Connor Tanner
By Ken Tse / Aaron Sabeti
With a variety of content ranging from shenanigans with fellow TikTok stars to thirst traps to fun dancing videos, creator Connor Tanner has connected with many of the content houses, as well as other teenage TikTok dancers. Tanner’s first Tiktok was uploaded in August 2019, and he built up his name and fanbase until an invitation to Playlist Live came his way. At the time, he only had around 250k followers. At Playlist, he got to experience firsthand the lifestyle of many major TikTokers and YouTube influencers. After that, he realized he wanted to keep pursuing the influencer lifestyle. He proceeded to upload more content, which continually went viral, reaching one million followers. And he’s yet to stagnate. With a current count of 1.1M followers, his newfound fame has put him in contact with a community of larger creators like @madi (12.5M) and @evacudmore (2.1M), the latter of whom he’s currently dating. We recently spoke with Connor Tanner about opportunities in LA, his next moves in entertainment, and more!
Let’s start off with a short introduction: Tell us a little bit about yourself? When did you get started making TikToks?
I got on TikTok around the end of July 2019, but I made my first TikTok around the end of August 2019.
Surpassing one million followers is a huge milestone for any creator. Walk us through that moment.
I hit 1 million when I was in LA visiting with my friends. For any creator, hitting 1 million is like a dream come true because you’ll never get that moment or feeling back.
I’m sure that you’ve made many great memories in the last year. Is there one that really sticks out to you when you reflect on this journey?
The one that sticks out to me the most is when I went to Playlist Live. I only had around 250k then and didn’t really know that many other creators, but it was very fun. Playlist was like the first peek inside the life of being an influencer and when I realized I really wanted to pursue social media.
What has been the greatest perk of your TikTok success?
I think my greatest perk is being able to travel and make friends all around the country. Social media has allowed me (some small town kid) to connect with many people from all around who are now most of my closest friends.
You don’t seem to follow a particular niche in your content. How do you typically come up with ideas for your videos?
Well I used to do mainly POVS but THEY have lost their relevance. Most of the time now I’ll just browse the FYP to try and find a new dance or new trend or even a sound that I could come up with a video idea.
What is the best part about living in LA? If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would that be and why?
The best part about living in LA is the opportunities it has to offer. LA is the place for everything social media, modeling, music, acting etc. plus, I’ve met some really great people out here that have helped me out a lot. If I could live anywhere else it’d probably be Hawaii because I love the beach and all the scenery around there. But living in LA has been my dream since I started social media seriously.
If you could collaborate with any TikToker on the app, who would that be?
Well I don’t really look at someone and just want to make videos with them because of their following or engagement. Most of the time I just collaborate with my friends or whoever wants to make videos, but I have collaborated with most people I have wanted to in the past and some are my close friends now.
How has the pandemic affected the way you make content?
It hasn’t really affected me personally with making content. I was always someone who did stuff themselves. The only way I can think it has affected me now is in public. You can’t just make or post whatever because you have to wear a mask for the safety of yourself and others.
Which one of your recent videos was your favorite to make and why?
Either a trend I recently posted that was about body positivity or a lip syncing one I posted with Sabrina Quesada doing an old POV sound. Sabrina was one of the first people I ever got close with off of TikTok and we both did POVs.
What can we catch you up to on your day off?
Usually when I have free time I like to spend time with all my friends and we go do something around LA, such as go to the beach.
Lastly, what’s next for Connor Tanner?
I’m currently trying to get into other things besides just social media such as acting, modeling, and music. I’m not exactly sure which way I'll go yet but I'm going to try my best in all and figuring out which is best for me right now.
