The unlikely rise of Aussie stars taking global TikTok by storm

The pair make short videos about their life in the Kimberley region of Western Australia and they've caught the attention of a global audience.

The pair was surprised to be recognised by English, German and Swedish fans while holidaying, Tom "Outback Tom" Forrest said.

The global appeal for rural Australian social media content through platforms like Tiktok and Instagram has skyrocketed and a growing number of farmers and rural Australians have become household names.

"We were on a train in Stockholm and a man asked if we were Outback Tom and Grandad," Mr Forrest said.

Outback Tom's videos have 1 billion views on Tiktok and a quarter of a million followers.

"I'm just making films in the outback and the followers were just numbers on a screen," Mr Forrest said.

"Now I realise they're people who have really positive feedback to share and it's been amazing to see the reach and the impact our videos have had on people," he said.

Tiktok and other social media platforms offer a peek into the lives of content creators around the globe.

Expansive and beautiful landscapes, funny farm animals and ingenious bush hacks are catching the attention of international audiences.

A handful of unassuming Australians have shot to fame by documenting their day-to-day lives in the bush.

Mr Forrest said rural social media stars had a different experience to inner-city influencers.

It's harder for rural Tiktok and Instagram personalities to get sucked into the faker side of social media, he said.

Queensland camel farmer Yasmin Brisbane said most farmers on Tiktok prefer the term content creator to influencer.

"I think influencer evokes a certain level of inauthenticity or gloss when, in reality, rural social media content is about being as real, honest, raw and dirty as you can be," she said.

Videos showing the most exciting and most monotonous parts of farm work helped metropolitan Australians understand rural life, Ms Brisbane said.

Ms Brisbane said she "fell into" content creating and was thrilled by social media's capacity to bridge the gap between rural and non-rural communities.

Working on QCamel farm with her parents near Beerwah, Queensland, the young farmer shot to fame on Tiktok with her gang of cheeky camels.

Ms Brisbane said most rural influencers would agree that "social media has been a fabulous and unexpected way of connecting with and educating people".

"I wanted to show friends and family my crazy farm adventures rather than just telling them," she said.

"That's how I started out, I wanted to spread my knowledge and love of camels," Ms Brisbane said.

Her videos have garnered five billion views on the social media site and half a million followers.

Tiktok and Instagram can offer a unique glimpse into the everyday lives of strangers.

Mr Forrest and his grandfather use the stunning, natural backdrop of the Kimberley Ranges to set their scene.

The pair are popular for their campfire cooking videos and how-to bush hacks.

Mr Forrest remembers perfecting a campfire fried rice and enjoying the moment with his grandfather on camera.

"The food was incredible, it was a nice cool afternoon, the sun was setting over the Kimberley Ranges and I got to have a feed with my Granddad," Mr Forrest said.

"It felt like we're eating in the city but with the most incredible view of outback Australia," he said.

These types of videos typically attracted the most audience engagement for Outback Tom.

A cooking demonstration detailing how to make a homemade zinger burger caught the eye of 1.2 million viewers.

Fun aside, Ms Brisbane said operating a popular social media account can feel like having a second full-time job.

"For farmers, content creation is never going to replace our regular jobs," she said.

"I love creating videos and sharing with people all over the world, it can be exhausting," she said.

"Farmers don't get holidays and I'm tired," Ms Brisbane said.

But camel milk is a wonderful tonic for health and vitality, she said.

"I'm guzzling it!"

The enjoyment of social media could change when it became a profession instead of a hobby, Mr Forrest said.

But taking it to the next level could create a lot of opportunities, he said.

"You can lose a bit of the fun, the spark, sometimes but that's just part of the industry," he said.

"But I realised by putting in a bit more effort, you get a lot more out of it," Mr Forrest said.

"It's 100 per cent worth doing, if you're doing what you love and you get to share it," he said.