Barbara Kingsley Began TikTok at 77. Now She Has 100,000 Fans and a Web site to Fit.

Barbara Kingsley spent 12 years as a highschool English trainer, then six extra doing PR for her college district. She retired in 2018.

Then, in January 2024, she picked up her telephone and began posting on TikTok.

I couldn’t include my feelings, and out it got here. I in an instant discovered a group.

A 12 months later, she had over 100,000 fans. Now not unhealthy for anyone who describes her setup as “me and my telephone.”

Barbara posts as Buzziebeeteacher — a nickname that’s adopted her since her days as a bass participant, a daycare trainer, and ultimately a highschool English trainer in Pennsylvania. 

Her content material began as political statement and developed into satire. She’s humorous, sharp, and entirely herself on digital camera.

What she realized about rising on social media

A 12 months in, 100,000 fans, and Barbara has found out what works. A couple of issues she’d inform any person beginning out:

• Watch earlier than you devote. See what’s running for creators you respect, then get started experimenting.

• Don’t obsess over high quality early on. Be constant first. The standard will apply.

•  All the time tag your content material along with your identify from day one. Barbara realized the laborious approach that untagged movies can be utilized by means of others — and monetized — with out your wisdom.

• Select a posting cadence you’ll if truth be told handle: beginning at 3 movies every week makes it laborious to drop to 2 with out the set of rules penalizing you.

You’ve were given to have tenacity like a bulldog putting directly to the mailman’s pant leg.

Why WordPress.com

Barbara had a WordPress.com account from years in the past, arrange after she retired from educating. Lifestyles were given in the way in which, and she or he forgot about it.

When TikTok took off, she got here again.

She wanted a spot to ship her fans. Someplace she owned, the place she may promote her books and construct one thing extra everlasting than a social media profile.

TikTok may disappear the next day to come. Her website online received’t. And having her personal branded .com area — buzziebeeteacher.com — was once a large a part of that.

TikTok has my entire portfolio at any second. However my identify — that’s my logo. What extra can I say?

Barbara began development the web page herself the use of the AI website online builder, then came upon she may time table a decision with the WordPress.com staff to get lend a hand.

I knew what I sought after, and also you guys polished it off. It’s been nice. For those who’re fascinated by purchasing WordPress, purchase Top rate — as a result of you’ll time table lend a hand at your comfort. It’s the best factor since cleaning soap.

What the website online does as of late

buzziebeeteacher.com is Barbara’s hub — a spot for her books, her song, her bio, and her social hyperlinks. It’s the place TikTok fans who wish to cross deeper can land.

The area was once a large deal for her. It gave her logo a right kind house.

That’s like MickeyMouse.com. It’s proper there. It’s no longer going any place.

She’s were given extra plans, too. A completed cookbook written in calligraphy she needs to digitize and post, a youngsters’ e book, song, and movies at the web page.

Your tale merits a house, too

Barbara constructed an target market of 100,000+ other folks on a platform she doesn’t regulate. Her website online is the only position that’s in point of fact hers.

WordPress.com gave her the area, the platform, and the staff to lend a hand her pull it in combination. She introduced the persona and the plan.

The remaining? Nonetheless being written.