Listen to Lucas’ Spotify playlist, curated for Vamp:
Meet @lucasrodgerss. At just 17 years old, our UK-based influencer of the month has built a loyal TikTok audience of 1 million followers! Discover how Lucas achieved this milestone and what it takes to hit the FYP.
Congratulations Lucas! We’re so excited to award you with July’s influencer of the month. Fill us in on how and why you became a beauty creator.
Thank you so much! I was so excited when I saw your message. I love working with Vamp and your clients, so to see my work being recognised is amazing.
I became a beauty creator around three years ago when I was 13. I used to watch beauty creators online and always wanted to try it out for myself. I’d always dreamt of having a platform where I could share makeup like they did, so eventually I ‘borrowed’ one of my mums pallets and followed a Nikki Tutorials YouTube tutorial (one of my favourite beauty creators both then and now) and began practicing. I absolutely love makeup and the creativity it gives you. So I started sharing my work online and began to build a platform of my own and connected with others who had the same love for makeup as me.
We love how authentic you are. Authenticity is so important for us here at Vamp. How important is it to you?
Thank you so much! I think being authentic and remaining true to yourself is SO important when you’re trying to grow your social accounts. It’s the one thing that is completely unique to you. There are thousands of creators all competing for the spotlight and if you are trying to be like someone else, you won’t be able to let yourself and your personality shine through, which is what followers will fall in love with.
Being you is the one thing that absolutely no one else can do better. That is what will make you stand out. I think always being myself is one of the main reasons I have been able to grow such an amazing audience and would definitely be my number one piece of advice for anyone else wanting to grow on social media.
You’ve reached an incredible 1 million TikTok followers. Congrats! How did you build such a loyal and engaged Tiktok audience?
Thank you! It’s always been a goal of mine, so it seems so surreal. I’m so grateful for all my followers, and I think that’s super important to show them and will help you build loyalty, respect and engagement. At the end of the day, they are the reason that I’m able to gain these brand opportunities, so I think it’s so important to always make sure your followers feel connected to you. To do this I always reply to comments, messages and questions to show they aren’t just a number in my follower count.
I also think being authentically me has helped me deeply connect with my followers, as they have been able to get to know and relate to the real me. Being consistent is my final tip. The key to gaining a loyal audience is to keep them interested and entertained by constantly providing them with fresh content.
What do you think is the key to creating TikTok content that hits the FYP?
Honestly, after three years of being on TikTok the algorithm is still a mystery to me! I still find that it’s very ‘hit and miss’. However, I do notice that the content I really enjoy filming always seems to do well. When you’re enjoying your work, it will shine through in your content and people will notice and engage with it.
Your TikTok transitions are smooth! What tips do you have to create these?
Thank you! Like anything, practice makes perfect. I also usually have to film multiple takes in order to get the perfect one. Being a perfectionist, I don’t usually settle for much less!
@lucasrodgerss Tiktok do your thing 😌✨ love y’all 🙂
Although your TikToks are under 60-seconds, we can imagine your looks take hours to create. What does your shooting and editing process look like to make these 60-second clips happen?
Absolutely! I don’t think people realise how much time and effort goes into the 60-second finished product. I always take a good couple of hours to film to ensure I can take my time and re-do any mistakes I make. I also work in front of a ring light to ensure my videos are the highest quality possible and so my followers can see my looks clearly. As for editing, I will often add fun effects or overlaying text directly in TikTok to try to make my content as entertaining and relatable as possible.
Where or who do you turn to for content inspiration?
Everywhere and anywhere. My makeup looks will often be inspired by something I see in film, television or everyday life. I also love the art of drag and take a lot of inspiration from this. I will also join TikTok trends and challenges and take inspiration from other creators and what’s performing well on the platform. An even balance between trending content and original content is important for the success of your TikTok growth.
Do you have any other pieces of advice you’d give to other young aspiring beauty creators?
As cliché as it may sound, never give up on your dreams. Another big one would be to never let people’s negative opinions get in the way of what you love doing. When you begin building an audience, there will be lots of love and positivity, but there will also be people who have nothing nice to say. Never let these people get the better of you and prevent you from living out your dreams.
Quick fire round. Right now I am…
Listening to: Anything and everything Britney Spears. Love her always.
Watching: American Horror Story on Netflix. I’m absolutely HOOKED.
Eating: Pasta, pasta and pasta. Love it.
Wearing: Loving neutral colours recently so lots of nude, beige and greys. Plus, oversized hoodies – you can never go wrong with them!
Drinking: Water! When I remember to drink it…
Lastly, after working on campaigns for Origins, Estée Lauder and Benefit what do you enjoy about working with Vamp?
Honestly, everything! The whole experience of being able to receive incredible new products to try, creating social content for brands and sharing my work with my followers is the best. So incredibly grateful to have had these opportunities as I really do love working with Vamp.
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