How to Win on TikTok and Medium with Professor Aaron Dinin, 100K+ on each

Product Growth Podcast

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How to Win on TikTok and Medium with Professor Aaron Dinin, 100K+ on each

With 100K+ on Medium and 200K+ on Insta, Professor Aaron Dinin shares his secrets in to how to grow on social media channels that aren't covered very often.

Aakash Gupta

and

Aaron Dinin

Nov 17, 2024

Transcript

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

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Today’s episode is a curveball — but in the best way.

We’re still diving into growth, but this time, we’re stepping into the world of social media.

Our guest? Not your typical LinkedIn rockstar who’s all over your feed.

He’s a social media powerhouse — a pro at cracking the code of Instagram, TikTok, and Medium.

If you’ve ever wondered how to turn those platforms into growth engines for your company, this episode is for you.

It’s for the marketing and the GTM and the social media geeks.

(And a bit of an experiment.)

The agenda:

Aaron’s Role as a Professor of Social Marketing – 00:00:56
Mastering Instagram and TikTok: Strategies and Insights – 00:15:30
Crafting and Editing Short-Form Videos for Maximum Impact – 00:22:45
How to Grow on Medium: Building an Engaged Audience – 00:50:05
How Analytics Can Support Storytelling Approaches – 01:44:10

Here are the Key Takeaways

Here are 5 of Aaron’s most powerful insights:

1. Storytelling is the Core Technology Behind Social Media

People don’t remember what you tell them, they remember how you made them feel.

Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn are just modern stages for the age-old art of storytelling.

Social media isn’t just a new form of entertainment; it's part of a much larger trend of humans using stories to connect, build audiences, and share experiences.

Whether it's Walt Whitman or today's Instagram creators, the core technology at play is storytelling.

The most successful creators are not just marketing products — they're telling stories that resonate deeply with their audiences.

2. Consistency Over Perfection: The Key to Building a Social Media Presence

It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being consistent.

When it comes to social media, Aaron emphasizes that consistency is far more important than perfection.

His "one through 100 rule" advises creators to post frequently, even if the content isn’t always polished. The first step to growing an audience is simply showing up — every day.

Start somewhere.
Make it a habit committing to daily posts.
Don’t worry about getting every post perfect — just start posting and adapt as you go!

3. Trend Jumping: Create Content Based on What People Are Already Talking About

One of the smartest ways to grow your social media presence is by tapping into existing conversations.

Aaron calls this "trend jumping" — creating content around topics that are already capturing attention.

Whether it’s the Super Bowl, the latest viral trend, or pop culture events, if you align your content with these moments, you’ll significantly increase the chances of it being noticed.

The key is to recognize what’s trending, and then strategically jump in with your own angle or take on the subject.

This is a key strategy — don’t wait for your moment to be relevant, create it by aligning with what’s already buzzing.

4. Build a Personal Connection with Your Audience Through Authentic Content

Don’t just create content — create something that feels like an extension of yourself.

Social media is more than just a tool to promote your brand; it’s an opportunity to connect authentically with your audience.

One of the reasons Aaron was able to grow his own social media presence was that he wasn’t just pushing out generic content — he was sharing his personal thoughts, insights, and learning experiences.

By being authentic and transparent, he built a community around his personal brand.

This creates a deeper connection with your audience because they don’t just follow you for what you do — they follow you because they feel like they know you.

Use your unique experiences to inform your content.
Share stories, challenges, and lessons that reflect your personal journey.

5. Content that stands out doesn’t always have to be perfect — it has to be disruptive in some way.

The human brain, driven by the amygdala, is wired to focus on things that stand out — especially if they’re unusual, dramatic, or potentially threatening.

This is why negative news or "outlier" content tends to capture more attention. For content creators, understanding this behavior can be used strategically to hook your audience.

Aaron explains that creating content that challenges the norm or highlights the unexpected — whether it’s a big reveal or a surprising twist — will help your content rise above the noise.

Much like "clickbait" headlines that promise shocking news, or the viral appeal of "thirst traps," your content can attract attention by being a little provocative or disruptive, without crossing into negativity.

Find ways to craft your posts that are intriguing and irresistible.

For more details, listen to the full episode now!

Referenced

Books:
- Tim Ferriss's "The 4-Hour Workweek" — Guide to productivity and habit-building for achieving personal and professional goals.
- "Leaves of Grass" by Walt Whitman: Groundbreaking poetry collection that explores themes of individuality, nature, and the human experience.
Strategies/Frameworks:
- "Deep Time" by Wai-Chi Dimock — Study of how historical phenomena unfold over centuries, challenging our short-term perceptions of time.
- The "One Through 100 Rule": A framework emphasizing the importance of consistent daily posting to build a social media presence.
- Trend Jumping: A strategy to align content with trending topics for increased visibility and engagement.
- Tickling the Amygdala: A method for creating attention-grabbing content by appealing to the primal emotional triggers of the brain.
Newsletter:
- The "Social Media Examiner" Newsletter: A resource providing weekly insights, tips, and news for social media marketers.