Matthew Nichols
By Ken Tse
Matthew Nichols is all in -- the TikToker with over 1.2 million followers has turned a once-past time into a full blown social media career. He began like many others of the app, posting videos to the app just for fun. After his fifth video reached over 400,000 views, however, he made the decision to pursue the hobby for the long run. It’s clear that this has paid off for the viral star; Nichols, who only started on the app a year ago, has become a recognizable face in the TikTok space. “Besides meeting people, TikTok has just brought me confidence in myself”, he said. “Because I have 1.1 million people supporting me and who I am, I’m not afraid to be me at the fullest extent.” The influencer says that he is committed to making content; from dance trends, to commentary, and even responding to comments, Matthew remains a man of the people. His account, (@matthewnichols02), has generated over 80.7 million likes. We recently asked him about how his content has evolved, advice for new creators, and more!
Tell us a little bit about yourself; how did you get started making TikToks?
Thank you so much for this opportunity! So I started making TikToks at the beginning of my senior year of high school. I was hanging out with one of my teammates from my high school soccer team and he was scrolling through TikTok. We watched these videos for over an hour before we both agreed that we would make one just for fun. That’s exactly what we did. After running in and out of the house, trying to make the perfect video, we finally did it. So we posted them and didn’t really think about twice. Well, I checked my phone the next morning and the video was around 2,000 views. I was completely and utterly shocked. I was so curious about how views worked on the app so I made a few more. That’s when my 3rd video got around 12,000 views. That only fueled the fire. My 5th video got around 400,000 views. From there, I knew that there was something telling me to keep making videos. One, they brought me a lot of happiness and confidence in myself. Two, based on the comments, it seemed to make other people happy too. That’s when I knew that I was in it for the long run.
You’ve come a long way since your start. In what ways has your content changed from then to now?
I would definitely say my content had changed a lot since the beginning. I used to have a very young audience but just like everything does with time, the app has changed. It’s become more mature naturally. So I would say overall, I am making more mature comedy content but also sticking with what I started with, which was comedy in general.
Did you ever think a career in entertainment was possible before this? What has been the best part of your TikTok success?
I didn’t think once about a career in entertainment before Tiktok. That was always perceived as a dream or a distant fantasy. I guess you never really know that you have a shot at the industry until it just happens. It came in out of nowhere. Overall, the best part of TikTok for me personally is the people. I have met so many amazing friends over the app that I talk to every single day. Some of them have just as big of an impact on my life as the people that I am around everyday do. Besides meeting people, TikTok has just brought me confidence in myself. Because I have 1.1 million people supporting me and who I am, I’m not afraid to be me at the fullest extent.
If someone’s in Los Angeles for only a day, where are some of the places that they must go?
If you were to be in Los Angeles for a day, obviously you have to go see the Hollywood sign. It’s just an iconic landmark in the country. I also suggest the Santa Monica pier. Both of these places are very touristy but are a must see at least once if you are here.
Who are you teaming up with in a dream TikTok collab and why?
If I could team up and collab with one person it would definitely be David Dobrik. He is a YouTuber with a massive following that has kind of carried over to TikTok. I’d want to collab with him because he has been my biggest idol for a while now. His positivity and love for other people is simply admirable. Plus, he’s full of positivity and so am I. It’d be the perfect pair.
How do you make your content stand out amongst others?
I think what makes me stand out from other creators is positivity and genuineness. A lot of creators on the app will only show you what they want you to see. Granted, that goes for everyone but some are worse than others. Personally, I like to be honest and real with my friends. When I say friends, I mean followers, but they feel more like friends because I have built more of a family than a fan base. The one thing I try to consistently push on all platforms, especially TikTok is positivity and confidence in yourself. You only have one life so why care about what other people think. The more happy you are with yourself, the better your life will be. It’s all about self-love!
We caught that one video of your wearing a dress in a tub full of Fruit Loops. Hilarious. How did this idea even come together?
So seven of my best friends and I recently moved to Los Angeles around the middle of September with our clothing brand. When we moved out here, we were on the search for what would be the perfect content to throw out that would draw attention to the brand. At that time, the randomness and chaos of wearing a dress in a bathtub full of fruit loops seemed appropriate. I will say, I do not recommend sitting in soggy cereal. The video was also a reference to another content house, The Wave House. They did the same thing but with rose petals and made it very fancy. We just thought it would be hilarious to make a parody of it.
What are some of your favorite hobbies outside of TikTok?
Outside of Tiktok, I don’t really have a lot of hobbies besides work. I am a part of a small business clothing brand and that takes up all of my time. For the company, I work a lot with social media marketing. From TikToks, Instagram, and YouTube, my time is fully taken up. I love what I do so I like to think of it as more of a hobby than a job.
What advice do you have for a new, up and coming creator?
My best advice to any new creators is just to push originality. Social media lacks real and honest people nowadays so if you really want to stand out from other creators, be original. Another piece of advice is to always stay consistent. Social media itself is inconsistent but if you are constantly pushing out original videos, it’s only a matter of time before one of them will catch some traction.
Lastly, anything to plug? What’s next from Matthew Nichols?
Lastly, it would mean the world if you checked out the clothing brand I work with. We create a lot of street wear and cool concepts that you don’t see in the clothing industry often. You can find us on Instagram, @_unxpectd_, and on Tiktok, @unxpectdhouse. We are having a huge release at the end of the year with a bunch of sick products to check out. Also our website is unxpectd.co. As for what’s next in my life, I couldn’t really tell you. I recently have put my life in God’s hands and simply go where he takes me. Whether that is working with this brand for several more years, trying to start an acting career, or pushing my personal social media harder, I am content with where I am in life. Wherever God leads me is where I will be. Yes, I don’t know where that might be yet, but I am more than excited to see what my future holds. Thank you so much!
