. A good way to judge which side of TikTok you are on is to see what comes up on your for you page. For example, most of my for you page is small businesses, which is exactly who I want to be engaging with. Getting creative and thinking about what questions/problems your target market has and then answering those is how you succeed in marketing, regardless of the medium.

What advice do you have for creators that are still trying to find their niche on TikTok?

For creators trying to find their niche, my advice is to be authentic. Creating a new niche is always an option. The thing is, we get so caught up in trying to copy other successful people that we forget that success is merely originality.

If you’re a brand-what advice do you have for brands that are trying to figure out what to post on the platform?

Share your process, behind the scenes, and your why. Answer the questions before they get asked. Solve the problems before you hear them. But the most important thing is to be authentic and to not overthink what you post.

How many videos did you post before you had your first “viral video”?

I posted 48 videos before I got my first viral one.

What did it feel like when you realized your video was going viral?

I woke up to 17k views on one of my videos. It was shocking and exciting. I noticed that I felt validated by it, so I spent the rest of the day off of the app because I didn't want it to affect me like that. I'm grateful for the community I gained, but I stand by the fact that vanity metrics are never good to pay attention to.

What happens when one of your videos does not perform how you expected? Do you ever recreate or repost the video?

Honestly, I try not to have expectations for my videos. If I know that I'm solving a problem then I will occasionally repost it, but most of the time there's a reason that it didn't go viral. Take a step back. We all think we are making genius content, but the reality is that we aren't.

What advice do you have for creators on creating the TikTok videos? Any there any tools or softwares that you use?

Be authentic and different because that's what people want to see. Follow trends only IF they can be related to your brand.

Do you ever get nervous posting on TikTok? If so, how do you deal with it?

No, but I still get nervous going live. The best way to overcome nerves is to practice! I just started a weekly live which is going to help me overcome those nerves.

Are there any tricks/tips that you have used to boost your posts that you’d like to share with creators?

Utilize relevant hashtags, focus on quality over quantity, and speak TO your ideal client/target audience.

How do you keep your community/followers engaged with you and your content on TikTok?

I answer lots of questions and consistently try to provide value. Providing value is my #1 goal.

How do you handle the negative comments on the platform?

Phew, this is hard. You always think you'll handle it better than you do. I usually take a day off the platform to remind myself that those comments aren't what matter.

What’s one thing you wish you knew when you were first starting out on the platform?

Just DO it! Stop trying to be perfect and just show up authentically.

Who are some of your favorite TikTokers or accounts to follow?

I love @wavewyld for trending sounds, @megangersch is great for strategy, and @engineerleen always motivates me to keep going.

What is next for you on the platform, anything we should be on the lookout for?

I am starting up my weekly office hours where people can ask questions and get feedback on websites, seo, business, and more!

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

The cool thing about TikTok is that the most real posts do the best. Showing up authentically is the new wave of social media. Go be you!

Where can our readers connect with you?

TikTok: @sequoiacraigdesign

Instagram: @sequoiacraigdesign

My website: sequoiacraig.com

We loved chatting with Sequoia and if you enjoyed her coffee chat, make sure that you check her out on TikTok! And drop a comment on her video that you saw her here on the TrendTok Coffee Chat series!!

This series is presented by the TrendTok App, the platform for TikTok Analytics that helps creators go viral! Check it out here!