[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Did you know that the average global internet user spends 144 minutes on social media every day? Given the amount of screen time, the battle to be the platform in front of a user’s eyes has been long fought between the usuals: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. However, one platform was slowly creeping up to the competition when lockdowns brought on due to the COVID-19 pandemic allowed it to explode in popularity: TikTok.
While businesses everywhere try to figure out how to utilize the power of TikTok and target the platform’s 800 million users, it’s clear that the younger generation of content creators have the upperhand. Samantha and Madeline Caleon—aka the CaleonTwins, are among the Canadian content creators who have mastered the platform.
The CaleonTwins have been on the app since its early days; back when it was known as Musical.ly. Back then, the platform consisted mainly of lip-syncing and dancing videos, but overtime, just as the name changed, so did the content.
“As we grew with the app, we kind of realized, ‘Hey, we can do more than just dances. We can act, we can create skits and stuff like that,’” said Madeline. “I think as we grew with the app, we were able to become more comfortable with ourselves and be comfortable in the fact that we can be creative in different ways.”
The CaleonTwins have grown their TikTok fanbase to over 3.4 million followers—a number that both content creators and corporations aspire to reach. Their lifestyle and entertainment-based content consists of both original skits and their take on the latest trends.
Their online influence even caught the attention of TikTok Canada, who chose to feature the CaleonTwins in the social media platform’s latest campaign, “It Starts on TikTok.” The multi-channel campaign spans social, digital media and linear TV, and aims to celebrate the diverse Canadian stories that are shared on the app.
RELATED: How Valeria Lipovetsky grew an online community of over 1 million followers[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Becoming the face of a national social media campaign was the furthest thing from their minds when Samantha and Madeline started on the platform. At the time, they were both studying commerce at the University of Toronto. They’d always envisioned starting a business together, but they never imagined it would be as content creators.
Now graduated, content creation is the CaleonTwins’ full-time job. They choose to dedicate 2-3 days a week to creating videos and content, and spend the other days dealing with the business dwellings of being a content creator, like sorting through emails and making invoices. The flexibility of their schedules has had more benefits than expected.
“I find that being on social media, and TikTok especially, has allowed us to have more family moments. Like when it comes to talking about the videos that we create at the dinner table or filming a video together, it just brings us closer together as a family,” said Samantha. “It creates more memories.”
And while they’re known to the world as the CaleonTwins, Samantha and Madeline say it’s a whole Caleon family effort to create the content magic. They credit their parents as being their biggest supporters, as well as holding the titles of videographer, photographer and guest stars for their content.
“This morning at the dining table, I could hear my mom upstairs listening to the TikTok we just posted over and over again [laughs],” said Madeline. “So aside from taking our pictures and being in our TikToks, they’re overall general supporters of us which we love and appreciate.”
That support is needed, especially on days when creating content can feel like more of a burden than a blessing. Samantha says that her and her sister choose to look at their opportunity of being content creators, the same way anyone would look at the responsibilities of a job.
“Looking after your mental health is a number one priority, “ said Samantha. “We will take some days off, just to take a break, relax and step back from the whole social social media world. But the days when we have to get stuff done and we’re not feeling it, we just look at the bright side and think about how we’re really grateful that we’re able to do something we love as a job full time.”
As the CaleonTwins continue to navigate the ever-changing media landscape, they can do so knowing that they have the support of their 3.4 million TikTok followers, and more importantly their family. Building a career in content creation may seem out of reach for some, but with a little creativity and a lot of dedication, the CaleonTwins prove that it can start on TikTok.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”custom” style=”double” border_width=”2″ accent_color=”#d82f95″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
