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Google for Creators is highlighting 10 Asian American creators you’ll want to follow. From online hosts to self-taught chefs, these tastemakers share their unique culinary perspectives and dishes that are reflective of their respective heritages and more. Whether you're a food enthusiast, aspiring home chef, or simply curious about diverse cuisines, following these talented food creators will open up a world of flavors and inspire your own culinary adventures.
@sulheejessica
Jessica Woo is a wildly popular creative food artist and social media personality with over 5.7 million followers on TikTok. Also known as the Bento Box Queen, she lovingly creates bento box lunches for her three young daughters which includes thoughtful messages of love and encouragement. The dishes packed within the intricate, visually stunning presentations are often inspired by Jessica’s Korean, Chinese, and Hawaiian heritage. One of her most popular videos is a rose-shaped dumpling box in commemoration of Valentine’s Day, which garnered over 20 million views on TikTok. And kimchi salad, a staple served at family celebrations and gatherings throughout her childhood embodying the spirit of Korean cuisine, is one of her favorite childhood dishes.
Check out @sulheejessica
@chefpriyanka
Celebrity Chef Priyanka’s Indian vegan cooking is rooted in her vegetarian upbringing. Paired with her passion for sustainability, the self-taught chef, television personality, columnist and author’s creations are featured in her blog Chef Priyanka as well as TODAY Table, a Peacock TV show she co-hosts. An avid traveler who’s collected passport stamps from 40 countries (and counting), Indian-American Priyanka proudly served as the first vegan & sustainable chef for the W Hotel Maldives. She has garnered attention from and been featured on the Kelly Clarkson Show, Forbes, Today, etc. Priyanka’s favorite dish is a Mumbai favorite called Pav Bhaji. Made of smashed spicy masala veggies, the Maharashtrian India street food dish is served on a toasted pav (Indian bun) topped with crispy sev, pomegranate, fresh coriander and lemon; you can find more recipes in her cookbook The Modern Tiffin. And be sure to check out her most viral recipe video, if you love pasta!
Check out @chefpriyanka
@its.lisanguyen
Lisa Nguyen is a prominent Vietnamese-American food creator on YouTube, amassing an impressive following of 4.4 million subscribers. Based in Kansas City, MO, Lisa combines her passion for food, videography, and narration to create captivating content. Her most popular videos include her 30 day ramen challenge, spice tolerance challenges, and letting her viewers pick what she should eat for 30 days. In addition, Lisa’s dedication to working with family-owned businesses shines through as she shares their stories and the dishes they create. As a storyteller,she wants to explore and discover unique stories and eateries and continues to embark on a journey across America and abroad. For those interested in diverse cuisines, cultural influences, and the fascinating tales behind the food we love. Lisa's AAPI video series is a must-watch, featuring 31 Asian-American creators from around the US to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month. You can start watching her food series on YouTube HERE.
Check out @its.lisanguyen
@dashofting
Tinger Hseih is a talented Taiwanese-American content creator for the multi-platform Dash of Ting with an international mindset, helping friends and followers travel with their tastebuds by sharing healthy global-inspired cuisines, travel tips and cultural insights. Not only does she post content on her social media channels, Tinger has hosted shows and engaged in collaborations with Google, Peacock TV, Thrillist, and the Norway Tourism Board. Because Tinger is also a passionate supporter of World Cup Soccer (Football), she created a fun World Cup Soccer video food series encouraging viewers to guess her preferred teams based on the dishes she presented. A favorite Taiwanese dish of Tinger’s is tomato and egg stir-fry because the ingredients are easy to find in any grocery store and resembles some classic dishes from other regions like shakshouka from Tunisia and huevos rancheros from Mexico. Be on the lookout for her upcoming cookbook with National Geographic!
Check out @dashofting
@cookingbomb
Vivian Aronson is the beloved recipe creator and author known as CookingBomb. Hailing from Sichuan, China, where she developed her passion for cooking alongside her grandmother, Vivian now resides in Orlando, Florida, with her husband and four children. Her engaging and entertaining content has garnered immense popularity, with viral videos like What a Chinese family eats in a day? and recipes like the 17-year-old pickle brine for Chinese pickles and delightful snacks for kids. Vivian's charismatic personality shines through as she shares her funny phrases, like measuring ingredients with her "Chinese Eyeballs," and skillfully managing her three children, affectionately referred to as the circus, while preparing meals for her family and viewers. As one of the top 36 contestants competing in MasterChef Season 10, Vivian’s talent and dedication to delicious home cooked Chinese cuisine can be shared through her cookbook Asian Market Cookbook, where she offers approachable ways to purchase and cook with Chinese ingredients and produce. Among her personal Chinese favorite dishes is the mouthwatering dish "Lion's Head Meatballs."
Check Out @cookingbomb
@jeanelleats
Jeanelle Castro, an accomplished travel and food host, captivates her 1.2 million YouTube subscribers with her culinary adventures and cultural explorations around the world. From the bustling streets of the Philippines to the charming landscapes of Ireland and the flavorful food scene of Japan, Jeanelle takes her audience on a delightful journey to savor the local favorites. Her most popular YouTube video, "Everything I ate in a Bullet Train in Japan," has garnered over 2.2 million views, showcasing her ability to transport viewers through food and storytelling. While Jeanelle dedicates herself to showcasing global cuisine, she also pays homage to her Filipino heritage with dishes like Pinakbet, which reflect the flavors and traditions of her upbringing. With engaging series such as "30 days of her bread challenge" and "Battle of the Dishes," Jeanelle combines lighthearted storytelling with the joy of exploring the world through food. If you're seeking a delightful blend of cultural discovery and palate-pleasing food recipes, Jeanelle’s video content is a must-watch.
Check out @jeanelleats
@cj.eats_
Chris Joe, a third-generation Chinese-American and self-taught home cook, proudly carries on the culinary legacy passed down by his grandfather. His friendly and down-to-earth approach in the kitchen has resonated with over 1.6 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, leading him to be recognized as the Food Influencer of the Year at The Influence Awards. Although a majority of his dishes reflect his heritage, as seen in his beloved Crispy Pork Belly recipe, CJ also showcases diverse and flavorful regional cuisines. One of this most viral videos is this crunchy Chicken Katsu dish, inspired from his recent trip to Hawaii. Whether you're seeking authentic Chinese dishes or exploring a variety of flavors, CJ's culinary creations are sure to make you hungry.
Check Out @cj.eats_
@yakitoriguy
Yakitori Guy is a talented and passionate chef dedicated to the art of Yakitori, the Japanese style of grilling chicken skewers. Rooted in his heritage, his expertise and knowledge have been honed through extensive travels across Japan, where he learns from Yakitori masters and shares his experiences on his YouTube channel. He even shares his excitement of dining at Torishiki, and what he believes offers the best Yakitori in the world on his YouTube channel. With a strong community of supporters, affectionately known as YakiGang, he organizes curated Yakitori dinners in Los Angeles and even accepts high-quality chicken donations from his followers to showcase in his recipe videos. Additionally, YakitoriGuy holds a deep appreciation for savory bowl of ramen, a comforting and cherished Japanese staple. Here is a video recipe that he shares that combines shoyu ramen utilizing left over chicken bones from his Yakitori preparations. Stay updated on his next LA pop-up dinner on his Instagram.
Check out @yakitoriguy
@chilipeppercooks
Shihan Chowdhury, also known as Chili Pepper Cooks, is an American-Bangladeshi homecook known for his savory recipes on TikTok that incorporate the optional but essential Thai chili pepper, all presented with a captivating personality and a beaming smile. His culinary prowess has been recognized by prominent platforms like Buzzfeed, featuring his best recipes, which he creates a flavor explosion that keeps viewers coming back for more. Shihan's enthusiastic personality and impressive skills have also attracted an opportunity to host his own cooking show with Yahoo’s In The Know, and collaborated with none other than celebrated boxing champion Tyson Fury. To pay homage to his heritage, Shihan shares an engaging tutorial on making roti, a beloved staple in his culture, along with his Ramadan series. Beyond his digital recipe creations, Shihan has recently launched Taste of Sora, a line of delectable chutney-style Thai Chili Sriracha and Thai Chili Honey, meticulously crafted with the highest quality ingredients and a firm commitment to preservative-free and GMO-free products. With Shihan's products and online recipes, food enthusiasts can get one step closer to savoring the incredible flavors he has to offer.
Check out @chilipeppercooks
@pete_eatss
Pete Duong is a published author, dedicated recipe maker, and captivating content creator. Through his enticing recipes, he proudly showcases his Khmer, Thai, and Lao heritage, infusing his dishes with the flavors and traditions from these cultures. Pete's exceptional storytelling abilities shine through in his videos, making them not only informative but also engaging for aspiring home cooks. His most viral TikTok video, featuring crispy shrimp balls, has garnered an astounding 12.1 million views, captivating viewers with its satisfying crunch. One of Pete's personal favorites from his heritage is mee gathang (gravy noodles), a comforting and nostalgic dish that brings back fond memories of his childhood. The combination of delightful textures and well-balanced flavors in these savory noodles truly resonates with Pete and his audience. With his diverse background, Pete's culinary creations and travel-inspired recipes beautifully reflect the rich tapestry of his tri-heritage background, offering a fun way to taste cultures together.
