From ‘What Ifs’ to ‘What’s Next’ - Finding Your Online Community in the Most Unexpected Place

By Evie Stoker.

Think finding a real, supportive online community in 2025 is a lost cause? Think again. Your people are out there, and plot twist: they might be hanging out in the one place you swore you'd never go to: TikTok.

Yes, your worst digital nightmare just might be your biggest ally, and I'm about to tell you why.

I see you scrolling with a hot water bottle in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. Amid the sea of Get Ready With Me videos and shameless thirst traps, you stumble across her. A confident woman, casually chatting about her business. Her comment section? Full of love. Her income? Solid. And suddenly you wonder… could that be you?

But before the idea even has a chance to breathe, the "what ifs" creep in. Doubt pulls up a chair.

'What if I'm not funny enough?'

'What if I mess up my words?'

'What if nobody likes it?'

NEWS FLASH: every profile on TikTok started with zero followers, and every person who succeeds with a strong and loyal following has to take that scary first step. The 'what ifs' will always be there, but it's on you to swat them away and make the move.

Don't get me wrong, I fully embrace the traditional OG platforms, but with Twitter, or as I begrudgingly refuse to call it, 'X' having become a toxic place since its new ownership by, let's just say, a disagreeable individual and Facebook's monthly users dropping for the first time in years, TikTok might just be one of the optimal places to promote your business.

TikTok has a full and diverse range of content, and finding the online niche for your business can be tricky. So don't overthink it.

I speak from experience, running my own TikTok for my felting business (the art of binding wool with a needle in a very tedious process to make tiny trinkets, like bears in princess crowns and cows in cowboy hats). Very unusual, I know.

Even though my business may seem strange and unusual to most, the people who love my trinkets can easily find me online and support my business thanks to leveraging platforms like TikTok. At first, I attempted to mould my profile to the accounts I was following, the ones getting thousands upon thousands of views. However, I soon realised that to retain a viewership that would keep returning and interacting with my products, I should embrace my own creative voice. Turns out my felted tiger set to the backdrop of a Justin Bieber song with over-edited images was not an accurate representation of my brand! I learned the hard way that the hamster wheel of constantly trying to achieve can sometimes make you forget why you started in the first place.

Take in what others are doing and learn from it, but don't try and force your brand or voice to be something it's not. The same people who want to buy felted animals probably like things similar to what I do, and that's worth remembering. You find your little community by posting parts of your identity and being your honest, candid self.

Like you, I've been in the trenches, receiving strange comments from user432 and watching the view count remain at a stagnant 200, which admittedly, at first does feel like you're a mini-celebrity but soon wears off with the accompanying three likes. But, some months later, I see TikTok as the primary promotional tool for my business, and you can too. Here are my top tips.

1. Setting up your account

TikTok is a platform that prioritises what is popular and in demand, but don't be daunted by the 1.2 billion monthly users; you can find your niche by portraying yourself as authentically as possible. Introduce yourself in a fun, succinct way in your bio.

Bonus tip: Switch to a business account in settings, and you can add your website link to your bio; it just means you are limited to song choices.

2. Building your following

Following may seem like an afterthought when setting up a business account, but it is essential to build up your algorithm and show your videos to like-minded people who will interact. Follow women you aspire to be like, businesses you respect, and those who already support your business or those you aspire to, and set your goals high!

3. That first post

The first post can be scary, but from a girl who repeatedly posted Instagram formatted posts to a tumbleweed account, I am here to help. TikTok is a video-orientated platform, and although occasional single images perform well, videos formatted at over six seconds or slide shows with over three posts are the optimal way people like to consume content.

Introduce yourself and your brand, and show your face; it engages and comforts your audience and creates a community feel early on. Show off what you've done, and don't be afraid to sell yourself.

Some brands, like Welsh beauty start-up P Lousie, utilised daily live streams to gain a large community of make-up lovers who related to her modest upbringing; by putting a part of herself out there, it attracted a community who has her back.

4. Getting seen

Much like Instagram, the dreaded hashtags accompany this app. I doubt you're unfamiliar with how scattering 4 to 5 keywords and trending, related hashtags under your post can elevate who and how many people have seen it to a whole new level. Do the research for your niche and include them!

5. Now, just do the damn thing!

Post! Be patient, and stop refreshing your account. Building an online community takes time and relies heavily on how much time and effort you will put into it. If you post and are patient, the results will come.

6. Building and maintaining that community feel

Reply to anyone who comments on your account, post regularly, and become a reoccurring presence in someone's everyday life. Slowly, one will become many. TikTok works through a for-you page, generating an algorithm of suggested content based on what you have already engaged with and displaying who you follow. The more you post, the more like-minded people come across your content. Push your comfort zone; don't be scared to livestream or engage in conversations with your followers; that is how your community will become its strongest.

Lastly, celebrate your smallest wins: your first user comment and that first link visit? They are living proof that your content is being seen, so go ahead and give a 'cheers' to that! The more confidence and joy you take in posting and expressing your authentic self, the more you get to gain a lovely community of like-minded creatives!

I wish you the best of luck, and happy posting!