Every so often, the world, businesses, and consumers get to experience a game changer. A platform, a tool, a stage that to put simply, creates a rare opportunity.
An opportunity to level up the playing field and to stand out amongst the crowds.
In the case of Seva Mozhaev – a Perth schoolteacher turned wedding photographer and TikTok sensation, standing out was never a huge challenge. After all, he is 6ft10. But height alone was not enough to achieve his goals. If we start at the end, today we have a TikTok expert who has not only used the platform to change his professional life but has found an outlet that is already redefining how a business can reach their audience in a fun and formative way.
And the most fascinating part? It’s not really the end, it’s just the beginning.
Seva first discovered TikTok as a schoolteacher in 2018. He heard and saw a number of his students using the platform and, in an effort to find common ground for conversation and prove that dedication pays off, he began playing with the platform, testing out its features and ability.
A passionate social media user, Seva fast realised the immediate impact his videos were having and while getting ‘likes’ on his content was not his main goal, he couldn’t help not noticing the rapid growth of his followership.
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During 2019, Seva began using the platform more consistently for his wedding photography business and in combination
with his other media channels he fast realised that his life personnel and professional both personally and professionally had simply changed forever.
His wedding photography leads and bookings were increasing, his wedding consulting material became extremely popular, and in a market that many describe as saturated, Seva paved a way and proved otherwise.
“I was never one to care about how many likes a video got, I was just producing fun content.” “When I started to see how fast the numbers were growing, I realised it could be a good opportunity to grow my business.”
Similar to a number of other social media channels, TikTok is a video-sharing platform. It allows every person with an account to create short videos and upload them while adding filters, music, text and voices. Initially released in 2016, the platform was best known as a place to upload short fun videos, mainly dances or a quick tip of the day.
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While similar features are shared amongst other channels, TikTok’s algorithm is one of the main factors that bring over one billion monthly visitors to the platform. It’s ability to quickly recommend specific videos for each viewer and automatically play them makes it extremely user friendly. Not only that but the more time spent on the platform, the more accurate a viewer’s channel will be. In other words, everything you like watching and following is delivered right in front of your eyes.
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When businesses began using TikTok to reach their audience, something Seva saw was a great opportunity to learn something new and see if it could work for his business.
Seva is a true believer in simply showcasing yourself:
The more authentic you can be, the more you will be able to connect to your crowd.”
That same method, he believes can be adapted to any business.
“Today, the majority of my wedding photography leads come from my TikTok channel and in all honesty, I’m not using any superpowers for it, I just spend time using the platform and
producing fun content that speaks to my audience”.
His experience as a schoolteacher developed his strong passion for helping and guiding people wherever possible. His decision to leave teaching was impacted by what Seva saw as an outdated system.
Seva is still extremely passionate about teaching and guiding and focuses that energy into educating and connecting to people via social media, with TikTok remaining his number one choice for reaching his audience.
Today, as Seva continues to grow his wedding photography business he is also teaching and guiding other businesses on the strategy and how to use TikTok to scale their brand.
And his past school students who were there during the early days of the TikTok adventure?
They are followers and are constantly there, enjoying the journey. “One of my favourite parts about this whole TikTok thing is that it all started while I was a schoolteacher and today it is a great way to show my past students that with time,
dedication and effort, anything is possible.
Like most social media channels, TikTok has also been criticised over time. It is associated with a number of negative reports, in particular with a number of incidents where people were following participating in life-risking unsafe challenges they learned on the platform, something Seva warns people about.
“When it comes to digital channels and platforms that encourage videos there is the risk of it not always being 100% positive.” “It’s crucial that parents are aware of what kids are doing online and also really important that any online influencers realise that impact they can have on people.”
“I’m a true believer in using social media to create positivity and it’s a great way to get a positive message across.”
