For Springfield sisters, road to millions of TikTok followers started with faces on grapes (2024)

For Springfield sisters, road to millions of TikTok followers started with faces on grapes (1)

More than 3 million TikTok users follow social media content creators Makeala "Mak" and Mattea Ingemi,sisters from Springfield. The sisters are known for their comedy bits and LGTBQIA+ content.

Mak, 23, has 3.2 million followers on TikTokand Mattea, 21, has 4.1 million followers on TikTok.

Creating content, whether it be short skits or homemade movies, has been a part of the sisters' lives for more than a decade. Mak said she remembers creating YouTube videos in middle school, but she didn't share them widely.

"I knew I enjoyed it, but I got made fun of a lot for it, so I never strongly pursued it because I didn't want to seem like it was something I cared about," she said.

Thinking back, Mattea recalled a video she took of Mak celebrating her first 100 subscribers on YouTube.

"I was like, 'One step closer to a million (followers),'" Mak said with a laugh.

'Everything comes back to grapes'

The transition from 100 followers to several thousand on both TikTok and YouTube took a few years for the sisters. It was in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, that Mattea gained a significant amount of followers for a video series on TikTok.

“In 2019-ish, I made a video with these little, baby grapes that I found working at a juicery," Mattea said."I drew faces on them, named them and made a little skit about them. People loved it, so I kept making these little grape videos. I gained like 280,000 followers off of that.”

It didn't take long before Mattea wanted to pursue other avenues of content, so she decided to stop making videos about the grapes.

“The transition from making grape videos to anything else was godawful," she said."I would post (videos) without the grapes, (and people would comment), ‘Where’s Rupert (one of the grape characters)? Whereare the grapes?’ Then there would be one person (who would say), ‘She can post other things.’”

In 2020, Mattea included Mak in a video, "saying things you shouldn't say to your gay sister." The video gained traction, so Mattea made another. The sequel has more than 30 million views.

Not long after her appearance in Mattea's videos, Mak made her own TikTok account. She started by following popular trends, but then began to create lifestyle and fashion videos, often centered around the LGBTQIA+ experience.

Over the course of the pandemic, the sisters began to focus on creating YouTube videos. As of June 21, Mak has 147,000 subscribers on YouTubeand Mattea has 33,100 subscribers on YouTube.

"Everything comes back to grapes," Mak said about the sisters'social media journey.

More:Meet the top YouTube, TikTok influencers with ties to Springfield

Creating a safe space for her younger self

Growing up, Mak enjoyed watching videos from LGBTQIA+ YouTubers, including Shannon Beveridge and Hannah Hart.

When preparing to make videos, Mak asks herself what she would have liked to watch when she was younger.

"For me, my main goal is to always try to be the best role model I can be for young queer kids," Mak said."It’s the thing I always looked for when I was younger. I’m trying to take that torch and start a new generation of people setting a really good example. Just showing (young viewers) that they can have a good life ...is really important to me."

Over the last 10 years, LGBTQIA+ content on social media has grown more readily accessible. Mak said while she understands the importance of this accessibility, she also knows over-saturation of LGBTQIA+ content can be damaging to the community.

“I think a lot of queer content these days is very inappropriate and over sexualized because it gets views," she said.“Not all my content is family friendly, but I like bringing stuff that actually has substance to it, beyond just talking about sex or something that I know will get quick hits.”

Today, Mak enjoys collaborating with other queer content creators and making lifestyle videos.

Balancing young adulthood with a 24/7 career

Last fall, the sisters decided to become content creators full time. And while the two enjoy making their own schedules, doing work they care about, it can be draining.

"I feel like I'm always working," Mattea said. "Anytime something funny happens, I just wish I would have gotten it on camera. It's hard to enjoy moments."

Additionally, dealing with negative comments can be difficult, especially as the sisters are trying to navigate learning about themselves as young adults.

Mak said she used to get defensive about hateful comments, but over time she "grew a backbone," with help from Mattea.

"I have chilled out about it so much," Mak said. "Some of it, I think, is I've just been desensitized to everything. Other parts of it are just realizing that it doesn't matter and being confident in what you post."

The sisters agreed that negative comments aren't worth anyone's time, no matter how big someone's follower count is.

More:What really happened with the Kyle Scheele Meale at Kum & Go? Was the TikTok staged?