Check out @pete_eatss
Thank you for reading this article in celebration of amazing creators and our recommendation for 10 Asian American Creators you’ll want to follow.
Author: Daisy Kim, MA, is an Asian American Studies Educator and Consultant.
]]>This November, we’re thankful for stuffing, cranberry sauce — and some super fun sports to help us burn it all off afterwards.
With baseball’s World Series underway and sports like basketball and American football really hitting their strides this season, November is a big month for sports and fitness-related searches. Our Google Search Trends for November video serves up a heaping helping of search insights, piping hot and ready to inspire creators looking for a slam dunk this month.
And yes, you can take some leftovers home with you…
The American football blitz
It’s not just Lucy and Charlie Brown who want to know: “how to kick a football” has spiked 190% in the past month. “College football” sees a huge jump every November, and as the gridiron returns to campus, searches for “undefeated college football teams” and “who has the biggest college football stadium” are top-of-mind with fans. Once you get into the endzone? Celebrate and show them how it’s done with a “griddy dance,” which is extra hot this month!
Basketball buzzer-beaters
NBA and college basketball are heating up, and so are searches for everyone’s favorite hoops hobby. “How to put more spin on a basketball” is a breakout this month, and the more basic “how to get good at basketball” is up 350% in November, so get those tips ready. And even though the playoffs are still months away, jewelry is on everyone’s minds. Searches for “NBA champion rings” are up 750%, and “what are NBA championship rings made of” is up 700%, making November the perfect time to tip-off some basketball content.
Shaping up to cool down
Of course, with the holidays approaching, people are searching for ways to stay in shape during this season of seconds…and thirds. “Ab exercises” is up 220% in the last 3 months alone and searches for “grip exercises” have doubled, giving creators some great ideas for warming-up their content workouts. And with ski, skate, and snowboard season just around the corner, “ankle mobility exercises” is up 160%, so don’t forget to stretch before hitting the slopes.
For our complete playbook of November searches — and other fun facts that made the scoresheet in our research, tune into Google Search Trends for November on the Google for Creators YouTube Channel. With these insights and your own creativity, we’ll hope you’ll be inspired to create content that fires up your audience’s winning spirit this fall.
]]>If you’re restless, struggling with brain fog, or feeling drained, you might be experiencing burnout. The good news is, you’re not alone. Burnout occurs in all industries, but it’s especially common among entrepreneurs and other self-employed people — like content creators! While burnout is unpleasant, there are several proven ways to get through it – and avoid it in the future. Keep reading for three techniques you can use to combat burnout now and get your creative mind back on track.
Practice Mindfulness
It’s easy to get caught up in the creative process when you’re excited about what you’re making. However, working too hard or for too long can lead to frustration and exhaustion. It’s important to give your mind time to rest so you can recharge and approach your work with fresh energy. Try starting each morning with a moment of mindfulness. Granting yourself a few minutes of peace before beginning your day is a great way to center yourself and prevent overwhelm.
Practice Mindfulness To Avoid Burnout
You can also schedule mental breaks into your routine. This can be as simple as taking the time to notice your surroundings, or pay attention to your breathing. Stretching or yoga are also perfect options for breaks. Stand up, move your muscles, and give yourself space to reset before getting back to work. Taking breaks is not a sign of failure; it will help your focus and allow you to be more productive in the long run.
Redefine Success
Many creators struggle with perfectionism and the pressure to succeed, especially when social media makes it easy to measure the popularity of your work with “likes” and follower counts. Rethinking how you define your success can lessen the effects of burnout. Concentrate on your “why” — the reasons you started creating. Maybe you wanted to tell a story, or connect with your community. Focusing on your internal motivation rather than external markers of success will give your work meaning and allow you to appreciate the progress you’ve made.
Explore how perfectionism relates to burnout and cover three cognitive exercises that will help you release the chains of perfectionism.
It’s also helpful to integrate happiness into your work. Think of five things that make you happy, and try to bring them into your life daily. This might look like talking to a friend, playing with a pet, or keeping things that remind you of loved ones in your workspace. Allow yourself time each day to focus on what brings you joy outside of your creative process.
Lean On Your Support System
One of the hardest parts of burnout is the feeling of isolation that comes with it. In times of stress, it's important to have a support system in place that can offer support, advice, or just a friendly ear. A strong network can keep you accountable, offer perspective, and improve your quality of life, both personally and professionally.
Learn why having a good support system is key to releasing isolation and emotional heaviness that is connected to burnout, the different types of support, and strategies for connecting and building community.
Start by visualizing your ideal support system: What kind of relationships do you want? What kind of feedback will make your work better? Keeping these principles in mind will help you seek out and maintain a strong (and mutually beneficial) support system. Don’t be scared to ask for help and show vulnerability — it’s the best way to find the community that’s right for you.
If you’ve been feeling burned out, we have a full playlist dedicated to symptoms, strategies, and solutions for avoiding burnout it in the future. Subscribe to the Google for Creators YouTube channel for more advice on your creative journey!
]]>As you build your online presence or brand, you may get to a point where you can’t manage everything you need to do all on your own. With marketing, social media, community management, scheduling meetings and more to stay on top of, your to-do list can become overwhelming. That’s why so many creators begin outsourcing tasks to employees, assistants and freelancers. We recently spoke with two creators to see how they’ve outsourced tasks to lighten their load and move their businesses forward.
Know when to ask for help
Know when to ask for help
Sarah Herse is a fitness coach who created and uses her own app to provide accessible workouts for all skill levels. She added two remote assistants to her team in the past year, and that extra help has allowed her to create more content for her app and social media channels and expand her reach online. “I knew that running my own business required me to wear a lot of hats, and I was feeling overwhelmed by doing it alone,” she says, “I realized that by outsourcing some of the backend work, I was able to free up my time to do the things I needed as the face of my business.”
Sarah Herse outsources tasks to help keep her fitness company on task and moving forward.
Reaching out for help when you need it can also give you the time you need to recharge. Wellness creator Chris Freytag of Get Healthy U points out, “You can't be the expert in everything, so having companies help us with tasks like SEO or video editing us more time to create content that inspires people to live healthier lives.”
Learn what to delegate and what to keep in house
A key part of outsourcing work is determining who else can do what, and which things you need to keep doing yourself. There are freelancers available for every task you can imagine, but it’s important to be strategic about what tasks you outsource to others.
“I outsource all kinds of things!” Sarah says, “My assistant helps a lot with formatting, proofreading and uploading my content into my app and across web platforms. I also regularly hire photographers and videographers to shoot content for me.”
Some outsourced tasks can likely be done with very little oversight. Other tasks like creative assets or social media may require you to be more hands-on. It’s up to you to determine what aspects of your growing brand can be outsourced and what jobs need to remain your responsibility. For example, Chris chooses to run her company’s social media in-house. “An outside company can never pretend to be the real person that I am,” she shares.
Build your team organically and know when to end it
Build your team organically and know when to end it
There are a multitude of websites that can help you connect with freelancers, but you may have a better experience with someone in your community. “I am such a believer in referrals,” says Chris. “I trust my business friends to lead me to good resources. You can search online all day but a verbal referral goes a long way.” Sarah agrees and suggests finding freelancers “who share the same passion for the space you work in. They will have a much better natural understanding of your style.”
Drawing from your friends and social media mutual contacts can also help you vet candidates and find people who are the best fit for you and your company. Chris points out “The more I get to know my assistants, the more I can understand their strengths.”
Chris Freytag uses freelancers and company staff to run her wellness site.
And don’t be afraid to move on if the relationship isn’t a good fit. Both Chris and Sarah have ended relationships with consultants and graphic designers who weren’t providing the level or quality of service they needed. Appropriately screening their collaborators was an important lesson for both creators. “I'm learning to be more selective with the tasks I outsource and be more thorough in the vetting process.” Sarah says. “I’m continuing to learn all the time.”
]]>Hubble bubble toil and trouble,
Are you a creator in a bit of a muddle?
If so, listen up, we’re here to enlighten,
Data insights don’t have to frighten,
With just a click and a scroll and a sprinkle of magic,
We conjure the data to make your content fantastic…
Halloween is right around the corner. So it’s no surprise that Halloween-themed searches are surging. To celebrate everyone’s favorite spooky holiday — and to help you conjure up some great content ideas — our Google Search Trends for October video offers insights into the most popular, fun and wacky searches of the season.
Ready to discover what’s haunting the minds of web searchers? Follow me…
Dreadful DIY decor
Terms that spike every year in North America are “spider webs,” “skeleton,” “witchcraft,” “vampire” and “cat eye contacts” (yikes!). What does this tell us? Well, that Halloween searches on Google focus around décor. For designers, decorators and party planners, some breakout terms this fall are “hanging witch hats’’ and “trees covered in webs,’’ which more than doubled this month. If you’re a family-focused influencer or just plain crafty, the most popular “how to make” decorations are “wreath,” “tombstones,” “scarecrow,” “cauldrons” and “coffins.” We also unearthed the most popular patterns for jack-o’-lantern pumpkin carving.
