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As head of community, I have been following very closely a bunch of Swedish creators whom I as a creator in my free time, believe are doing an amazing job with their content on TikTok. Some of them inspired us on our little project where I post community updates and tips for creators to grow their accounts and network with other creators (you can find it on @thereelgiga ) but there is a creator in particular that has always been in my top 5 list: Wulf, the creator behind @wulfsliv.
I reached out to Wulf a few months ago with the idea of interviewing him to understand what life is like for someone who has been a full time creator for two years, while at the same time, studying in upper secondary school. With more than 246,000 followers and more than seven million likes, Wulf and I discuss his experience working as a content creator on TikTok. He shares his views on what he considers when working with brands and agencies, such as the brand, the payment, and their ease of communication, as well as his experience collaborating with various companies, including Nathalie's Ekologiska, ACO, and Marabou.
Wulf also talks about the challenges of being recognized on the street and the benefits of being a TikToker, such as the opportunity to travel and meet new people.
Let's get to know Wulf:
1. Who are you and why do people know you on social media?
My name is Wulf, I am 19 years of age and live in Stockholm which is the capital of Sweden. In September 2020 I started the TikTok-account Wulfs Liv and I have now reached over 240 000 followers.
2. Can you tell us how the moment you realized you went viral was? How did you react?
It was in October 2020 when my parents and I traveled to Gotland, which is an island outside of mainland Sweden. Then I had just reached 50 000 followers on TikTok, when I got approached by a group of young teenagers who recognized me and asked if they could take a selfie with me. It was a surreal (but fun) feeling to be recognized on the street, and especially outside of Stockholm.
3. What is the best part of being an influencer?
Thanks to my TikTok-account I have got to know amazing people, many of which have later become my friends. That is something I really appreciate about TikTok in particular – there are so many nice and kind people on the platform.
TikTok has been my part-time work for more than two years and my account has given me the possibility to travel, have great fun and meet the most fantastic people.
4. What is the worst part of being an influencer?
It is obviously not very fun when people photograph you on the street, when they think you’re not noticing – it is always much better to say hello and ask for a selfie. When you are a person that many people recognize it might not feel comfortable to walk outside with the garbage bags, wearing pajamas, however that is a very small thing compared to all the benefits that working with TikTok brings.
I would say that in general it is enjoyable to be a TikToker and I am so happy that I can work- and make a living out of it.
5. When an agency or a brand approaches you, what things make you say YES to a collaboration?
I would say that there are some key points that I look at when a brand or an agency contacts me. These are: the brand, the pay and that they’re easy to communicate with. The brand is naturally front and center: what brand is it and what product or service do they want me to talk about on my account. If it’s a well-known brand and a product I like – I will say “yes”.
For me it’s important that I use the product myself, for example, when I was asked if I wanted to make a TikTok showing a new chicken burger for one of the biggest burger brands in Sweden I said “no” because I do not eat meat – in order words, I don’t use the product. The pay is obviously important as well. I want the brands and agencies to appreciate me as a creator and therefore they need to offer a pay that shows that. If they don’t I will of course negotiate, but in the end, if the brand or agency can’t meet my demands – then it’s a no, and if they do – then it’s a yes.
For me it is important that the brand or agency is easy to work with, for example that they have a certain amount of foresight and reply quickly to any questions I might have. If an agency contacts me and wants a draft done the same day – I will view that as unprofessional since they obviously don’t understand that I have a life outside of my work with TikTok. For me foresight is of great importance and if I have more time to work with the script and the filming of the video it will result in a more successful collaboration.
6. Tell us three things you hate brands and agencies do when working with you?
For the most part, I find that most brands and agencies are easy to work with, however there are some things that occasionally happen that I don’t like. The creative brief is not something to underestimate as it makes the framework of the collaboration.
Even though I might like the brand and product, if the creative brief is limited or written in stone, that might become an issue. In a paid collaboration the focus is without a doubt on the product, however I as a creator know my followers and need to have a certain amount of creative freedom regarding how to present the brand or product in order for the collaboration to be successful for both parts.
Moreover, that the brands and agencies have a certain amount of foresight and offer a pay that respects the work I do as a creator, is needless to say.
7. What have been your top 3 paid collaborations? Why did you enjoy each one?
My collaboration with Nathalie’s Ekologiska (a company importing organic dried fruit from Colombia) was thoroughly enjoyable, mostly because it was a long-term one, spanning over six months.
For me as a creator, long-term collaborations are both good in terms of economic security and also because the brand and I can develop our relationship together during a longer period of time. Not to forget, they were also extremely nice and easy to work with and gave me plenty of creative freedom on how to do the videos.
Secondly, the collaboration I had with ACO (a large Swedish skin care company) was fantastic for many important reasons. The collaboration included two videos, which in itself is much appreciated, to be posted in August. They reached out to me in June (plenty of foresight as you can see!), offered a fine pay and were overall really communicative and a pleasure to work with.
Thirdly, my collaboration with Marabou (a large Swedish company selling chocolate) was really good for a number of reasons. That Marabou, which is both an extremely well-known and large company, reached out to me was honestly flattering. The collaboration worked well, the video performed magnificently and I had all the creative freedom I could wish for in the making of the video.
8. What brands would you like to work with in the future?
Since I always use a phone from Samsung, both privately and for making TikToks, it would be a dream to collaborate with them. I am sure that it would be a great success for both me and Samsung.
It would be fantastic to have a long-term collaboration with clothing brands I use on a nearby daily basis, such as Adidas, Nike or Stone Island. I recently received my driver’s license and therefore it would be very fitting to work with either a car-rental firm (such as Hertz or Avis) or a car brand – wouldn’t that be perfect?
Finally, to work on a more long-term basis with travel- and tourist agencies and cruise lines would be superb, mostly because my followers always enjoy my travel-vlogs!
10. What influencer within your circle would you like to nominate to the next interview?
I would like to nominate my fantastic colleague and friend Tim, who runs the account @memetix (more than 1,5 million followers) and @memetix_swe (more than 350 000 followers) on TikTok.
I invite you to take a look at my adventures on TikTok! Welcome! Take care, have fun and enjoy life!
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I hope you enjoyed Wulf's interview and if you are interested in being interviewed, reach out to me through Tiktok: @thereelgiga
Andrea