Looking toward the future

Working as a social media content creator can be unpredictable, but both Mak and Mattea have long-term goals they wish to pursue.

Using her experience in video content creation, Mattea said she has an interest in directing, or at least being on a film set, helping make creative decisions.

In addition, she said one of her bucket list goals is to compete on a reality game show like Netflix's "The Circle," where competitors create online personas, either of their true selves or as catfishes.

For Mak, creating higher production value, scripted YouTube content is on the horizon. Right now, she is taking a break from college, but she said she hopes to use what she's learned as a digital film and television student at Missouri State University to guide her.

This month, Mak will join hundreds of YouTubers at VidCon as a featured creator. VidCon is an annual convention for YouTube fans and creators, founded by Hank and John Green. This year, VidCon is June 22-25 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California.

Mak is participating in several events throughout the five-day convention, including a queer fashion panel, workout challenge, Pride event, and meet and greet.

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the SpringfieldNews-Leader. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com

For Springfield sisters, road to millions of TikTok followers started with faces on grapes (2024)

FAQs

How much do you get for 1 million followers in TikTok? ›

How much money does 1 million TikTok followers make? TikTok creators with 1 million followers or more can expect to make an average of $1,500 per post for branded content. One creator, Jenn Leach, reported earning $88 for 1.6 million views, which works out to 6 cents per 1,000 views.

How to get 1 million followers in TikTok? ›

Not only does it give you new ways to interact with your TikTok audience, but also access to powerful analytics.
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Mar 27, 2023

How to get 10k followers on TikTok in 5 minutes? ›

How To Get 10k Followers On Tiktok In 5 Minutes: Revealed 2023
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Mar 22, 2023

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Creating engaging and unique content is key when deciding how to get 1k followers on tiktok in 5 minutes. Your content should be high-quality, visually appealing, and entertaining. It should also be unique and stand out from the crowd.

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As for the TikTok Creator Fund, you can earn between 2 and 4 cents for every 1,000 views. This means you might expect $20 to $40 after reaching a million views.

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It is estimated that TikTok pays anywhere between $20 to $50 per 1 million followers – with brand deals, endorsem*nts, and other revenue streams, the amount could be higher or lower depending on the type of deal agreed upon.

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These are then converted to diamonds before being deposited as real money in your account. Further, TikTok pays you if your account holds more than 1500 followers for live shows. Therefore, you can expect to earn around $100 for every 10,000 followers on live shows.

Does TikTok pay you? ›

TikTok does not directly pay creators to produce and upload videos. TikTok does offer funding for creators in the form of the TikTok Creativity Program. Still, payment varies based on factors like the number of video views, engagement rates, and the authenticity of users engaging with the post.

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According to reports from top influencers, TikTok pays around $0.02 and $0.04 for every 1,000 views. These are reports based on payments received through the TikTok Creator Fund. This is a program that TikTok introduced in 2021 in a bid to compensate content creators for creating content on the platform.

Is posting 3 times a day on TikTok good? ›

How often you post can also affect how your content is distributed on the platform (TikTok recommends posting 1-4 times per day). To find a posting schedule that will please both the TikTok algorithm and your fans, keep a close eye on your performance until you find a frequency that works.

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The best times to post on TikTok are Tuesdays from 2 to 6 p.m., Wednesdays from 2 to 5 p.m. and Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m. Afternoons are when the highest engagements are on the platform; users are looking to fill their afternoon entertainment boost.

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To join TikTok's creativity program for videos longer than one minute: a creator must have at least 10,000 followers and at least 100,000 video views in the past 30 days. Users can participate in the creativity program or the creator fund, not both.

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How much does TikTok pay per 1,000 views? According to top creators, TikTok pays contributors between $0.02 and $0.04 per 1,000 views through its Creator Fund program.

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Why is the payout so low? TikTok pays its creators through the Creator Fund, which is a pool of money distributed among creators on the platform based on their views. This is a set pool of money, so regardless of how many creators are on the platform, the pool remains the same.

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Charli D'Amelio is also the best TikTok influencer by per-post earnings. She earns a whopping $105,770 every time she publishes a new video.

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Frequently Asked Questions – How much does TikTok pay for 10 million views on a video? Since TikTok pays 2-4 cents for every 1000 views, you can make around $400 with 10 million views on TikTok through the creator's fund.