Creepy costumes and makeup
For fashionistas and beauty bloggers, trending terms that have doubled include "Cosmo and Wanda halloween costume" and "daredevil costume,” while "cat costume" is also up a whopping 400 percent. The most searched partner costumes are Bonnie and Clyde, Lilo and Stitch, Thing 1 and Thing 2, Velma and Daphne, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, Mario and Luigi and Beauty and the Beast. Beauty trends saw searches for “zombie,” “skeleton,” “clown,” “witch” and “vampire” makeup. In the video, we also reveal the most popular masks (with Freddy Krueger making a comeback) as well as top trends for nail art ideas for Halloween manicures.
Frightfully fun refreshments
A survey of Halloween searches wouldn’t be complete without a rundown of the season’s standout food and beverages. For the mixologists out there, the top trending spooky cocktails this year are “witches brew,” “bloody Mary,” “brain hemorrhage shot,” “beetlejuice” and “black magic margarita.” Top searched Halloween-themed foods include “hocus pocus buns,” “mummy hot dogs,” “hocus pocus charcuterie board” and “spider web taco dip.”
For our complete rundown on Halloween-themed searches — and other fun facts that bubbled up in our research, tune into Google Search Trends for October on the Google for Creators YouTube Channel. With these insights and your own creativity, you might find ways to create content that taps into your audience’s spirit for fun this Halloween season.
]]>VidCon is back! After a 2 year hiatus, VidCon North America returned to Anaheim, California on June 22-25. The 3-day conference united content creators, platforms, brands, and fans for informative content sessions, brand activations, meet & greets, and so much more. Industry speakers discussed their current innovations and offerings. Presenting creators, offered insights on content creation and met with their biggest fans. This was the first year Google for Creators attended the North America conference, and we were delighted to connect with creators and show them the utility and power of the open web. While VidCon is now over we walked away with amazing learnings and tips that we wanted to share.
So let’s get right to it; here’s what we learned at VidCon:
Web 3 is becoming more than a buzzword
Web 3 and NFT’s seemed to account for a vast majority of VidCon discussion. Across the various panels, Web 3 was seen by many as a means to bring more monetization options directly to creators. For example, companies such as Facebook and Instagram are rolling out more ways for creators to make money like their test on Instagram that will allow creators to display their NFTs on the platform.Shopify is working to make token gated shopping easier for merchants with their NFT marketplace and educational resources. Across the various panels it was very clear that NFTs are not only an exciting tool providing creators with a new way to monetize content but it also brings a new level of engagement and personalization directly to the fans.
In an era of Multi-Form Content Creation, it's important to create Sustainability
The modern creator is multi-platform and it can be challenging to plan and execute content across the various platforms, in addition to managing brand deals and community management- that’s why creators need to set up practices that enable sustainable content creation This year Google for Creators brought along two experienced creators, Kaya Marriott, and Yaya Han to discuss on how their web presence has been essential in their sustainability and longevity as career content creators
Google for Creators writer Crystal Lambert, interviewed Kaya Marriott, the founder and content creator behind lifestyle and beauty blog Comfy Girl with Curls for the VidCon Session, Get The Most From Your Post. Kaya recently made the transition from her 9-5 to a full-time content creator, and her journey has been inspiring. Comfy Girl with Curls originally started as a natural hair blog and has evolved into her home base for lifestyle and content creation tips as well. In the session, Kaya credited much of her success to content bundling- a strategy to help you plan, create and post your content more effectively across all your platforms.
With content bundles, Kaya can take one content idea and tailor that concept across platforms. This strategic approach has reduced the time she takes to make content and it also increased her income potential. Traditionally, brands would approach her for single post promotion, but because she was equipped with her content bundle strategy- one that promised greater reach than a single post, and a cohesive narrative across platforms she has been able to negotiate more money for more deliverables.
And Make Sure you Own Your Content
Yaya Han also came to the stage with Google for Creators to discuss Becoming a Sustainable Creator. Yaya has managed to take a $40 used sewing machine and passion and has turned it to 3 million followers across her website and social media platforms, over 400 costumes, partnerships with McCall’s and JOANN Fabric and Craft Stores, and a published book. At VidCon Yaya discussed the volatility of social media platforms and reflected on her own content creation journey, and how the uncertainty of closed platforms and algorithms has made her a huge advocate for having a website. A website serves as a homebase for her portfolio of work, merch, and more.
Having a website to host her content serves as an historical archive of her growth and it gives her content a longer shelf life on the web, vs other platforms. From the web, she can connect directly with her followers to cultivate and nurture her audience.
You can learn more about Yaya and her secrets for building a cosplay business online on our Creator Insights video series.
Creators thrive in Community
One of the largest pain points we hear from creators is not being able to discuss their unique challenge with other content creators. It can be frustrating when family and friends don't share the same challenges that content creators face such as navigating brand deals, scheduling content, brainstorming content ideas. This is what makes VidCon magical- it’s an annual space for content creators to make new friends and peers across niches, size, and content verticals. At Google for Creators we aim to make creator tips, tricks, and inspirational content readily accessible via our YouTube channel and creator guides. We also realize that there is a unique value in connecting with other creators so launched a Google For Creator Discord Channel. Join our growing community of creators to gain inspiration, tips, and access to exclusive announcements and programs. Also check our our video, VidCon 2022, Twitter Notes, and More Creator News! for even more learnings
]]>As a creator, it can be hard to know how to take your content, your online presence and your brand to the next level. To help creators overcome everyday challenges, we’re launching a new video on the Google for Creators YouTube channel called “Creator Makeover.” The show pairs a creator struggling with some common problems with more experienced creators who can help them move toward success.
The hosts of our first Creator Makeover are London-based travel bloggers Yaya Onalaja-Aliu and Lloyd Griffiths, who grew their Hand Luggage Only blog and website from a dorm-room project to a successful brand that now has over 1 million unique visitors to the blog a month. Lloyd and Yaya worked with health and fitness entrepreneur Elle Linton of KeepItSimpELLE to help her expand her online presence, grow her audience and gain more revenue.
“Like many creators, Elle was struggling with ‘How do I make [my website] my business?’” Lloyd reflects. “The reality is, you need traffic to monetize your content. But you don’t want to produce rubbish content just for the sake of posting. If you want to make more money, you have to create and post quality content across platforms to get your message to a wider audience.”
Lloyd and Yaya worked with Elle to earn more passive income from advertising and affiliate links. To get there, they helped her create a content plan and adapt her blog content onto Instagram. “Do some homework to understand what works for the audience on each platform,” Yaya says. “What you post on Facebook isn’t the same as what you share on TikTok.”
The show follows Elle’s progress over the course of several weeks, as she implements Lloyd and Yaya’s “makeover” advice. After commiting to regularly posting more content, Elle expands her reach — increasing traffic by 10 percent and engagement by 150 percent. “The content plan helped me know what to create, when to create it and who to create it for,” Elle notes.
Launching a successful brand online
Yaya and Lloyd are happy to share what they’ve learned about creating a successful brand online. Like many creators, they didn’t originally plan to turn their content into a business. While graduate students at Cambridge University, they started posting travel photos and stories online. “We were already posting on Facebook,” Yaya notes, “but we wanted a place where we could connect with like-minded travelers and have a two-way conversation.” They launched the Hand Luggage Only website and blog in 2014.
Readers and followers enjoyed Lloyd and Yaya’s spirit of adventure and practical travel advice on where to stay and eat, what to do and see, as well as what to avoid. The pair actively engaged their blog audience, responding to questions and comments to ignite discussion. “We've always tried to make our advice and content as accessible as possible,” Lloyd says. “We want to give people access to the information and experiences, to give them a sense of empowerment. It all came together and helped us grow.”
By 2015, the blog audience had grown, along with advertising revenue. Travel and tourism-related brands approached the creators to collaborate on custom content. Hand Luggage Only was taking flight. “Businesses were interested in the commercial side of [our brand], which took us by surprise,” Yaya says. “We thought, ‘Let’s give it a leap.’” They bid farewell to their jobs and never looked back.
Today, Hand Luggage Only has a total 1.6 million followers across their blog and social media, including TikTok. Lloyd and Yaya make a living doing what they love to do best — exploring the corners of the world — as they grow their following across Europe and North America. They recently published their first book, Hand Luggage Only: Great Britain (Hardie Grant, November 2021).
“The key to success is bringing who you are to the forefront,” Lloyd says. “We can give you the technology tools to help you along your way. But who you are is what's going to make you stand out.”
Lloyd and Yaya help Elle share her personal approach to fitness — “celebrating what our bodies can do … [whether] a marathon a month or squats in your front room after a day at your desk” — with a larger online community, laying the foundation for more traffic and more revenue.
“We hope people who watch our video will feel inspired to take the next steps to monetize their brands,” Yaya offers. “Structure doesn’t stifle your creativity, but rather lets you expand your content to different audiences. It’s about learning what those audiences would like to see from you.”
Want to see more from Yaya and Lloyd? Check out their Creator Makeover video on the Google for Creators YouTube channel.
]]>Yaya Han grew up in China fascinated by manga and anime — Japanese graphic comics and animation featuring characters with superpowers. When her family moved to Germany, Yaya lost her connection to that world of fantasy. “I felt alone in my fandom,” she recalls. In 1998, while still a teen, she immigrated to the U.S. on her own to start a new life. The move had an expected upside: “It was the first time that I found other people who also shared my interests,” she says.
