Nunzio Saviano was thinking about how he could make some waves on social media. The salon owner and hairstylist, like many of his peers, closed his salon’s doors during the spring and summer months, and while clients are still coming in, business is down. In the fall he decided to begin creating videos for TikTok, the social media platform he sees his teen son visit often. Nunzio also wanted to get on the platform while it’s hot, admitting to starting on Instagram a little late.

One afternoon in November a model he booked for a styling session entered his eponymous salon, located on 768 Madison Avenue, and asked for curtain bangs—a style where the bangs are parted down the middle, framing the face. Nunzio was surprised at the request. “Usually, models want something very simple. But she asked for curtain bangs, which were popular two or three years ago.” He proceeded to cut her hair, video it, and edit the video down to 15 seconds, the length of time he learned was most appealing to viewers. And what happened next is every poster’s dream:  the video went viral.  “It just exploded. And I don’t know why. But it got 400,000 views,” he said.

The attention has boosted interest in his salon and visits to his website. “Not all my videos are that viewed, but I’m realizing it’s not just teenagers who are on TikTok, it’s a lot of men and women in their 40s,” he said.

Nunzio has continued with the videos, posting almost every day. He’s hoping for another windfall of views—but it’s not something you can just create.

“It’s hard to determine the exact impact TikTok has had on the business due to COVID19, but we have seen a newer, younger clientele booking appointments and we have received an influx of phone calls inquiring about pricing. I definitely feel it’s boosting momentum and awareness as my social media has increased both for the salon and myself, which is a great thing,” said Nunzio.