If you have a TikTok habit, chances are you’ve seen Long Chun, who has over five million followers on TikTok. He has loved making short videos since he was a secondary pupil, capturing the moments when he teased his friends. Long defined himself as a loser when he started out on TikTok. At that time, he had completed a 4-year acting course in Ho Chi Minh city and had returned to Hanoi. All he wanted to do then was earn some money.
Long recalled, “The only way for me to make ends meet was selling cosmetics online. So I just went for it. I made funny videos to attract as many buyers as possible. Some clips went viral for a while and then became trash, I had no clue that becoming a KOL on TikTok would be a gold mine for me. I posted funny videos on that platform just because I enjoyed it, not so I could profit from it. After I had posted over a dozen videos, a video labeled by TikTok as #Foryoupage garnered 39,000 views. I went crazy. I thought to myself ‘Hey Long, you’re famous now’. This fueled my determination to study TikTok carefully, how it works, and how to be a successful KOL.”
Long told us how much he loves his life as a KOL, “I studied acting, but, you know, it’s really a passive career. The actor is there waiting for a call from the director to be cast as a given character, which is not always a role he likes. But when I act on my social platforms, I can become any character I like. I’m the director of myself. It’s me who is giving me the opportunities. One more thing I like about being a KOL is the freedom it gives me. If you don’t want to work today, just take a break. If you want to travel somewhere tomorrow, just go. No restrictions at all.”
 TikToker Long Chun (Photo: Facebook Long Chun) |
Long believes there are three factors that make a successful KOL: distinctiveness, hard work, and specific goals. If everyone is the same, who’s gonna stand out from the crowd, Long said. Talking about the last factor, Long advised young people who want to be KOLs set a deadline to get something from this. If you want to become a KOL, roll your sleeves up and create content, but if you don’t reap any fruits after six months or a year, then KOL is not the right job for you.
Being a KOL has many misconceptions about it. Long says many think only rich people can become a KOL. His answer is no.
“Absolutely wrong. I was just a poor guy on the day I presented myself on TikTok. I had failed to become an actor in Ho Chi Minh city and had come back to Hanoi. I didn’t have a professional camera. If you want to make TikTok videos, not your tools, nor a huge budget, but your content is king. Even a poor content creator can attain success by using the materials around him, like what the meals and daily activities of a poor guy look like. Creativity has no limit. You will become a successful KOL if you work hard and take the job seriously,” Long explained.
 TikToker Long Chun (Photo: Facebook Long Chun) |
Long said a KOL may earn tens of thousands of USD per month, a whopping amount, which comes mainly from booking from brands and affiliate marketing. Long’s revelation makes people think every KOL earns a lot, but that’s not true, either, says Long.
“The amount KOLs earn vastly varies. A smaller fan base means little earnings. So the goal is to expand your popularity. How? By working harder to sell your uniqueness and by making content that no one has thought of. I mean being a pioneer content creator. A talented content creator may have 10 million-view videos out of 10 videos he posts on the platform. If you’re not as talented and have only one viral video out of 10 videos you make, then just make 100 videos to have 10 million-view videos. Watch a lot and learn a lot, but don’t copy anyone. Make yourself the one and only.”
 Long Be, Long Chun's brother, is often featured in his videos. |
After what he has gone through and achieved, Long loves his job and is so addicted to it that he can’t live without posting a video each day. But it’s not always sunshine and rainbows for an established KOL, Long admits. The job is glamorized by the huge earnings and comfortable life that engulf KOLs. Toxicity is everywhere in their life, though, from the viewers and from peer KOLs. Learning to deal with it, whether by disregarding it or combatting it, is a skill every KOL must have. Long added that actually it’s relatable to everyone. Be the best version of yourself to show the world who you are, instead of throwing negativity on others or cooking up fake stories to topple someone from a position they’ve championed with blood, sweat, and tears.