Soon after that, with a $40 used sewing machine and a pile of thrift store fabric, Yaya stitched together a costume and entered the world of cosplay (costume play), attending her first anime convention in California. “I was a wide-eyed teenage girl trying to find my place,” she says. “Cosplay gave me direction. I could become another character. It was like a lightning strike.”
Yaya had a talent for design and sewing and soon made a name for herself in the budding community with cosplay contest wins and awards. Eventually, others asked her to make costumes for them. So in 2005, she and her then boyfriend (now husband) Brian, whom she met at Dragon Con, set up a website to take costume orders, and Yaya quit her job as a software analyst to focus on cosplay full time. Together with Brian, she realized that it was more lucrative to make ready-to-wear cosplay accessories to sell instead of full customized costumes. Her most successful product are these cartoony pairs of cat’s ears, which she credits with catapulting her business to the next level.
All the while, Yaya continued to make costumes for herself, and the dazzling transformations resonated with people all over the world at conventions and online. Today, Yaya is a successful cosplay designer, model, author, TV personality and influencer, with 3 million followers across her website, blog and social media platforms. Her portfolio now includes 400 costumes, and she has business partnerships with McCall’s and JOANN Fabric and Craft Stores. She has achieved celebrity status online and at cosplay conventions, where she sells Yaya Han merchandise, including autographed copies of her book, Yaya Han’s World of Cosplay.
Yaya will share some of her secrets for building a cosplay business online in a new Creator Insights video series on the Google for Creators YouTube channel. She hopes to inspire others in the cosplay community — and artistic people in general — who want to learn how to use digital tools to turn their passions into a business. We chatted with Yaya about what creators can expect to learn from her.
From fangirl to cosplay superhero
Millions of cosplayers around the world have taken to digital media to express themselves — a trend that increased during the coronavirus pandemic, when conventions shut down. Now that events are opening back up again, Yaya wants to help other cosplayers tap into their passions, get back into the game and grow their brands online. “I want them to understand the scope of cosplay, where it came from and the opportunities within it,” Yaya says. “I want to help them build a space for themselves within the world of cosplay.”
Though Yaya achieved popularity on social media (her Facebook alone has nearly 2 million followers), Yaya’s website is at the heart of her brand. “My website has always legitimized me,” Yaya says. “People may discover me on social media, but I direct them back to my website to learn more about me. My website is where I house my portfolio and show what I’ve done (including TV appearances). It’s where businesses can book me for social media marketing campaigns, conventions and events. With social media being so popular, some cosplayers might not think of creating a website. I’m here to tell them they are more than their social media. I’ve always been able to negotiate better deals because I could back up all of these accolades through my website.”
In her video series, Yaya will cover all things cosplay as well as how to monetize your brand through your website and social media channels. “I want the series to inspire people and to motivate them to take their brand into their hands,” she says. “I’m here to light that fire.”
Want to learn more about cosplay and building a brand online from Yaya Han? Check out her Creator Insights video series on the Google for Creators YouTube channel.
]]>Women’s History Month often focuses on women from the past — those who broke down barriers and helped create the world we live in now. However, the work of female changemakers is far from over, and a new crop of women is leading the way and changing what’s possible for future generations.
This Women’s History Month, we want to highlight four women creators who are using their talents and creativity to pave the way for the next chapter of women’s history. Read on to learn more about these talented women, and be sure to follow them to learn more about their important work.
Chaya Milchtein has created a safe online space for women and LGBTQ people in the world of cars and mechanics.
Purchasing and maintaining a car often involves moving in traditionally male-dominated spaces. But Chaya Milchtein wants everyone to feel comfortable both under the hood and behind the wheel. Chaya is an automotive educator and journalist who is dedicated to providing women and queer people with automotive education. Through her company Mechanic Shop Femme, she teaches people about cars, speaks to people about cars, and creates content about cars for her website, social accounts, and major publications such as Parents, Real Simple, Via, and others. Her goal is to equip her community with all the information they need to feel confident about their automotive decisions. Chaya’s blog became her full-time job in 2020, and she now focuses on providing her community with the information they need to feel confident about their automobile decisions.
Nakisha Wynn uses her blog to provide vital information for single mothers.
Nakisha Wynn may have started her career in finance, but her pivot to blogging has helped mothers around the world. Launched in 2016, her website provides advice on family financing, working from home, and carving out space for yourself as a working parent. She also serves as a mentor for other women who want to follow in her footsteps and create blogs of their own. She maintains a consistent dialogue with her audience to provide them with advice to help them thrive.
Christina Galbato provides education and inspiration for online creators.
Christina Galbato started out as a travel and lifestyle blogger, providing her followers with a window into her international adventures with tourism boards around the world. Over time, however, she discovered that what her audience really wanted was to learn how to become bloggers themselves. Now, Christina uses her platform to give women a template for creating a life of their own design. Her podcast and online courses provide information for women who want to begin their journeys as a creator as well as valuable advice on how to monetize their content and make a living while doing something they love.
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Morgan Pitts created an online support community for Black women creators.
Searching #BlackGirlsWhoBlog on Instagram will bring you to a diverse and varied group of Black women creators. Morgan Pitts created this hashtag to connect Black creators and foster community through social media. She also founded the @blackgirlswhoblog Instagram account to highlight and celebrate other Black women online. Morgan retired the account at the end of 2021 to start a new chapter and focus on her role as a Community Partnerships Lead for a skincare brand, but the hashtag lives on as a way to seek out and honor the work of Black creators.
]]>Happy Pi Day! If it’s been a while since you’ve been in a math classroom, pi (or π) is a mathematical constant with infinite digits, usually shortened to 3.14. That’s why March 14th (3/14) has become a celebration of math recognized worldwide.
Math may not be the first topic that comes to mind when you think about creators, but Stephanie Yi has been able to build an active online presence on her blog and her Instagram and TikTok accounts, with 37k and 33k followers respectively. And that’s just her side hustle. When she’s not busy creating, she’s a 7th grade math teacher based in Southern California. We recently caught up with Stephanie to discuss her work in the classroom and online — and to remember Pi Days past.
Watching the opportunities add up
Stephanie first created her blog and instagram account during a particularly difficult year in a new city. She shares, “I didn't know anyone and I didn't feel like a good teacher. I started posting online about a few things that were happening in my class because I was inspired by other teachers that I followed. It is so helpful to have that community.”
Stephanie’s virtual community of other math teachers has led to some unique opportunities. She befriended other teachers online and they met in person at a conference hosted by Texas Instruments, where they adopted the name The SQUADdratics.
After the TI conference, the SQUADratics were inspired to create their own virtual conference called Beyond The Mean (“Because we’re not average!”). For the past two summers, the Beyond The Mean conference has allowed math teachers to connect and communicate about their practices. “A lot of us identify as being people of color.” she adds, “I love that we're a diverse female led math conference.”
Dividing (and conquering) in the classroom
Stephanie often uses real-world applications of math in her lessons. “Recently I’ve thought a lot about my seventh grade math teacher,” she recalls. “We did a project where she had us create our own budget, and it was eye-opening to use what we learned and apply it in the real world.” Stephanie wasn’t inspired by just one teacher, however, but by experiences she had in all of her classes. She says, “Maybe I won't stand out to my kids, but my lessons might.” That helps me think about how I plan lessons and what I do in my class on a daily basis.”
Stephanie finds that getting her students moving helps keep them focused, especially during remote learning. Scavenger hunts became a staple of her virtual classes, and she used online games to keep students on task. She shares, “The biggest thing is getting students to understand the math. If students feel comfortable with the topic they get excited. That's always my goal: for students to understand what they're doing and to give them the support they need to be successful.”
Solving the equation for work/life balance
With a full-time teaching job and active online community to serve, Stephanie says prioritization is key. She says, “It's easy to put my job and online community ahead of my home life. I've learned to think about what's most important and focus on that.” She also helps her students find balance by providing breaks for activities and giving them space to help one another.
Stephanie’s students will always come before her work as a creator, but her classroom experiences do inspire her online content. She stresses that the online world is very different from an actual classroom. “It's curated,” she explains “It looks perfect because it's been formed that way. In my classroom, things get messy. That's not easily conveyed through social media.”
Although Instagram only shows pieces of Stephanie’s life as a teacher, she’s grateful to her community for boosting her confidence. “In real life I'm not good about sharing things I'm proud of,” she says. My platforms are things I have control over. It's taught me to put myself out there and share what I've done.”
Calculating Pi during COVID-19
While looking forward to celebrating Pi Day 2022, Stephanie shared a memory from her last in-person Pi Day in 2020. “We had students memorize the digits of pi.” she shares, “If they memorized and recited 20 digits, they got a slice of actual pie.” That particular pi day happened to be on Friday, March 13, 2020, which ended up being the last day of in-person school for months before school shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “That was a very memorable Pi Day,” she recalls.
]]>Today’s creators have many tools and platforms to produce digital content, build community, and generate revenue. But it wasn’t always this way. When the World Wide Web was still a strange new frontier, creators had limited options to share content online.
