Why’d I build this?

Recently I created a TikTok account. I thought it would be fun to create and share videos of the unconventional and entertaining activities I’ve done (like putting a full-size trampoline in my college apartment). I know TikTok is great for putting content out into the world, but I was hesitant to download the app. I was nervous that I would start over-consuming social media content, which tends to be bad for attention and the dopamine system. Many of my friends and family feel the same and have chosen not to have a TikTok account, so I wanted to build a tool that would make it easy to notify them when I posted a video. I could have accomplished this by texting each person individually, but by using Notion, n8n.io, and Tally I was able to build something in just a few hours that could do this for me.

How does it work?

User flows

There are three core user flows:

• Signup - user signs up to get notified of new posts
• Notify - user is notified by SMS when a new post is created
• Unfollow - user removes themself from receiving future notifications

Tools used

Powerful and easy to use form builder.

Workflow automation tool that connects with many APIs.

Project management and note-taking software with unique database functionality.

Each tool has a specific purpose:

Notion → acts as a database

Tally → collects user input

n8n → handles logic for storing user data, sending notifications, and unfollowing

Putting the tools together

I’ve created three loom videos below, one for each user flow.

Don’t forget to go full screen!

Interested in using this system yourself?

I originally created this for notifying people about my new TikTok posts but this could be useful for anyone that wants their own mini-content distribution system. To see how to set it up for yourself I’ve created a free step-by-step guide you can get here.