Building Trust Before the Sale: How Runtime Studio Helps Brands Rank #1 on TikTok
A Mother of Success Interview
Interview by: Xiao He
Featuring: Jun Na, Founder of Runtime Studio
“People are tired of being sold to. You need to help them first — and let them discover your product naturally.”
— Jun Na
TikTok Is the New Search Engine for Gen Z
Xiao He:
Hi Jun Na, it’s great to have you here at Mother of Success! To start, could you introduce yourself to our readers?
Jun Na:
Yeah — very quick, I run Runtime Studio. We help consumer brands rank number one on TikTok for their most important searches. Most brands today rely on ads or influencers — but that’s all cold discovery. People meet the brand for the first time through a sales pitch.
We focus on educational content that answers real search queries — so the brand builds trust before the selling even happens. Last week, we crossed 100 million views across our network — that was exciting.
Xiao He:
And why educational content specifically?
Jun Na:
I caught myself looking up answers on TikTok more than Google — especially for recommendations. There’s a study showing 51% of Gen Z uses TikTok as their primary search engine. That’s huge.
When someone searches best vitamins for energy, and your content answers that — you capture warm intent. It’s today’s version of SEO blog strategy, but on TikTok.
Warm Discovery Beats Cold Ads
Xiao He:
How does TikTok search compare to recommendations from tools like ChatGPT?
Jun Na:
TikTok builds community trust. Comments matter — real people asking and answering questions. Generative AI is one-on-one. TikTok is social proof at scale.
Personally, I use ChatGPT for deep questions. But for product decisions? Always TikTok.
Case Study: Coffee Meets Bagel
Xiao He:
We saw you worked with Coffee Meets Bagel recently. What did you do for them?
Jun Na:
They reached out wanting more visibility in the U.S. market. In the first two months, we delivered 45 million views. Now when users search dating advice, they’ll likely see content associated with Coffee Meets Bagel before any other dating app.
Because — let’s be honest — dating is pretty rough out there. 😅
How They Did It
Xiao He:
How do you achieve results like that?
Jun Na:
We spend a full week putting ourselves in their audience's shoes:
What their audience searches
What resonates with their age and interests
What builds trust fastest
We talk like them and think like them.. The more relatable you are, the more trustworthy you become. Relatability becomes trust — and trust becomes conversion later.
Slide-Based Storytelling Scales
Xiao He:
Let’s talk content formats. What performs best?
Jun Na:
Rule of thumb:
If the hook is relatable and specific, it works.
Instead of:
“How to run better”
Use:
“Things I learned as a beginner runner”
We specialize in slideshows. They’re searchable, consistent, and time-efficient — the highest-leverage format for educational TikToks. They also let people scroll at their own pace, which increases completion rates. And TikTok's algorithm rewards watch time — so the longer people engage, the higher you rank.
Speak Gen Z’s Language
Xiao He:
Writing for social media isn’t like writing essays — what works?
Jun Na:
People who write great essays are not always good TikTok writers. TikTok writers:
Know the culture
Understand humor
Speak naturally like friends
That's a totally different skill. That's why I hire college students — they live on TikTok. And honestly, I look for people who are naturally funny. They consistently write the best hooks.
If you're hiring for TikTok (or social media) content, I wouldn’t just look at writing samples — I would also watch how they text, how they comment on posts, and how they naturally explain things to friends. That's the voice you need.
The Weekly Feedback Loop
Xiao He:
TikTok changes a lot — what’s your iteration process like?
Jun Na:
Every week our whole team reviews:
Hooks (what made people stop scrolling?)
Retention (did they watch to the end?)
Which content resurfaced and why (TikTok tends to resurface high-performing videos months later)
Comment trends (what questions are people asking?)
TikTok’s algorithm shifts constantly — weekly analysis is mandatory.
Help First. Sell Later.
Xiao He:
For brands starting on TikTok, what’s your biggest advice?
Jun Na:
Audit your touchpoints:
Cold: ads, UGC blasts, influencer pushes
Warm: answering the questions people already have. I would start by opening TikTok and typing keywords related to your product — see what kind of videos already do well and the comments people are leaving. Those are real searches people are making. That's where you need to show up first.
People hate being sold to.
If you help them first — they’ll trust you when they’re ready to buy.
We measure success through comments:
“Where did you get that?”
“Does it work for ___?”
“I need this right now.”
That’s when we know trust is working.
The Origin Story: Cracking the Pattern
Xiao He:
How did Runtime Studio begin?
Jun Na:
I interned at early-stage startups — growth experiments everywhere. I noticed brands poured money into cold acquisition with almost no warm layer.
So I spent months reverse-engineering TikTok search — testing hooks, video length, why some content resurfaced months later. We ran experiments across ~12 different accounts in different niches: dating, fitness, book recommendations, and running. When I cracked the pattern, I realized I could help brands before competitors figured it out.
That’s still my mission.
Right now, competition is near-zero in most categories — but in 12-24 months, everyone will figure this out.
LinkedIn Still Matters
Xiao He:
How do brands find you?
Jun Na:
We officially launched three months ago — and most brands reach out first. Mainly through LinkedIn.
Even with a small following — if you share insights consistently — the right people notice. I had 350 followers when the first brand reached out. The key is really just to share what you're learning in public. People who need what you know will find you.
The Books That Shape His Thinking
Xiao He:
To close, we ask every guest to recommend something to our readers. What would you suggest?
Jun Na:
Three books:
1️⃣ Skin in the Game — Nassim Taleb
Take real risks — doing teaches more than theorizing.
2️⃣ The Almanac of Naval Ravikant
Build assets that compound — long-term leverage.
3️⃣ Zero to One — Peter Thiel
Essential reading if you’re starting a business or feel lost.
“If you show up first when someone searches for a problem — and you help them genuinely — you win.”
— Jun Na
Follow Runtime Studio
Jun Na’s LinkedIn
Website: Runtime Studio