[Viral Culture] Fictional Influencers on TikTok Attract Followers Through Compelling Storytelling | What Are They?

Joseph Henry, Tech Times 07 January 2022, 08:01 pm

Fictional influencers are gradually taking TikTok by storm following FourFront's initiative to create 22 social media actors on the platform.

Since last year, the company has been hiring scriptwriters who will make real-life acting a thing in the social space.

The trend about these influencers did not stop alone from there. Many followers have been continuously watching compelling storytelling videos on TikTok until now.

What should we know about these scripted influencers?

What Are TikTok Fictional Influencers

[Viral Culture] Fictional Influencers on TikTok Attract Followers Through Compelling Storytelling | What Are They?

(Photo : Shingi Rice from Unsplash)
TikTok Fictional influencers

According to a report from The New York Post, a fictional TikTok actor usually uploads a new clip on their account. Every video tackles the personality of the individuals and their hobbies, likes, and more details about themselves.

In October 2021, Insider reported that FourFront established a dedicated team of storytellers who want to participate in TikTok.

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For first-time followers, distinguishing the nature of the influencers can be hard to tell since they could do real-life dance tutorials while doing mini-vlogging on the other end.

To put it simpler, these influencers act as made-up characters who present scripted content like we usually see in dramas. They could have a different genre: from soap operas to horrors.

"The more that people know this is fictional, the more that they can just get lost in it and be entertained by it," Ilan Benjamin, the co-founder of FourFront said.

Meet FourFront Fictional Influencers

Before you watch a TikTok clip from a popular storyteller, get to know each of them in a report from Vox. The news outlet wrote that one fictional influencer you should check on the platform in Sydney, who was depicted as a broke, blonde woman in her early 20s'.

One day, Sydney discovered that her sister's fiancé was flirting with another woman. From there, she narrated important scenes about this happening. Another character on TikTok is the trans man named Ollie.

According to Benjamin, what they are doing over TikTok can be compared to a Marvel Cinematic universe scenario. There are arcs, and there are character developments on each page of the story. Expect that there are downfalls, heartbreaks, and successes in some stories.

The idea behind TikTok's fictional influencer was not something new in this era. Back in 2006, a 16-year-old girl Bree used to upload clips on YouTube using the pseudonym Lonelygirl15. Most of her videos consist of confessionals which appear to be real-life at first.

It turned out that it was not actually about her life. All were written by Mesh Flinders, Miles Beckett, and Greg Goodfriend.

Per FourFront, its long-term goal involves getting a license for the AI character. At that time, the company planned to include a subscription-based model where customers could watch content from their favorite actors.

If you want to learn more about viral stories, check Tech Times' report about the most trending TikTok songs in 2021. For video enthusiasts, don't forget to read some information about the best video-based ARGS on YouTube.

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Written by Joseph Henry