TikTokFor the month of December, iRadio host, David Duke/@mrdaveduke has challenged himself to become an "influencer", which has led to some hilarious videos and his deep respect and admiration for creators.
Q: What inspired you to create your Influencer series? A: Since short-form video has been a thing I have been interested in but compared to other platforms, TikTok has been a revelation. It gives you the best possibility of building a like-minded tribe. It rewards creativity, it has birthed countless memes and it has personally provided me with hours upon hours of entertainment. For the month of December, I wanted to challenge myself to create more than I consumed. I love making TikToks but I was so inconsistent at posting. I could post solidly for a week and then disappear for a month. In the summer, I flirted with the idea of playing the character of a full-time influencer. It's an idea that I kept coming back to. I thought it would be fun to examine their lifestyle, what content they are posting and what camera trickery they use. It's an idea that wouldn't leave me alone so I made a commitment for the month of December to post every single day, no matter what. So far, the streak is unbroken.
Q: What's been your favourite video in the series so far? A: I think everyone following the series religiously will have their own personal favourite but for me, it's the ‘getting out of bed' video. Making that video was like scratching a year-long itch. I am no stranger to getting the right 'shot'. It's in the very nature of creating video content that you will have to set up tripods, use a gimbal, even get yourself one of those suction cup phone covers. However! I could never get over the popularity of the “here is me waking up and getting out of bed” shot. It's so blatantly obvious that you had to get out of bed, set up a camera, get back into bed and then get up again, all while acting like you are waking up naturally for the first time. I was so satisfied with that video I nearly finished the series there and then.
Q: How do you come up with ideas for each day's TikTok? A: For the past couple of months, I have been observing full-time influencers in their natural habitat. What are they doing? Where are they going? What are they selling? What are they trying to get for free? My notes app has never been busier. I have held informal consultancy sessions with friends and work colleagues who are obsessed with these personalities to learn what patterns they have noticed. For a month like this, you have to draw inspiration from several places. Even though it came as a surprise, I should have known how forthcoming my followers would be, they have been amazing with pitching ideas. They even pushed me into my first ever GRWM (Get ready with me).
Q: What's been the biggest surprise or unexpected takeaway from doing this series? A: How supportive of a community there is on TikTok. It's caught me by surprise how quickly people bought into what I'm doing. I knew this series wouldn't be for everyone but I didn't know how many would really enjoy it either. Also, I have a newfound respect for full-time content creators who do everything themselves. They have no social team, it's just them with a phone and a mic and ideas. It's no small task to create something new every single day or in the case of some creators, several videos a day. I might have given the impression that I am totally anti-influencer but I am not immune from following some of them too.
Q: What other Irish creator(s) do you love watching on TikTok? A: I have been following Garron Noone (@garron_music) from the very start. It's crazy to see how fast he's grown and how far he has reached across the world. I sincerely hope he has trademarked “follow me, I'm delicious”. I think in time, there will be scientific studies on his TikTok rise. I also really enjoy watching Protein Bor Papi (@jamesdoylefitness), Nia Gallagher (@nia_gall), Mary-Clare Fitzpatrick (@mcluvs2laugh) and Aisling Kearns (@aislingsjustalaugh). I could name another 20 and still leave someone out and offend them but two special mentions to firstly Séamus Lehane (@seamboyseam) his Irish language content is unmatched. It's borderline genius. I feel he deserves a government grant to continue what he's doing and his impressions are criminally underrated too. And secondly to Barry Chandler (@irishwhiskeybarry). I don't even drink whiskey and Barry has me glued to videos about distillery-exclusive releases and the history of the drink in Ireland. I find it all fascinating, he's a brilliant story teller and I look forward to him blowing up.