The creator’s web has evolved from very basic, hard-coded HTML pages with hit counters, guest books and animated GIFs to the dynamic, engaging websites, blogs, videos and social media channels we love to follow. So why are we feeling nostalgic for dancing babies, bouncing sheep and flying toasters? Because the web is turning 33!
The birth of the Web took place on March 12, 1989 when computer scientist Sir Tim Berners-Lee proposed a unifying structure to link information across different computers. He was truly the original web developer! To mark this occasion, let’s take a quick look back at some of the ways web creators got their humble start — and where we’re headed next.
Personal websites and web shrines
The first non-commercial, creator websites began cropping up in the mid-1990s. They were rudimentary, hard-coded HTML websites, often based around hobbies, pets and interests. Celebrity worship took the form of fan-built “web shrines” — websites dedicated to actors and musicians cobbled together with text, photos and clip art. But personal websites were hard to find. The Yahoo! directory, launched in 1994, grew popular because it allowed people to discover creators’ websites by category, from arts and entertainment, to environment and nature, to society and culture.
Web communities, web logs and forums
Founded in 1994, GeoCities offered free website hosting and a choice of themed “neighborhoods” to join. This enabled hundreds of thousands to create their first websites and become part of a community — a built-in audience who shared their interests, from video games to pottery to rock bands. The service was bought by Yahoo! in 1999 and shut down 10 years later.
In 1999, Blogger and LiveJournal launched their free online “web blog” platforms, putting simple publishing tools in the hands of creators (with Tumblr following years later). Though blogs were hosted on the blogging platforms’ websites, they allowed creators to build their own digital homes on the web.
Content forums such as phpBB began to proliferate by 2000, spawning creative and niche communities, giving people a means to share ideas without having to build websites or publish blogs. Reddit is a modern version of these forums.
Website publishing for the masses
WordPress was released in 2003, putting website development tools in the hands of common creators. This marked the democratization of publishing quality content on the web. You no longer needed to be a developer to create an attractive, functioning personal website!
Video for everyday creators
Hosting video on your own site was once very expensive, and videos were slow to load. In 2005, YouTube changed everything, giving creators a platform to publish their own videos. Vimeo and Dailymotion also helped to solve this huge infrastructure problem for creators.
Explosion of social media
With blogging, website building and video publishing in full swing, one problem was how to discover all this content. Search engines like Yahoo Search, Google and (the now defunct) AltaVista were one obvious means, while social bookmark managers like Digg and discovery platforms like Pinterest became important to creators as well.
These services still lacked the human touch many internet users craved, leading to the dawn of social media — starting with Friendster in 2002, MySpace and LinkedIn in 2003, then exploding with Facebook in 2004, followed by Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Social media allowed web creators to share their content in new ways, reaching new audiences.
Web creation today
While social media content is proliferating wildly, creators know that they lose some control over their content by posting on these sites and apps. Some creators are now shifting back to building and owning their own home on the web — a website to host their own content, experiment with different monetization options, build stronger and more direct relationships with their audiences and create their own personal brands.
We’ve come a long way from the first web shrines. At Google for Creators, our mission is to help creators be successful on the web. We look forward to supporting you on your journey, and we can’t wait to see where the web takes us next.
]]>It’s hard to imagine life without our cell phones, computers, tablets and other devices. This is especially true for busy creators, who spend so much time online researching, producing and managing content, building communities and growing their businesses. Even the most seemingly balanced creators can suffer from “creator burnout” or “creative fatigue” when their schedules get too hectic.
So how can we make sure we unplug enough to stay healthy and balanced?
March 4 to 5 is the National Day of Unplugging — the Unplugged Collaborative’s awareness campaign that teaches people how to maintain a healthy life/tech balance. Each year, the nonprofit invites people to turn off their devices and take part in unplugged events hosted by schools, religious institutions and businesses worldwide.
In addition to this annual event, there are many ways to unplug on a daily or weekly basis. To get a full-time creator’s perspective on unplugging, we consulted self-care, wellness and holistic living educator Andi Eaton. Though her Oui, We website, blog, podcast, courses and social media, Andi coaches other women on living a balanced, creative life.
“To me, ‘unplugging’ is about taking time for yourself, setting appropriate boundaries and disconnecting from the pace of the world,” Andi says. “It’s stepping away from email, DMs and the phone (which will be there when you reconnect!) and taking time to do things that give you an opportunity to reset.” She offers four tips for creators “who feel like they’ve been glued to technology for too long and need a break.”
Step away and reset
“Whether you spend that time on a hike in nature, in bed resting, in a yoga class, having a nourishing meal with friends, getting your nails done, going to the park or a museum or enjoying a day at the beach (a few of my favorite ways to unplug), the goal is to reset and come back feeling inspired,” Andi says. “If you can’t commit to that amount of time, a walk around the block counts!”
Get enough rest
Creators tend to work long hours on their content, sometimes well into the night. But sleep deprivation isn’t good for your productivity — or your health. “Give yourself a good night's sleep, and take a midday nap if you need to,” Andi advises. “As a creator, one of the benefits of working for yourself is setting your own schedule, so be gentle with yourself.
Consider your health
Andi teaches clients to be self-aware and mindful of their bodies, which can be a challenge for busy creators. “Are you drinking enough water? Eating a well-balanced diet? Making time for movement in your day?” Andi asks. “When we’re overworking ourselves, we sometimes overlook the simple things that are good for us that make a big impact."
Schedule time to unplug
“To ensure you’re treating your well-being with the same level of importance as the work you do, you may need to block time on your calendar for reset time, rest time, exercise and healthy eating,” Andi suggests. Make unplugging part of your schedule. “Even if your days feel disorganized and chaotic,” Andi notes, “there is hope when you work to manage your time.”
However you unplug, do it with purpose and do it often! Technology helps creators accomplish so many amazing things. We just need to be sure to unplug enough to care for ourselves and keep those creative juices flowing.
For more content creation and lifestyle advice from Oui, We by Andi Eaton, check out her Creator Insights series on the Google for Creators YouTube channel.
]]>Monique Elise is a Philadelphia-based author, financial analyst and lifestyle influencer who started her brand in 2017, focusing on “empowering women to live their most fabulous lives.” On www.moniqueelise.com, she shares tips on personal development, finance, relationships, shopping and more.
These days, Monique regularly partners with brands on sponsored content, including national companies like Asana and Courvoisier USA, as well as regional brands, like PA Lottery and PA Turnpike Commission. “I consistently get hired to create content and collaborate with brands I love,” Monique says. “I'm so in love with the work I create.”
Based on her polished blog and social media feed, you might assume that Monique is always on point. But when asked about a time when things didn't go well for her brand, she shares this cringeworthy experience:
“I remember when I got my first collaboration with a brand I reached out to. I underestimated just how much work, preparation and organization goes into creating content that I’m truly proud of. As a result my first campaign was a huge flop! My images were horrible and I was so embarrassed,” Monique recalls.
Learn and grow from your mistakes
At the time, Monique was disappointed in herself for not living up to her standards, but she says that experience didn’t go to waste — in fact, it helped her grow. “Truthfully that experience was so necessary because it made me understand how important it is to be prepared, especially if I want to represent my business in a meaningful way.”
Instead of feeling defeated and discouraged from working with brands, Monique challenged herself to try again, this time learning from her mistakes and letting her values guide her to do better. “To me every failure is an opportunity to learn, grow and get better. I like to call it failing forward. Mistakes and failures are inevitable, but I refuse to let mine go to waste.”
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Monique turned to her friends, her boyfriend and fellow creators to help her get up again after that first campaign went sideways. “Having a support system really helps when you’re suffering from self-doubt,” Monique says. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You’d be surprised at how many people want to help you and to see you succeed.”
Share your highs and lows with your followers
Monique also says creators shouldn’t be afraid to share their challenges and mistakes with their followers. ”People love a comeback story and things they can relate to. I’m all about being authentic and bringing my followers along with me for the ride. That way they feel more connected to my work.”
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]]>When Paul Zalewski became a father, he went online, looking for information on how to be a dad. “I literally never held a baby until my daughter was born,” Paul admits. Knowing he wanted to be the opposite of the stereotypical 1950s father, Paul mined the web for expert parenting advice and research-backed product reviews. He found a lot of good information, but much of it was geared towards moms and didn’t speak to his experience as a dad.
Not finding online resources or community that reflected him, Paul ended up reaching out offline to another new dad, his brother-in-law, John Doht. The two swapped parenting information and found comfort in their camaraderie. Paul and John started talking about building the online resource they wished they had found when they became parents. And that’s how their dad-focused parenting brand, Fathercraft was born. They launched the site in 2016, focusing on in-depth baby product reviews that weren’t just informational, but funny and fun to read.
Today, Fathercraft brings in an average of 51,000 monthly visitors to the website and gets about 52,000 monthly views on their YouTube channel. While Fathercraft is still a part-time project for Paul and John, their goal is to make it a full-time business. Adding affiliate links to reviews and selling merch on their site has provided a steady stream of income, but Paul says their online video courses, which they launched in 2018, are currently their biggest money maker.
Fathercraft currently offers two paid courses: Father’s Ed, a nine-module course for new dads made up of 32 videos, and Baby Sleep School, lessons on sleep training that are included in Father’s Ed and offered as a standalone course. Paul and John have had about 600 parents take their courses so far, and aim to make more on new topics in the future.
