Influencer
Fred Asquith: TikTok Comedy Star & Music Producer
Fred Asquith is a TikTok comedy star, music producer, and content creator based out of Yorkshire. His most viral comedy sketch has received over 10 million views. Since then, he has continued posting almost every day, making countless people laugh. Today, he shares his content strategy and opinion on brand partnerships and the influencer marketplace.
Fred Asquith has had an enormous interest in standup comedy from a young age, which he attributes to his dad, who also watched a lot of standup comedians. As a child, Fred used to grab a video camera and make comedy sketches with his friends in the garden.
He adds, “I’ve always kind of made stupid videos and put them online. I was big on Vine back in the day, but kind of November last year, I just started making content, and it seemed to go well, so it wasn’t really a new thing… The difference was that it went well this time.”
Recently, he started posting on social media as a hobby and decided to devote more time to his content than he had previously.
“I think after about two or three weeks, I had a video that did quite well, and I remember saying to them [his friends] it’s actually doable now. Since then, I’ve posted basically every day. So, that was November last year, and I just haven’t stopped.”
Fred’s Creative Process
Fred shares that he has a massive bank of ideas he previously thought he would use for standup comedy.
“I wrote for years, literally like ten years, I’ve been writing down – now it’s in an iPhone note, just like reams and reams of things that I’ve seen or things that annoy me or things that happened and so when I realized that TikTok was going to go well, I started just mining all those ideas.”
Many of these ideas were initially inspired by life annoyances, such as frustrating encounters or work events. Now, his content is more alternative, and he focuses more on voiceovers and mimicking other people’s voices today.
He adds, “I started to become more creatively confident. I started to think up less relatable things and more alternative things that weren’t just kind of life observations, and so that’s when I started doing more comedy skits and sketches and voiceovers and things like that.”
Fred runs multiple social media platforms, including Instagram and TikTok. On Instagram, his content focuses more on his day-to-day, personal life rather than the comedy-heavy focus his content has on TikTok.
He notes, “Instagram is more like they’re following you because they like you, and I think they want to see a more personal kind of side to you.”
Content Strategy & His Most Viral Post
Fred explains that he feels his content does best in terms of engagement when he’s put in the time to ensure the execution is just right and posts it at the right time.
For example, if he posts a work comedy meme, he won’t post it on the weekend. Instead, he would post this on a Wednesday or Thursday when people are thinking about work.
@fredasquith SOZ Jenny am I in ur kitchen? MY BAD #office #corporate #meeting #teams ♬ 5th floor – Fred Asquith
“I think it’s just the right idea at the right time, so I think it’s about finding that synergy more often than not.”
When asked about his niche, Fred says he works hard to avoid having a niche other than comedy as a genre.
@fredasquith The queen of awkward speeches #liztruss #liztrussforpm #ukmemes #uklols #uk ♬ Cheesy Liz – Fred Asquith
“That’s my least favorite thing about TikTok, the idea that you have to post about the same thing all the time. I hate that. So, when I did a lot of work ones [posts], I felt myself becoming a bit of a niche, and I just decided not to do any work [posts] for a bit.”
He believes that if you post good content, people will follow you to see your next idea.
Viral Content
Fred’s most viral post was a comedy sketch featuring a delivery man who didn’t realize they needed to take a picture of the package when they dropped it off. Instead, the delivery man poses for the picture.
“That little idea I thought was hilarious because it was a guy who had the biggest ego ever, who’s just like, “Yeah, I’ll pose for a picture,” …. I think it did well because everyone can relate to it. Everyone gets packages.”
@fredasquith What vibe do you need bro #delivery #pose ♬ nah the package m8 – Fred Asquith
This 12-second skit received over 10 million views.
Fred shares that the biggest secret to his success has been consistency. Currently, he posts daily or at least five to six days a week. He also posts videos even when he doesn’t love them because he shares that sometimes those videos take off anyway.
“I think the biggest learning process for me is just to keep posting even if you’re not completely sure because sometimes it surprises you.”
Music Production
Previously, Fred worked as a DJ and hosted different events. However, since lockdown, he has shifted his focus to music production.
“I have my own little record label, and I put music out there. I’ve put out some decent techno labels, and I’m really happy with that as a creative outlet.”
Some of his TikToks also feature his audio in the posts. Fred shares that the film degree he earned at university has helped with his music production and content creation more than he initially thought.
It taught him “how to frame someone talking to someone or editing audio or whatever. Even though it’s quite simple editing, I think I have got experience from that degree that helps me now.”
Brand Partnerships
Fred shares that he has collaborated with three brands, including Deliveroo, which featured one partnership with Burger King and another with Subway, and a condom brand.
“I don’t want to do too many [brand partnerships]. Some people advise you to do like one a week or something, which I don’t want to do. I think maybe I’ll do two a month at most, and then hopefully that will pay the bills.”
Fred shares that he prefers doing brand partnerships that are overt ads. He includes cheesy transitions, music, and jokes while showing off the product so that it’s evident that the post is an ad, but it’s still fun to watch.
The Influencer Marketplace
Fred shares that he would like to see more creators getting the opportunity to advance to other platforms and mediums.
“At the moment, it feels like some of the best comedy is on TikTok, and a lot of comedy comes up on my feed, and some of the best comedians I know are on TikTok, and yet, you could never imagine them being on a show…. I just feel like the stepping stone between being really famous on TikTok and being a star is quite difficult to make that jump.”
Another thing Fred would love to see more of in the creator marketplace is better protection of a creator’s audience.
“I think sometimes TikTok changes the algorithm too extremely, and it completely changes the game for everyone… I’ve had this as well where you’ll feel like you have access to an audience that are really into what you are putting out, and then the algorithm will change one day, and you’ll have to kind of completely reassess.”
