For years, social media fame has been associated with the red carpet glamor of megawatt sporting celebrities like the Kardashians and Cristiano Ronaldo, but millions of users globally are increasingly turning their attention to simple heroes drawn from everyday life.
TikTok says a number of accounts, from a bird lover to an Italian grandmother to a double-decker bus fan, have grown in popularity this year as social media users connect with authentic voices.
A Cotswolds-based pensioner has become an Instagram hit thanks to a post celebrating his garden – Which includes a fondness for red cabbageGerald Stratford, who has 370,000 followers, stars in a photoshoot gucci behind their grassroots success.
Roland Smith, creative director of Billion Dollar Boy, a UK-based advertising agency that works with creators, says Stratford is an example of the authenticity and passion that online audiences are looking for as their channels become overwhelmed with AI-generated “slop”.
Pointing out that demand for everyday content has increased this year, he says: “We’re getting a lot of AI content on social media and I think this is a measure of that. There’s also an educational element to a lot of content like Gerald’s. Audiences want to get more from their feed rather than scrolling every three seconds.”
According to Smith, TikTok is seen as a good platform for lesser-known creators because its algorithm prioritizes relevancy and resonance over celebrity.
“Audiences are becoming increasingly tired of sophisticated, highly stylized producer content. We’re starting to see a move away from that.”
At this year’s TikTok Awards for the UK and Ireland, the platform handed the Voice for Change gong to Tola and Kevin Andu, a mother and son. @kevinraising_ The account, which documents Kevin’s journey as a young autistic man. Video detailing the daily experiences of 20-year-old Kevin is given the “Autism Joy” badge trying new foods To to do a jobGet millions of views. The account has over 700,000 followers.
Tola says Kevin’s online popularity has given him opportunities that have “really changed his life”, including a permanent job. “I am incredibly proud because I remember those nights when I would lie awake worrying about him, what his future would be like and whether the world would ever understand and accept him,” she said. “So now to see millions of people following and celebrating his journey is an answer to a prayer for me.”
Elsewhere on TikTok in the UK, “Enough aunty.” Bemi Orozuogun and the ornithologist jack baddams Have proven popular.
“When people have a niche and they’re passionate about it, it takes over,” says Smith.
In the US, unlikely creator hits on TikTok include seventies identical twins Wayne and Dwayne Heinlein, who were a singing duo before serving in the Vietnam War and have returned to entertainment decades later. their take unique AC/DC’s Back in Black alone has been viewed nearly 80 million times. Another popular American veteran is Asena Johnson from Hawaii, who Posts about life after the army and Samoan and Tongan culture,
In Europe, 84-year-old Nonna Silvi from Tuscany get hit With a post from his son’s bakery. she now offers him Own range of bakery productssolange fugger, Another Italian creatorhas won praise for his educational video as the youngest head of the emergency department at a major hospital in Rome. He has 600,000 followers.
Madoline Grove, TikTok’s head of creators for the UK and Ireland, said the creativity of “everyday people” has captured the hearts of users this year.