The benefits of online courses have been threefold for Fathercraft: revenue from evergreen content, a passive way to increase their reach and most importantly for John and Paul, a community of loyal fans. They’ve learned a lot from creating their first two courses, lessons that they are happy to share with others. Here are four tips for creators who are considering making their own online courses:
Strategize content around user experience
Paul and John took 18 months to create their flagship course, Father’s Ed. A lot of that time was spent coming up with the content and organizing it. Even after all that advance planning, Paul says they learned a lot in hindsight from the experience, as well as from user feedback. Some parents, for example, felt they should have talked about baby gear earlier in the course. Other parents said they wished the videos had closed captioning, so they wouldn’t disturb their sleeping spouses and/or babies as they watched. Paul and John say they will create future course content with more of the user’s perspective in mind.
Teach the essentials through your POV
What sets Fathercraft apart from other parenting resources is that they deliver researched information in an entertaining way. “Our use of humor has been something that people have really latched onto,” Paul says. “We like to joke around a lot and we’ve heard from the vast majority of people that that’s been a thing that helped them get through a larger percentage of the courses.” Paul and John are the first to admit that all of the information in their courses can be found elsewhere on the web and in parenting books; their job is to organize, vet, curate and present that information for their audience. “We drew heavily on American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendations for Father’s Ed. It was important for us to have something that was science-backed and from experts,” Paul says. “But our own experience was part of it too. Bringing those two things together was what made the course magical, blending personal experience with an expert view point.”
Choose a medium that speaks to your strengths
Paul and John created online video courses because of the strength of their product reviews on YouTube. “So much of parenting is hands-on, and demonstrating through video and talking to experts on video brings topics to life a lot more than reading about them,” Paul explains. It helps that John — who represents Fathercraft in all the videos — is a natural on camera. His knowledgeable, but laid-back and funny vibe aligns with the overall voice of the brand.
Paul says that if he were doing Fathercraft alone, he might not have chosen to create video courses, since being on camera is not one of his strengths. Instead, he might’ve focused mainly on downloadable guides and worksheets (which Fathercraft also sends to parents who take their courses). Another option Paul suggests for camera-shy creators: audio-only material. In fact, some parents have said they wished Fathercraft had an audio version of their courses, so they could listen to the lessons in the car.
Promote your courses with high-quality, free content
While the Fathercraft YouTube channel has a strong following, Paul and John consider their website to be their main hub. “We have an amazing credibility from the website, it’s good looking, it has strong domain authority, and has led to an incredible amount of opportunities through the years,” Paul explains. Their trove of high-quality free content is often the determining factor that drives readers to become paying course takers. “We’ve experimented and failed with thinking that people watching our YouTube channel will buy a $150 course,” Paul says, “but they will click a link to a free PDF.”
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]]>Esther JuLee and Jacob Fu are best known for exploring local gems on their travel lifestyle site Local Adventurer, but the married bloggers have also become a resource for digital creators looking to recreate their business success, especially their prolific work with brands, like Delta, Airstream and REI.
Just as they share details about their favorite places around the country, the couple shares their knowledge about making money blogging. Jacob explains, “We don’t see [other bloggers] as more competition. We think there’s always space for everybody to come into this. We’ve been through the sweat and tears of growing our site and getting to where we are now, and remember what it was like early on. We want to be a resource and not sell what we do as some sort of glamorous lifestyle that people only see one side of.”
When Esther and Jacob launched Local Adventurer in 2014, they first earned income through affiliate marketing, or making commission from product links to a third-party’s website. Affiliate sales paired naturally with their packing guides and hiking trip posts, where they could link to gear and other products. However, as they shifted to writing city guides, Jacob — who has a background in account management and sales — understood they had to change their monetization strategy. He realized sponsored content would be a better fit. Today, the couple makes about 60% of their six-figure earnings through sponsored content, 30% from ads and 10% from affiliate sales.
With his business background, Jacob is comfortable working with brands, but he knows that not everyone is. “It can be intimidating,” he admits. “It’s a skill you have to work on.” Just as bloggers need to brush up their skills on photography, writing and SEO skills, Jacob emphasizes they should also learn everything they can about negotiating, cold calling, and talking to brands in a professional way.
After partnering with a long list of brands over the years, Jacob has plenty of advice to share. Here are a few tips and insights that will help you get started working with brands.
Quality over quantity
Jacob says creators can get too focused on the number of followers they have, but when it comes to working with brands, it’s more important to focus on the quality of your followers rather than quantity. “If you have 100 dedicated followers, that’s 100 potential customers for a brand,” Jacob explains.
Start small
If you have a small following, keep your expectations realistic. “If you have 100 followers, a company like Delta will probably not respond to you. But that doesn't mean you can’t practice with other brands,” Jacob says. Come up with a list of your 10 dream brands, and then find and pitch to local companies doing something similar.
Speak to a brand’s needs
Learn as much as you can about the brand and what value you can bring to them. Reach out to the company’s brand partnership contact (If it’s not obvious who that person is, DM the company on Instagram, email the general email account or call the general phone line to ask) to find out their marketing budget, when their fiscal year begins and ends, their goals, their target audience, and so on. Then draw up a pitch that speaks to their wants and needs. Jacob prefers to speak with contacts over the phone, when possible. “On a call with a brand, I’m asking all the questions to find out as much as I can about what they want to do, so the pitch can be as personal as possible,” Jacob says.
Prepare a pricing sheet, but don’t be afraid to negotiate
A pricing sheet sets a standard and shows brands that you’re not just throwing out random numbers. There is no general pricing guideline for creators, so determine the value of your time and effort, and price accordingly. Even with a pricing sheet, you may need to negotiate, as most brands are going to try to book a deal at the lowest price possible. “We negotiate almost every contract that is sent to us,” Jacob says. “It’s good to find guidelines for yourself.” But Jacob adds: If you’re not booking a lot of deals, you’re probably pricing yourself too high; if you’re getting booked too much, increase your rate.
Offer a variety of ways to work together
Having several partnership opportunities gives you a better chance to land deals. New creators with small follower counts may not be able to get full paid sponsorships, but you can build your portfolio and relationships with brands by offering in-kind coverage for products and services. “Early on, Local Adventurer did features on brands that we personally loved, larger brands like Arc'teryx,” Jacob says. “It’s a great way to build relationships, to practice what it’s like having deliverables, and a great way to build a portfolio.” After you’ve shown good results, brands may come to you with more and better opportunities.
Try marketplaces
Marketplaces help connect new creators with brand deals. All you need to do is sign up, fill out a survey and if your demographic, audience and pricing are the right fit for a brand, you’ll get booked for a project. Jacob uses Izea and #paid for making certain brand deals, but says marketplaces have their downsides too. Marketplaces are best for micro influencers, since they’re mostly for small, low-budget projects. And because you’re working through a platform, “you end up losing out on learning how to talk directly to a brand; you mostly are working with a middleman working with the marketplace,” Jacob says. Still, marketplaces are a good way to start, and even established creators can use them as a research tool. “If a brand is on a marketplace, they have a budget for content creators.”
Deliver on your deliverables
Jacob can’t count the number of times he’s heard from publicists about content creators who don’t follow through on deliverables. People in PR often move from company to company, which means if you’ve burned enough bridges, you could be out of luck — and work. Jacob and Esther set expectations and deadlines early with brands, and “over-deliver” when possible. “When we set expectations on our side, there’s a lot less miscommunication,” Jacob says. “Be over-communicative with everything,” even when things go off-track, like when you don’t like a brand’s product or service. “When it comes to a product we don’t end up liking, we get back to them. We’ll let them know our experience wasn’t great, and that we’re more than happy to go forward, but we’re going to be honest. We leave it up to them if we move forward.”
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]]>Valentine’s Day is just a few days away — do you have content ready?
Creators who make Valentine’s Day-focused content have to be expert planners, especially folks who create tutorials. Most craft bloggers, for example, start planning their Valentine’s Day projects at least a full month or two in advance of the holiday, and have their V-Day themed posts up by mid to late January, to give followers ample time to make the projects. And, since Valentine’s Day happens every year, these crafty bloggers have to keep fresh loved-themed ideas coming — or have a good collection of past Valentine’s Day crafts to reshare.
If planning content is something you struggle with, read the following to learn from craft bloggers Jamie Dorobek of C.R.A.F.T., Francesca Stone of Fall for DIY and Kathy Cano-Murillo of Crafty Chica, who share with us how they plan and find inspiration for Valentine’s Day content.
Plan content as early as possible
Jamie Dorobek started her kid-focused craft blog Creating Really Awesome Fun Things, or C.R.A.F.T. for short, in 2010, while she was a full-time high school special education teacher. Two years later, Jamie took the leap to become a full-time creator. On her website, she shares tutorials for easy activities to make with and for kids. Many of her crafts revolve around free printables she offers for download on her site.
For Valentine’s Day, Jamie makes creative printables that kids can personalize and pass out to their friends or classmates. Jamie’s six-year-old son has helped come up with some ideas for her printables, like snack-themed Valentine’s Day cards that feature messages like, “You’re as neat-o as a Cheeto!” and “You’re as neat-o as a Dorito!”
