It’s not always the 20-something-year-old content creators that are making the headlines and marketing alongside brands on social media. The growing popularity of social media platforms, such as TikTok, has allowed influencers over the age of 65 to share their content and become “Grandfluencers.” Grandfluencers of TikTok has been able to make a good living from their millions of followers and marketing. All by being themselves.
Here are some of the top “grandfluencers” who are challenging the age norms on social media.
Joe Allington
88-year-old Joe Allington was living a regular life in Lichfield, England with his daughter. Until one day he became the leading grandfluencer of TikTok. He rose to fame when his granddaughter, Brook Paintain, posted a video with him on her account. Which soon went viral. Ever since the grandfather-granddaughter duo has gained over 4.6 million followers. They are known for their viral dances. Although the duo also stays on top by following trends and posting tutorial videos. During the pandemic, Allington’s sad video of going through the empty shelves at the supermarket reached over 42 million views. This video helped spread the message to stop overbuying.
Lili Hayes – @lilihayes
This 71-year-old TikTok star, Lili Hayes, is famous for her sharp humor and perfect timing. In her videos, the grandfluencer is known to be “always a little pissed.” Lili Hayes rose to fame after her son, Kevin Hayes, decided to share daily videos of his mother with the world. He thinks she is very funny. And so do her 4.4 million followers. Over the past few months, she has worked with many brands such as PepsiCo. The Hayes duo is also active on Instagram. Where they collaborate and brand market on a much larger scale.
The Old Gays – @oldgays
This group of four gay men has taken over TikTok with their charm and humor. They are Jessay Martin, Robert Reeves, Michael Peterson, and William Lyons. In their videos, they share their personal stories of coming out as well as their journey to becoming proud members of the LGBTQ+ community. Their most viewed videos are them answering pop-culture questions. They have 2.5 million followers, including Rihanna. They can be found in Cathedral City, California. Which is right outside Palm Springs.
Grandad Frankk
Granddad Frank has a huge following of 6.5 million users. He is breaking the norms that TikTok trends are limited to only the young generation. He posts videos of him doing most of the trends that are hot on TikTok. This made him a huge internet sensation. Frank gets millions of viewers. He has reached an audience of about 45 million views on just selfie videos alone. Especially, of him lip-synching trendy audios.
Lagetta Wayne @msgrandmasgarden
Lagetta Wayne is the grandma you go to for life advice and comfort food recipes. At 78 years of age, she posts cooking videos using the produce she grows in her own garden. Her fame on TikTok rose when her granddaughter posted a video of her. Her recipes are simple. Although that’s not how she pulls thousands of views on her videos. People like to watch her videos because of her personality. She has a catchphrase used in her introduction to her videos where she says “Welcome to grandma’s garden. Come on in!”
All of these accounts bring nothing but pure joy to your day. Whether it is Hayes getting pissed off or Wayne’s cooking something tasty, these grandfluencers are all unique with their content. These TikTok stars set an example for the young generation watching them. Especially when the message is perceived right. They show how easy it is to be yourself and not be constrained into the likes of the rest of the world. It’s ok to be original.
Featured Image from Tiago Muraro on Unsplash
