Q&A: Kristin H., science journalist and bone collector turned Tik Tok influencer
In a digital world always on the lookout for the next viral video, 30-year-old Kristin H. has been getting a lot of attention on TikTok. Her bone videos have earned her more than 54,000 followers since she first joined the platform six months ago. A science journalist, Kristin has always been passionate about bones but never thought her fossil explorations would garner such a positive response from the TikTok community. Kristin — who has temporarily relocated to Wyoming during the pandemic — spoke with me on the phone about her experience on the social media platform. Our interview was edited for clarity and length.
What made you decide to create a Tik Tok account?
Because it’s free and that’s where people are. I like social media and I like making videos. It’s surprisingly easy to make them… I like to try new things all the time and a lot of the time I fail at them, but this time, I did not, I guess.
What kind of content do you create and share on TikTok?
I originally started an account called Rollbones because, amongst the gazillion things I like to do, are roller skating and collecting bones. My most popular stuff is the bone content. I just go out into the field and find a bunch of bones. Some of my content is educational, but a lot of my stories will be like “Oh there’s a skull all the way over there, do you see it?” and then show me jumping over the fence or going under a log. It’s sort of interactive and it feels like you’re there with me.
How have you managed to build such a following in such a short amount of time?
It’s hard to isolate variables on social media to figure out what does well. I just started creating content about whatever emerged naturally based on what I enjoyed…What I knew a lot about and what got the most engagement are the things I focused on. One thing that I think does really well on TikTok is the feeling of reveal, adventure and discovery. I can’t say 100% that this is the formula, but I feel confident that people on Tik Tok want a story and to be engaged as opposed to a completed work of art.
You create pretty unique content. How have your followers generally responded to your content?
It’s mostly very positive. People comment a lot. I find it funny that some people are so shocked that I’m able to go out and do bone hunting. I don’t get any hateful or disrespectful responses. I think Tiktok is a bit different than other social media because a lot of people will just scroll away if they don’t like your content.
What separates you from other TikTokers?
I’m a little bit less of a planner. Certainly my best content has been spontaneous. I just go out into the field, behind people’s houses, between a couple of highways, by the gas station, then I walk three miles across the river and the train tracks. My stuff tends to be “I don’t know, I just went there and looked for stuff”.
What has come of your TikTok activity and what do you hope comes of it in the future?
Some people have bought some bones which I wasn’t really intending to sell. I made $110-ish from views. It would be cool to use these skills to further my career in science communication. I’m also working on this book Carcass. It might be nice if TikTok helped sell this book, but it might be a while before it gets published…
You’ve been experimenting with social media content for quite a while now. What’s your biggest takeaway?
Have fun, be free as long as you’re being kind and true. You should just experiment, create stuff and not worry too much…There’s no commitment, you can stop tomorrow and no one would care.
