How Keith Lee Became Tiktok's Favorite Human
If you're addicted to nightly scrolls on TikTok or just happen to be on any social media site, I’m sure you have come across at least one of Keith Lee’s videos. Keith Lee is a former Bellator MMA fighter that joined the TikTok community in 2020 as a way to get more comfortable with public speaking and alleviate his social anxiety. What began as casual family focused videos following him on his journey cooking meals and searching for foods to satisfy his wife’s pregnancy cravings, has turned into a food review platform with a reach of over 12 million people on TikTok alone. In the last two years, he has made a name for himself as a family man, an advocate for other Black creators and a Las Vegas “food savior.” His reviews of small and struggling restaurants have not only become a source of entertainment on social media, but they have single handedly driven traffic and an influx of support for businesses who otherwise would have stayed under the radar.
Given his overnight rise to the top of the influencer pyramid, you may ask, how did he do it? With all of the content and creators on the internet, how did he manage to break through the noise and make a name for himself? Here are our thoughts:
He created content that was relevant and relatable - As someone who loves food and prefers someone else trying restaurants for me and telling me where to go (Yelp reviewers are a blessing), it is super helpful to have someone give their honest opinions on places that aren’t just “IG aesthetics” and $25 cocktails.
He has been authentic and genuine from the start - Keith is adamant about paying for any meals he eats, refuses to give blatantly negative reviews and is consistently giving credit when it’s due to other creators who inspire his choices. How could you not be a fan of that?
He has created a content style that is recognizable and unique - All of Keith’s videos feature him sitting in his toddler daughter’s play chair and reviewing every food item on a scale of 1-10. Although simple, the fact that Keith has stayed consistent with the set-up of his videos has allowed him to forge his own lane in the food/restaurant review space that everyone recognizes.
For all of my content creators in the making, Keith Lee has surely laid a blueprint for staying the course and remaining genuine on his rise to social media stardom. As Keith often says, he only wants what is his and nothing else, so take note and stay true to yourself as he has done, YOUR time is coming!