What I learned from going viral on TikTok
My eyes were opened to how people engage with content that has substance
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To say I didn’t attempt to set my complaint about a Sephora event up for success … would be a lie. If I was posting a video on TikTok, I obviously wanted people to see it. Time and effort are required to write a script, film, and edit, and I try to be as intentional as I possibly can with my time. SMA or not, the lives we’re given are fleeting.
One may argue that callouts on social media are melodramatic. Usually, I’m inclined to make that argument myself. But at the time, I was frustrated by the lack of accessibility I was seeing everywhere I went, physically and culturally. Sephora and its “House of Sephora” event here in Singapore got caught in the crosshairs, all because the event tent wasn’t built with a ramp to the front entrance. The only way in was through the back, where the trash was.
Most wheelchair users are used to similar experiences. We’re often asked to politely take cargo lifts, a long way around, or to drive on precarious terrain — you get the idea. No venue is guaranteed to be accessible. At least I could enter Sephora’s event after waiting for the staff to find an accessible route, right? But I had hit my limit with inaccessible places. Being a Gold tier member, I figured I’d spent enough at Sephora’s stores for them to afford a ramp. Plus, I soon saw another person in a wheelchair.
Indignation burned in my chest throughout the day. I opened Google Docs to write a short script once I hit my bed.
Five years of writing columns and articles as a journalist on the internet suddenly became more useful than I ever expected. My career experience has taught me how to craft targeted language at my desired audiences. I opened the video by saying it was for Sephora, to arouse intrigue about the callout in the casual lurkers. I followed up by suggesting it might be “hot tea,” aka chaotic drama for people amused by gossip. Lastly, I encouraged people interested in accessibility, makeup, and marketing to stay for a lesson on how inaccessibility can impact a brand’s messaging.
Combined with my slight speech impairment from SMA weakening my oral and vocal muscles, I knew the video would garner attention. Disabled people are still novel on the internet somehow. But I anticipated the monologue would receive 15,000 views, tops. It now sits at over 155,000 views.
Out of my control
People now ask me what it’s like to go viral. “It’s weird” is my answer.
Nothing changed for me materially in the immediate instance. I could have continued with my daily life like it never happened.
But when I booted TikTok, I could see the numbers skyrocketing. The video quickly escaped my intended audiences, into the general Singaporean public. My brother’s girlfriend’s sister had multiple friends send it to her. News publications contacted me with interview requests. One of my favorite local comedians hit Like on it. Sephora’s public relations representative reached out with an apology, news about adding a ramp to the event tent overnight, and a generous $100 gift card to make up for my disappointment in them.
I felt like everything was blown out of my control.
It’s a good thing I stressed that the Sephora employees on the ground weren’t to blame for the inaccessibility. They indeed treated me hospitably, and the issue disrupted their ability to execute their jobs, too. Everyone was scrambling.
I still accepted the gift card. Wouldn’t you, in this economy? That same day, I spent a little more in addition to the $100 anyway. The Haus Labs foundation and new NARS liquid blush were calling me.
In the end, going viral taught me lessons, too: Be careful with what you say online. You can’t control how others react. More people care about accessibility and disability advocacy than you know.
Living to tell another tale
The entire incident has actually made me rethink the purpose of my TikTok page. Originally, I intended to post only cosmetics-related videos, like myself doing my own makeup. But seeing how well a video about accessibility could do, my eyes were opened to how much people engage with content that has substance behind it. I’ve decided I’ll use my profile as another platform for my journalism endeavors.
Going forward, though, no more videos made out of exasperation. I want to be clear-eyed and proud of every production choice in my videos the next time I go viral.
Follow me @sherlisass on TikTok for videos on beauty through a disabled eye, video games and tech news, and living with SMA. I try to post weekly and interact with my community daily.
Note: SMA News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of SMA News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to spinal muscular atrophy.
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