Hawaii’s social media star reveals the keys to going viral

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – If you see Micah Tengan coming, you better be quick.

The 22-year-old from Waikiki is full of questions and has a total of nearly 2 million followers on TikTok and Instagram waiting for your answers.

Although he says he gets turned down about 80% of the time for his man-on-the-street style interviews, Tengan learned perseverance at a young age by playing the piano and violin and practicing martial arts.

As a freshman at UH Lab School, Tengan competed at the 2018 Hawaii State Judo Championships.

Although he wanted to return to the tournament, a torn MCL put Tengan on the sidelines.

The injury, along with seasons on pause due to the pandemic, put athletics on hold and pushed Tengan to post her first video on TikTok.

The clip is actually played in reverse and shows Tengan grabbing the lid of a trash can painted like the “Captain America” ​​shield.

It became an overnight hit with millions of views.

From there, Tengan continued to record and publish.

Along the way, he met other content creators who helped him develop key principles for growing his following,

Tengan says influencers should post consistently, learn how to edit videos and find a hook to grab viewers’ attention within the first three seconds of their content.

While it may sound simple, between recording and editing, Tengan says it can take up to eight hours to post a video.

But it’s proving to be time well spent now that Tengan is turning the posts into profits.

He says creators can monetize through the apps themselves and sign deals with brands that want to promote products and services.

Tengan’s parents want him to finish college and get his business degree at UH Manoa, but Tengan says they’re slowly starting to understand the value of content creation.

Tengan is also known for taking strangers on “mysterious adventures,” but he admits these excursions aren’t as spontaneous as they seem.

Videos that show on-site interactions are often set up before the camera starts rolling, Tengan admits.

Aside from the fun, Tengan says her true passion is spreading Aloha.

Some of his most popular clips highlight community outreach, such as donating money, meals, lei and gifts.

Ultimately, Tengan wants to share his wisdom on how to go viral with aspiring social media stars in Hawaii.

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