Derek Richards’ Love Letter to Manhattan, One Post at a Time
For Derek Richards, making social media content isn’t just about chasing views. It’s about showing people why he loves Manhattan.
Richards works in real estate, but his TikTok and Instagram accounts have become known for something much broader: Manhattan, Kansas State University and the things that make the community unique.
“I'd describe it as a love letter to Manhattan,” Richards said. “This is the town I grew up in, the town where I married my high school sweetheart and raised my family.”
His videos range from local businesses and Manhattan history to K-State jokes and the rivalry between the Wildcats and the University of Kansas.
“So my content highlights what makes this place special — the businesses, the history, the people, and of course Kansas State, the greatest university in the world,” Richards said. “I like to have fun with it and crack jokes along the way. But the goal underneath all of it is simple: remind people in Manhattan just how awesome Manhattan is.”
That wasn’t always the focus of his social media.
Richards originally began making content about real estate but quickly realized it wasn’t what he enjoyed creating or necessarily what people wanted to watch.
“I actually started out making real estate content, and honestly, it just wasn't that fun,” Richards said. “Not many people want to sit through real estate videos. What people do want is what's real — what's actually happening in Manhattan.”
Instead of forcing his professional life to become his online identity, Richards began posting about the things he genuinely cared about.
“I'd rather be transparent about my life and talk about the things I genuinely enjoy than talk about my boring day job,” Richards said.
That shift helped create the style his followers now recognize. His ideas often come from whatever he finds interesting in the moment, whether it involves K-State, Manhattan, running or something happening around town.
There also wasn’t one viral video that suddenly created his following. Richards has posted consistently for about two years, often seven days a week. Some videos take off while others receive little attention.
One topic that almost always gets people talking is the K-State and KU rivalry. Richards said rivalry content tends to bring some of the biggest reactions from his audience.
Sometimes, though, the reaction is bigger than expected. A video involving a cookie from Old Chicago became particularly controversial among viewers. Richards takes those reactions — and negative comments in general — with a grain of salt. For him, joking with people and occasionally poking at the audience is part of the fun.
At the end of the day, his goal is to make entertaining content rather than take every comment too seriously.
Despite the audience he has built, Richards said the person viewers see online is essentially the same person they would meet away from the camera. That authenticity is also one of the biggest pieces of advice he gives people trying to build their own social media presence.
“I've got a lot of thoughts on this, but the first one is commitment,” Richards said. “You have to post consistently, every week, for a very long time.”
Building an audience did not happen overnight.
“It took me almost two years to build the following I have now, and thousands of attempts to figure out what I wanted to say, how I wanted to say it, how I wanted it to look and feel,” Richards said. “It's like anything else — you keep chopping at the tree until it falls.”
His second piece of advice is simpler: stop overthinking.
“Be genuine. Be who you are,” Richards said. “Make mistakes, and then show the mistakes. Show the cracks and the flaws. Show people you're an actual human being.”
Richards said creators often hear that they need to find a specific niche or carefully construct a personal brand. He looks at it differently.
“Everyone is a niche. Everyone is a brand,” Richards said. “You just have to put yourself out there and highlight it.”
Going into a lightning round of questions Richards was asked between TikTok and Instagram, he currently prefers Instagram. When he isn’t working or creating content, he has also gotten back into running, which has naturally started appearing on his social media feeds alongside comedy and K-State content.
Asked for a favorite Manhattan spot, Richards pointed to the patio at Rock-A-Belly Bar & Deli. His biggest social media pet peeves include “brain rot” content and videos split unnecessarily into multiple parts instead of simply giving viewers the full story.
For Richards, however, the formula behind his own content remains much simpler: show up consistently, be yourself and talk about the things you actually care about.
In his case, that happens to be Manhattan.
Follow Derek Richards
Instagram: @imderekrichards https://www.instagram.com/imderekrichards/
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