Snake.Wise

This TikTok account was a personal passion project centered around my hobby of keeping reptiles. It aimed to provide educational and entertaining content about reptile care, targeting fellow reptile enthusiasts and curious viewers.

Overview

During the COVID-19 pandemic, TikTok emerged as a dominant platform for entertainment and education. As an experiment, I decided to explore TikTok by creating content around my hobby of keeping reptiles—a niche topic with the potential to attract a dedicated audience. The goal was to create educational and fun content while maintaining a casual, authentic tone that resonated with TikTok’s user base. This personal project allowed me to test strategies for organic growth, audience engagement, and content virality.

Strategy

Niche Focus:
- Chose a specific niche (reptile care) to target a passionate and underserved audience.
- Focused on educational and entertaining content to provide value while keeping the tone light and approachable.
Authenticity:
- Adopted a casual, unscripted style to align with TikTok’s preference for authentic content.
- Avoided overproduction to make the content feel relatable and genuine.
Consistency:
- Initially posted without a strict schedule but shifted to 5+ posts per week after identifying what resonated with the audience.
- Leveraged the momentum of viral posts to maintain engagement and growth.
Experimentation:
- Tested different types of content (e.g., care tips, fun facts, behind-the-scenes) to see what performed best.
- Continued posting sporadically after the initial growth phase to observe follower retention.

Execution

Launch: Posted my first video on May 31, 2020, with no specific posting schedule initially.
First Viral Post: In September 2020, a video gained 18.4k views and 3k likes, marking the first significant success.
Most Viral Post: A few days later, another video went viral with 909.3k views and 185.9k likes, cementing the account’s growth trajectory.
Consistent Posting: From September 2020 onward, posted 5+ times per week, with many videos reaching over 5k views.
Follower Growth:
Gained 10k followers by January 2021.
Added another 3.3k followers in the following months.
Retention Test: Stopped regular posting in January 2022 but posted sporadically to test follower retention. As of today, the account retains 13.2k followers despite no new content in years.

Results

Follower Growth: Grew the account to 13.2k followers organically, with no paid promotions or external support.
Engagement:
Most viral post: 909.3k views and 185.9k likes.
Many posts consistently reached 5k+ views, demonstrating sustained engagement.
Retention: Even after stopping regular posts, the account retained 100% of its followers, showcasing the strength of the niche community built during the project.

Key Takeaways

Niche Content Works: Focusing on a specific, underserved niche (reptile care) allowed the account to stand out and attract a dedicated audience.
Authenticity Drives Engagement: A casual, unscripted tone resonated with TikTok users, leading to higher engagement and virality.
Consistency is Key: Posting 5+ times per week after the first viral wave helped maintain momentum and grow the account steadily.
Community Building: The retention of 13.2k followers years after stopping posts highlights the power of building a loyal, niche community.