@zuirky finds his TikTok niche with viral reactions: ‘Very much a character’
Social media content began as an experiment for Diallo. Now, it's become a revenue stream, entrepreneurial path and a way to connect with others. Joe Zhao | Senior Staff Photographer
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When Ziek Diallo browses through his TikTok For You Page, he finds all kinds of content, from cooking to comedy skits to internet trends. But instead of just scrolling past, he films and posts his reactions.
“Even if I hate (the video), I do it ironically, just to piss people off,” Diallo said.
Diallo, a Syracuse University sophomore, has over 27,000 followers and 7.2 million likes on his TikTok page, @zuirky. Since 2022, he’s been creating content on various platforms, like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
After a few years of experimenting with different kinds of content — like skits, slideshows and other short-form clips — he’s developed a method for all his videos.
“What eventually worked was yapping,” Diallo said. “I find a clip, put the flash on, some sound effects in the background, speed it up a little bit, and that just works now.”
Almost all his videos begin with a screen recording of another TikTok or Instagram Reel. Then the video cuts to Diallo sharing his two cents, with jokes and sound effects thrown in every few seconds.
Diallo said the media he’s consumed since childhood has developed his personality and made him more extroverted. Growing up, Diallo read books like “Captain Underpants,” and watched shows like “Victorious” and anime like “One Piece” and “Attack on Titan.” Some of the first videos he ever posted were anime-related.
His outgoing nature plays a big role in his reactionary videos; he posts what he wants to and isn’t afraid to be embarrassed, Diallo said. Making content has also helped him become more outgoing in return, he said.
“My head doesn’t really think before I speak, and I think that’s kind of helped because I just say whatever I want,” Diallo said.
One of his friends, sophomore Zoey McCarthy, said Diallo is always talking to new people, calling him “very much a character.”. His way of thinking and interacting with others is reflected in his TikToks, and he’s always coming up with new projects for his account, she said.
“Everybody I’ve met or have introduced him to have independently been like, ‘oh my God, Zeke is so AI,’” McCarthy said. “Not in a bad way; he just has a very different way of thinking about things.”
Diallo also attends campus events to engage with the SU student body and find inspiration for his videos. Last month, he participated in SU’s performative male contest. His friend and sophomore Jess Anderson, said after the contest, many people came up to Diallo. He immediately connected with them via social media.
“He just likes to get to know people and have a connection,” Anderson said.
After gaining around 10k followers, Diallo joined the TikTok Creator Fund to start making money from his videos. He played around with different styles of content to find what would get him the most views and make him the most money, he said. Once he found his niche, he looked for new ways to profit off his account.
Ziek Diallo makes commentary-style videos on his TikTok page, reacting to videos that come up on his For You Page. He’s used his outgoing personality to achieve online virality. Joe Zhao | Senior Staff Photographer
A year ago, Diallo joined the TikTok Shop Affiliate Program, where he makes commission from linking products on his videos. Under this program, he films his typical content, posting multiple times a day, and has made over $11,000 in profit, he said.
Through this, Diallo’s been able to connect with companies who reach out to him to make promotional content for their brand. When Labubus were trending, he was paid to make an alternate account to create satirical hate content about them. Now, he has another separate account, @collegewhistleblower, where he’s working with AI homework helper, Solvely.ai, to make college-oriented videos.
Diallo is an information management and technology major in SU’s School of Information Studies. He wants to take his studies on an entrepreneurial path, and is involved in campus initiatives that help him grow. Initially after joining the TikTok Shop Affiliate Program, he took the idea to the Blackstone LaunchPad at SU, pitching his involvement in the program to the team and asking for advice.
“I built confidence through the pitches, because it’s just so hard learning how to actually pitch for the first time,” Diallo said. “You think you’re good, and then you’re ass, you have to do it again and again.”
Earlier this year, he received SU’s Hunter Brooks Watson Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award, an award given to students who exemplify ambition in entrepreneurship. He pitched a social media marketing company that could help companies gear products toward Gen Z audiences. He said the experience gave him valuable knowledge and connections. He’s now working with the LaunchPad to further develop his projects with Solvely.ai.
Diallo said he prioritizes selling his personality in his work with the LaunchPad and in iSchool competitions. He’s learned how to effectively communicate his ideas and gain support through practice.
Social media platforms are always changing, and Diallo recognizes he needs to continuously adapt his content to ensure longevity. In the future, he aims to prioritize his YouTube channel and potentially stream on Twitch.
While growing his online presence, he hopes to keep connecting with people, forming professional and personal relationships.
“Eventually, I want to grow an actual community, meet people and have random side quests with people who actually watch my content,” Diallo said.