After 12 years, Jamie has a big backlog of Valentine’s Day projects that she resurfaces on her homepage in early January. But when creating new content, she starts planning even earlier. “I try to start planning Valentine’s Day content no later than December 1. As a small business and mom of two little ones, try is the keyword! The goal is to have new Valentine’s content ready to be published the first or second week of January,” Jamie says.
Save ideas for later use
Francesca Stone was teaching jewelry-making at a bead shop when she started her blog, Fall for DIY, 10 years ago. Francesca found her niche online by sharing easy DIY tips and techniques, something that wasn’t so common at the time. Her jewelry-making tutorials took off, but over the years, Francesca evolved her content by exploring different crafting techniques, as well as broader topics, like home interior design and fashion.
Still true to her blog’s name, Francesca makes time to create and share DIY tutorials, including Valentine’s Day crafts. This year, she shares a tutorial for making polymer clay name necklaces, which can be gifted to a romantic partner or anyone you care about. “I like to create small tokens that can be given either to a crush, a friend you want to show your love for or even your children,” Francesca explains.
But keeping fresh ideas coming every year around holiday content can be challenging for creators, even veterans like Francesca. “This is definitely the most difficult part of my job,” she says. “Keeping my ideas fresh, original and in line with trends takes a lot of research. I also find my ideas need time to naturally develop. When I’m trying too hard to think of ideas I get a creative block. Instead of pushing too hard to find the next project, giving myself the space to allow ideas to grow often creates the best outcome.”
So instead of idea-cramming just before Valentine’s Day or other holidays, Francesca saves ideas throughout the year as they come to her. “I use list apps on my phone. I use these to take pictures or save links, describe my initial thoughts or ideas and set reminders for when I think it might be useful. This works really well for me, but you might like to set up your own way of keeping your inspiration saved for later.”
Find inspiration in your passions
Kathy Cano-Murillo, aka The Crafty Chica, started blogging 20 years ago as a way to share scenes from her life as an entertainment reporter, craft maker, band wife and mom. Over time, the blog became less of a diary, and more of a hub for Kathy to share her Latinocentric craft tutorials. A third-generation Mexican American, Kathy takes pride in representing and connecting with her heritage through her art, and inspiring other creative people from all cultures to do the same.
Now a full-time creator, Kathy has authored 12 books; created multiple product lines; hosts craft retreats; and works for hire as a consultant, brand ambassador and storytelling coach. With such a busy and varied schedule, Kathy still finds time to make and share crafts, and has expanded her platforms to include a YouTube channel and social media channels.
Kathy has a large catalog of Valentine’s Day craft tutorials on her site, such as colorful custom candy boxes you can fill with the sweets of your choice. And this Valentine’s Day, she’s leading an online Valentine craft retreat, teaching attendees to make V-Day themed terracotta clay hearts, cards, earrings and more.
Kathy says, “[Valentine’s Day is] one of my favorite holidays, so much I celebrate it all year round. I make Latinocentric crafts inspired by my Mexican American heritage so I look a lot at what is happening in the Mexico City art world and surrounding areas. Lots to be inspired by!”
We hope you got some helpful insights about planning content from these three creators. For even more creator features, sign up for our monthly newsletter to get the latest from Google for Creators in your inbox.
]]>If you’re still working on your February content plan, read this blog post (or watch the video above) ASAP. Our friends on the Google Trends team have shared February’s top search trends. We hope this information on timely topics that people are searching for will help you come up with engaging content for your specific niche.
Top 5 Valentine’s Day gifts that lovers search for
Ah, love is in the air! Every February, people search for ways to show loved ones they care on Valentine’s Day. If you create gift guides or focus on shopping, Valentine’s Day gift ideas for your particular audience are a no-brainer. But all types of creators can get creative to make content around a holiday theme. Not sure where to start? Here’s some interesting search trend facts — since 2004, the top searched Valentine’s Day gift items in the U.S. are:
- Edible arrangements
- Flowers
- Gift baskets
- Chocolate covered strawberries
- Build a bear
So, city-focused content creators can create a listicle of their favorite local florists. Recipe bloggers can share their special twist on chocolate-covered fruit. Crafters can share a tutorial on making paper flower bouquets. And so on…
Popular questions people in the U.S. ask about Black History Month
February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate and reflect on the legacy and achievements of Black Americans throughout time. Searches about the holiday peak every February, with people in the U.S. specifically looking for answers to:
- When is Black history month
- What does Black history month mean to you
- How to celebrate Black history month
- Who invented Black history month
The Trends team notes that search interest in Black historical figures, like Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver and Rosa Parks are at their highest in February. This year, with the death of Black actor Sidney Poitier, the search for the “first Black actor to win an Oscar” skyrocketed 3,000%. While Black History Month shouldn’t be the only time to honor and highlight Black accomplishments, we’re all for educating and learning from others about the importance of diversity, representation and history.
Trending eats that people worldwide crave for Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year started on Feb. 1 this year. It’s the Year of the Tiger, and searches for “Year of the Tiger 2022 predictions” shot up 2,600% this month. Red envelopes — traditionally used in many East Asian countries to give money to children and elders on Lunar New Year — are the top searched topic in Taiwan. Food-focused content creators, pay attention to these global top trending Lunar New Year eats:
- Nian gao
- Dumplings
- Tang yuan
- Longevity noodles
- Bánh chưng
If you need a little inspiration, check out our recent blog post about how three recipe bloggers cover Lunar New Year. You’ll learn from their strategies, but you’ll also get some great recipes for celebrating Chinese New Year, Seollal and Tết.
Want more tips on creating great content? Sign up for our monthly newsletter to get the latest from Google for Creators in your inbox.
]]>In honor of Black History Month 2022, the Google for Creators team is celebrating Black changemakers who teach, inspire and motivate others by sharing their talents on the web.
We asked six Black creators who we’ve featured on the Google for Creators blog and YouTube channel to shine a light on their favorite Black content creators. Each highlights two Black creators they follow, and tells us why we should too.
Nakisha Wynn
Nakisha Wynn does it all — and in style. On nakishawynn.com, she blogs about motherhood, personal finance and helps other moms build profitable blogs. She says “hard work, persistence and dedication” are the ingredients to her success, so it’s no surprise that her two favorite Black creators — Shay Sweeney and Melissa Jean Baptiste — have a similar boss-like spirit.
- Shay Sweeney (Shay Moné)
Shay is the epitome of a modern day boss mom! I love how she fully embraces motherhood in the midst of pursuing the life she wants. Her content is inspiring and relatable to those of us managing many roles. Black love, entrepreneurship, style and grace is on full display. If you want proof that you can live the life you want and look good doing it…. check her out!
- Melissa Jean-Baptiste (Millenial in Debt)
I found Millennial in Debt a few years ago as its co-founder Melissa was in the midst of paying off nearly $100,000 in student loans. I was inspired. I appreciated how relatable, fun and entertaining she makes personal finance. She takes topics that can sometimes be overwhelming or hard to understand and makes them simple. If you’re looking to learn more about leveling up your finances, she’s your girl!
Kaya Marriott
Kaya Marriott started her lifestyle and beauty blog Comfy Girl with Curls writing about natural hair. But so many other creators started reaching out to her for blogging advice that now she also shares content creation tips. Last November, the Google for Creators team partnered with Kaya at VidCon Abu Dhabi to spread the word on why more creators should be content bundling. Kaya shares practical advice based on the lessons she’s learned throughout her creative journey, as do her two favorite Black creators — fellow Canadian Casey Palmer and natural hair blogger Naturally Madisen.
- Casey Palmer (Canadian Dad)
Casey Palmer is a true cornerstone of the Black Canadian creator community and an inspiration to anyone looking to leverage their blog over social media to build a creative career. As he works to change how the world sees fatherhood, his content strikes the perfect balance of heartfelt storytelling and adding practical value.
When I first began approaching content creation as a business, I bookmarked all of Naturally Madisen’s blog posts on pitching brands. In addition to equipping the creator community with the knowledge needed to monetize their brands, Madisen also shares fantastic wellness and beauty content. Don’t miss her “Shower Toks”, which will remind you to slow down and incorporate more self-care into your routine.
Saya Hillman
Saya Hillman is the head cheese behind Mac & Cheese Productions℠ , a company she founded by making lists. Through motivational resources, events and content, Saya aims to connect people and help them live more productive and fulfilling lives. Her two favorite Black creators are interior designer Carmeon Hamilton and side-hustle mentor Jessica L. Williams.
I came for her bold, non-cookie cutter interior design and her representation of color (decor and skin) in a field devoid of it, I stayed due to her glimpses into her life and lifestyle aesthetic. [On her website, you’ll find] home improvement inspiration but also how vulnerability and transparency exhibit strength and elevate others, how to create and communicate boundaries, how to celebrate success and self, and how to be a friend, parent and spouse. I knew she was a keeper when she mentioned that she too cooks with time-saving frozen veggies — there ain't no shame in that.
- Jessica L. Williams (Tech Biz Gurl)
Jessica helps people who like working 9 to 5, but who also crave a side hustle. She provides resources, insight and encouragement that lets people know it's ok to entrepreneur part-time, and that work-life balance is attainable. Her newsletter is one of the few I allow and enjoy seeing in my inbox; it's the perfect blend of musing and links. I appreciate Jess' humanness as she lets us know she's still trying to figure life out along with the rest of us, and she's hands-down the best cheerleader you could have.
