Johannes Münkel owes his fame to a red suction cup.

Becoming a star overnight is no empty phrase on social media, it happens every now and then.

When the tiler speaks of this moment in January 2021, he still seems incredulous about the success on the Instagram platform: “I woke up in the morning and the reel had a million clicks.

And I have 10,000 subscribers, ”says Münkel.

Kim Maurus

Volunteer.

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    This reel, as creatively cut short videos are called on Instagram, is half a minute long and shows Münkel how he uses the said suction cup to precisely place dark gray tiles in the mortar and then adjusts them with the help of special plastic screws.

    It's a video that Münkel now regularly uploads to Instagram, plus stories, i.e. videos that can only be viewed in his profile for 24 hours, and pictures of Münkel himself, in the description of which users receive tips about tiles.

    More than 48,000 subscribers

    "Come with me into my everyday life / look over my shoulder / write if you need help" is in his profile. Johannes Münkel, 31 years old, lays tiles in bathrooms, kitchens and on terraces, in all sizes and shapes, and now has more than 48,600 subscribers who watch him every day. It is clear to him why so many people were particularly enthusiastic about the short video with the suction cup: "Only 40 percent of my subscribers come from Germany, the rest from America, Russia, Spain or India." According to Münkel, many people in America are familiar with his devices and aids not: "They celebrate German craftsmanship and said to themselves: I have to follow that."

    That wasn't planned. Münkel worked as a journeyman on the construction sites until 2013, when he decided to become a master. At that time it was rather unusual, the master craftsman's duty for tilers had been suspended since 2004. This is still incomprehensible to Münkel today. "Amateurs could go into business for themselves," he says. “Many have said that the little tiling, we'll take a look at it on YouTube.” Münkel sees this as a reason why there is so much botched construction. With his master's degree in his pocket, he spends a lot of time in the office from 2014 onwards. “I was happy to be out of the field service,” he says. In 2016 he joined his father's company as managing director. Münkel's great-grandfather had started a small tile business in Hünfeld in East Hesse in 1949.

    Münkel's office time ends unplanned in August 2020. His Instagram account has existed all these years, but he has not used it professionally. “I uploaded something there every three weeks and had 50 likes.” At the time, Münkel was an enthusiastic hobby photographer and bought various cameras, lenses and an iMac: “If I start anything, I have to do it right away Assume proportions. Full pipe, ”he says. But then, in August 2020, his sister makes sure that the threads come together. She's building a house and needs a tiler. Münkel can be persuaded to take over after all the office hours. With this construction site he begins to use Instagram more intensively, to film and photograph his work. “Suddenly I noticed that there was a target group for the craft,” he says."And then I continued."