BREWER — Many people use TikTok on a daily basis, and one business owner is taking advantage of its popularity.
“About 90% of my business is currently coming from TikTok,” said Bruce Graybill, owner of Sider’s Woodcrafting.
Graybill said he used TikTok for about two years until one of his videos went viral.
“I did the video of the epoxy river in the floor, and that kind of blew up,” Graybill said. “Now, people are seeing my cutting board side of what I do, and that’s starting to blow up on TikTok. I have a video that’s gone viral with a butterfly in it.”
Graybill said he thinks his business increased simply by people scrolling through the app.
“It’s a way to shop too and see, get behind the scenes of what’s actually going on,” Graybill said. “Then, they also get to see my personality as well.”
“It’s been awesome,” said Gabriel Chibuye, a sander at Sider’s Woodcrafting. “It’s honestly a lot of fun ’cause bruce is definitely an outgoing person.”
If you’re wondering what the viking hat that Graybill wears in all of his TikToks is about, it’s to promote his friend’s hat business, A Bee in My Bonnet.
“He’s been selling the hats, and it’s really good advertising, said Kathy Norwood, owner of A Bee in My Bonnet. “This part is really fun, so yeah, I think it’s been very helpful.”
Graybill is helping another local business too.
“I also talk a lot about where I get the wood from because a lot of people in Maine don’t know where to get exotic woods from, so I talk about Acadia Hardwoods as well,” Graybill said.
He said it’s more important than ever to be there for other businesses.
“Small businesses need to be able to help each other out and kind of each have each other’s back,” Graybill said.