Gabby Beckford
Gabby Beckford takes her readers along on inspiring journeys through her travel blog, Packs Light. Gabby encourages her Gen Z audience to “seek risk, seize opportunity and see the world,” no matter who you are or what your income is. In our blog feature about Gabby, she shares tips on pivoting in the face of unexpected challenges and uncovering new prospects for growth and success. Gabby’s two favorite Black creators — Tanyka Renee and Cinneah El-Amin — are also passionate world travelers.
I love Tanyka because she puts so much intention into her content! Each photo has a unique vibe, and she goes to the most idyllic locations on the face of the Earth. She inspires wanderlust in me, which is truly a feat as a full-time digital nomad and travel creator. Her website is also crisp and high-quality. I could spend all day on her platforms.
- Cinneah El-Amin (Flynanced.com)
I love Cinneah’s platforms because she makes incredible finance and travel information accessible to other Black women. She has a personality that’s as large as life, and really breaks down the “how” in how to become financially free, get paid your worth in your 9-to-5 job and side hustles, and do it all while looking good and traveling the world.
Tokes Ojo-Ade
Tokes Ojo-Ade is the ultimate multitasker. A corporate marketing professional by day, in her free time, Tokes helps busy women stay stylish. On Tokes’ Take on Style, she shares her latest looks, fashion how-to’s, shopping deals and more, but she also runs a prolific YouTube channel and regularly live streams on Instagram to connect with her fans. Her two favorite Black creators are fellow style mavens, Sherra Danielle and Yana B.
Sherra’s an amazing plus size fashionista who inspires plus-size ladies and non-plus-size ladies alike with her chic style and affordable shopping tips. Sherra’s positivity is refreshing and I love how she inspires confidence in others with her bold and fashion forward style.
- Yana B. (Style Stamped)
Yana is a fashion and lifestyle creator and a single mom of a teen and a 4-year-old. Love her bold and chic style and how she’s not afraid to share her kidney transplant survival story as well as her single-mom journey via social and on her blog. She’s a survivor and an inspiration to us all!
Marisa Moore
Marisa Moore is an Atlanta-based registered dietitian and nutritionist who started her website, marisamoore.com, as a hub for her consultancy business. Marisa’s website has helped her land media appearances and other speaking engagements, but it’s also where she shares recipes and nutrition tips on her blog. Marisa learns and gets support from her community of food-focused bloggers, like her favorite Black creators — Meiko Temple and married creators Eric and Shanna Jones.
- Meiko Temple (Meiko and the Dish)
Meiko is a fun follow. She brings amazing energy and creativity to the food blogger community. But she also tirelessly organizes and connects Black food bloggers for virtual events like the annual Black History Month Virtual Potluck!
- Eric and Shanna Jones (Dude That Cookz)
I love this husband and wife team. They show up consistently with gorgeous and comforting recipes — some with a Southern twist that I love!
Thanks Nakisha, Kaya, Saya, Gabby, Tokes and Marisa! We loved learning from you all about these creators and what they mean to you. Follow our blog for even more inspiring creator stories and content inspiration, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to get the latest from Google for Creators in your inbox.
]]>Today is the first day of Lunar New Year, one of the most important holidays in several East Asian cultures. While festivities and traditions vary across cultures, family and food are at the heart of all Lunar New Year celebrations. This is a time for honoring ancestors with food offerings, and for making and eating special dishes that symbolize prosperity, luck and hope.
To celebrate the Year of the Tiger and to help you get inspired by fellow creators making great content on the web, we’re highlighting three recipe websites sharing Lunar New Year content.
Kimchimari, The Woks of Life and VickyPham.com feature delicious recipes accompanied by eye-catching photos, interesting stories and fun facts about foods from Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese cultures, respectively. All three are also excellent examples of content creators who use evergreen content to efficiently make engaging seasonal content. For Lunar New Year, for example, each of the three websites offers holiday-focused collections and guides that link to past Lunar New Year-themed recipes, informational posts and more. Readers find these collections useful for seeing all the related content in one place, and content creators get more value out of work they’ve already done.
Happy Lunar New Year — here’s to more efficient and productive content creation in 2022!
Kimchimari
In Korean culture, Lunar New Year is a three-day festival called Seollal. Those looking to know more about the holiday, especially the foods commonly enjoyed during this time, will want to check out Kimchimari, a Korean food blog started in 2011 by JinJoo Lee. Just in time for Seollal, JinJoo recently updated her homepage to feature her guide to traditional Korean New Year food. The guide features an overview of what Seollal is and short descriptions of celebratory dishes to make for the holiday, which all link to past Kimchimari recipes. The beauty of this type of blog post is that it can be resurfaced every year with minimal updates, such as updated photos, videos and links to new content that fits under the theme. This year, JinJoo updated her dasik (Korean tea cookies) recipe with a new YouTube tutorial.
The Woks of Life
Bill and Judy Leung and their two daughters Sarah and Kaitlin are the family behind The Woks of Life, a travel and cooking blog, where the four share their adventures in the kitchen and on the road. The Woks of Life website is a one-stop online hub for home cooks to learn Chinese cooking techniques, ingredients and traditional and contemporary recipes. The Woks of Life has an impressive collection of Chinese New Year-focused content. As part of their content strategy, The Leungs repackage and repurpose past recipes into seasonal guides, like their Chinese New Year menu planning guide. This year, the site published When Is Chinese New Year 2022?, a post which references and links to evergreen content, including a 2021 post on the Year of the Tiger. While search requests for seasonal content are tied to a specific time of year, don’t discount the power of this type of content. Google Trends reveals that searches for seasonal topics spike every year, so it’s almost certain they’ll be relevant every year.
VickyPham.com
In Vietnamese culture, Tết Nguyen Dan, or Tết for short, is a three-day holiday celebrating the first day of the Lunar calendar and the start of spring in Vietnam. If you’re looking to make dishes on Tết, you’ll find several new years recipes on VickyPham.com. Vicky started the blog in 2014, as a way to document the traditional Vietnamese home-cooked meals she learned to make from her mother-in-law, but these days, she also includes her own take on Vietnamese dishes and recipes from other cultures, too. To ensure her readers are seeing all her Tết-themed recipes in one place, she’s created a prominent banner on her homepage that links to a collection of her Lunar New Year recipes. This year, she added two new recipes to the collection: mứt dừa and Bánh Tét.
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Top photo of the Leung family (The Woks of Life): Sarah Yeoman
]]>Since the beginning of 2022, we’ve been putting out weekly episodes of The Creator Update, our three-minute video recap of the latest news from the creator economy. In every episode, hosts from the Google for Creators team round up timely need-to-knows about new creator promotions, along with relevant content creation tools, features and platform updates.
You can always check out the latest Creator Update on Thursdays on the Google for Creators YouTube channel. But if you’re a binge-watcher, this monthly blog post has all the latest episodes to watch, along with recaps of all the key highlights from each show.
So let’s catch up on the top creator news updates in January, starting with today’s episode.
Jan. 27:
- Koji launches a Truth or Dare app for creators to interact with and earn money from their communities.
- YouTube’s Media Kit allows creators to download a PDF featuring a summary of their channel’s key metrics, including subscribers, unique viewers and average watch time per clip.
- Instagram and TikTok are testing subscription models that will let creators monetize exclusive content.
- Important dates to keep in mind for February content planning: Black History Month, Lunar New Year, New Fashion Week, Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day.
January 20:
- According to the Financial Express, creators are expected to earn more money in 2022 than any other year due to creator funding programs from companies like YouTube, Meta, Pinterest and Linkedin.
- YouTube's new feature lets you compare performance trends of similar videos.
- Instagram is testing a feature that will allow users to rearrange the order of their photo grid.
- Twitter is trying out a search bar on the home screen of the iOs app. Twitter also just put out a U.S. Event Calendar for 2022.
- A new TikTok survey shows that ads made for TikTok that featured creators saw higher recall, higher engagement, and longer view rates than ones that did not. TikTok is also testing a repost feature that’s similar to a retweet on Twitter.
- Media-tech company BBTV’s Pay to Crypto gives creators the ability to collect payments in cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, Ethereum and USD Stablecoin.
January 13:
- Twitter’s Tweet Takes allow users to add TikTok-style video reactions and photos to tweets.
- Instagram announced it’s 2022 priorities: doubling down on video, particularly Reels, and introducing more monetization tools for creators.
- LinkedIn, which now has 722 million subscribers, launched Audio Rooms, a Clubhouse-style feature that lets users host live discussions on LinkedIn.
- YouTube has updated Super Thanks, its monetization feature that lets viewers make donations to favorite creators. Now, users can add a custom message when they purchase a Super Thanks.
- Creators take note: A new tax rule goes into effect this year. Digital payment services like PayPal, Venmo and Zelle are now required to report earnings (if they total $600 or more) that people made for goods and services sold.
Hope you enjoyed and learned something from these January episodes of The Creator Update. Watch all our latest videos by subscribing to Google for Creators on YouTube, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to get the latest from Google for Creators in your inbox.
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