Social Media Content Creators

Firstly, can you introduce yourself briefly?

Hi, my name is Zach (AKA Zactor6). I’m 20 years old and born and raised right here in Auckland. I am in my third year of studying for a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Accounting and Marketing. 

What sparked your interest in joining the University’s marketing team as the TikTok Coordinator?

Since high school, I’ve been making TikToks on my account and have managed to become somewhat of a niche micro-influencer. I then became a content creator for the University of Auckland in June last year, and I found it quite fulfilling to make TikToks for the University as I felt it gave my content a bit more purpose. The position then became available, and I decided to give it a go and never looked back. 

This year has seen significant growth on TikTok. Can you share any strategies or secrets that contributed to this success?

While there’s no secret formula, my guiding philosophy is to weave the University’s messages and values into content that resonates with viewers like myself. I don’t always feel the need to follow the latest trending audio or CapCut template, as it is harder to stand out if everyone is doing them. Engaging with our audience through co-creation or simply responding to comments is a vital aspect that many overlook. 

The beauty of the University of Auckland is that you’re bound to eventually find someone here who is into the same things as you. By making the page tie into so many niches, whether it be Formula 1, Fortnite, the NBA, Marvel, Taylor Swift or KPOP, we can make specific content that caters to large segments of our wider audience. 

In your role, have you encountered any notable challenges, and how did you overcome them? 

I think the main challenge I have encountered in my role is consistency. We have a team of student content creators, but when the semester got busy, their submissions would dry up. So, I took it upon myself to try and carry the page by producing content to keep us posting on a regular basis. During exam time or when I got particularly busy with work or assignments, I found it hard, but I still managed to produce some great videos. I couldn’t have done this alone, though, as I had an incredible amount of support from both my friends and colleagues. 

As your degree is nearing completion, what aspects of being a TikTok Coordinator have you enjoyed the most, and what are your plans for the future?

The thing I have enjoyed the most is the fact that I somehow managed to make UoA cool in the eyes of many who might not have considered it before. The number of people I’ve encountered this year, whether it be people I know or random strangers who came up to us while filming content to tell us they love the page, was truly heartwarming.  

As for my plans for the future, I hope to stay in this role for a little while longer, but I honestly have no idea where I’ll go. It’ll definitely have something to do with social media or TikTok.