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The Creator Fund is a program that TikTok offers to its creators, allowing them to earn money based on their video views. TikTok pays its creators based on their video's engagement rate, including the number of views, likes, comments, and shares.

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How much money is 100K views on TikTok? You can get paid between an estimated $2 – $3 dollars for every 100000 views by the TikTok Creator Fund. It pays $0.02 – $0.04 per every 1,000 views. However, if you do a sponsored post, you can get paid around $1000 – $2000 depending on your engagement.

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A TikTok video with a million views is considered to be viral. To create a viral video, TikTok creators should post regularly, cover trending topics, promote heavily on other platforms, use relevant hashtags, and utilize popular sounds.

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How Many Likes On TikTok To Get Paid?
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100100$5 – $8
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May 31, 2023

How much money do you get for 1 million views on Facebook? ›

On average, 1 million views pays about $1,000, Shaba said. Sometimes, a video with about 1 million views can earn upward of $1,500 depending on the CPM rate, or cost per thousand views, Nonny added. (Insider verified these earnings with screenshots of their Facebook creator studio.)

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The most watched video on TikTok is by none than Zach King, where he jokingly says that he was rejected by Hogwarts by found a be a lizard in his way. Zach King is one of the most followed TikToker has over 75 million followers.

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May 8, 2023

How many followers do you need on TikTok to go live? ›

Requirements for going Live on TikTok.

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Can I go live with 500 followers on TikTok? ›

How many followers do you need to go live on TikTok? To access the Live feature on the TikTok app, you must have at least 1000 followers.

How can I go viral on TikTok? ›

How to go viral on TikTok
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Jan 31, 2023

How do I get my TikTok videos seen? ›

  1. Add hashtags to your videos.
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  5. Try a how-to video.
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#1 UseViral. UseViral is the top-rated app for getting TikTok followers that has been around for a while. It's known for its top quality service, which includes organic growth, real followers, and a money-back guarantee. UseViral offers various packages, including followers, likes, views, and shares.

How much money does TikTok pay for 1 million followers? ›

How much money does 1 million TikTok followers make? TikTok creators with 1 million followers or more can expect to make an average of $1,500 per post for branded content. One creator, Jenn Leach, reported earning $88 for 1.6 million views, which works out to 6 cents per 1,000 views.

How much does TikTok pay for 200k followers? ›

If you have 200,000 followers, you can earn $100 to $200 per post. If you have 2,000 followers, you can make $5 to $9 per post. Some brands may even offer free products as compensation. Keep in mind, the estimate is based on follower and engagement numbers.

How much is a TikTok account with 30k followers worth? ›

Since then, I have been working with multiple brands making $1,000 to $1,500 per month from 30,000 followers.

How much does TikTok pay for 100K followers? ›

For reference, here's an average of how much money is made monthly according to the number of followers. Creators with over 100K followers typically make $200 to $1K a month, and those with over 1 million usually earn $1K to $5K monthly or more.

How much does TikTok pay monthly? ›

According to reports from top influencers, TikTok pays around $0.02 and $0.04 for every 1,000 views. These are reports based on payments received through the TikTok Creator Fund. This is a program that TikTok introduced in 2021 in a bid to compensate content creators for creating content on the platform.

Do you get paid on TikTok live for likes? ›

Does TikTok pay for likes? TikTok does not directly pay you for the likes you receive on your videos. However, if your videos have a million likes, you can get the attention of brands and sponsors, which can help you earn money.

How does TikTok pay you? ›

TikTok does not directly pay creators to produce and upload videos. TikTok does offer funding for creators in the form of the TikTok Creativity Program. Still, payment varies based on factors like the number of video views, engagement rates, and the authenticity of users engaging with the post.

How much does TikTok live pay? ›

Virtual Gifts

These are then converted to diamonds before being deposited as real money in your account. Further, TikTok pays you if your account holds more than 1500 followers for live shows. Therefore, you can expect to earn around $100 for every 10,000 followers on live shows.

How much does Facebook pay you for 1 million views? ›

On average, 1 million views pays about $1,000, Shaba said. Sometimes, a video with about 1 million views can earn upward of $1,500 depending on the CPM rate, or cost per thousand views, Nonny added. (Insider verified these earnings with screenshots of their Facebook creator studio.)

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