YouTube star Vanessa Lau: How to strategize content for success

There is no denying it; we are in an era where social media holds the power.

Social media can either make you or break you. If you leverage social media strategically, it can take you from rags to riches in no time.

A couple of decades ago, you probably had to sell yourself to the devil to get in front of the camera on any platform if you weren’t an A, B, or C-list celebrity.

Now, you only need confidence, luck, and an internet connection.

Expert content creator and CEO Vanessa Lau says as much, “Look at Charlie D’Amelio, an everyday girl posting videos on TikTok, who is now worth over 20M.”

However, only some can be an overnight success.

To become a successful content creator, you need to understand how content is changing and how to strategize for success. 

People are putting more effort into building their personal brands

In the past, you could work behind the scenes and grow your business without ever publicly claiming it. There are so many thriving businesses out there without a face.

They focus on customer satisfaction and quality service to build a loyal customer base. 

However, recent trends show that people are more drawn to businesses when they love and admire the person behind them.

Look at the Kardashians and Jenner sisters; their products sell out minutes after release because people want to be associated with their brand.

Why? Their status holds power. So, when you carefully build your personal brand, it does half the work.

Video content is doing better than any other form of content

Let’s face it; people are always on their phones. If it’s not their phones, it’s their iPads, laptops, and MacBooks.

People have confessed to spending 3-6 hours on their phones watching TikTok until the crack of dawn.

Instagram saw how popular video content was and immediately adjusted it to support the demand. 

Vanessa Lau says, “I do not think this demand is going to slow down, especially if the future is all about being immersed in virtual reality…The creators who are already on video will have the strongest competitive advantage.”

People are looking for community more than anything else

Human beings are not solitary creatures, which also applies to the virtual world. They would prefer to watch an influencer do a ‘try on haul’ video than read about it on their blog.

Therefore, consistent content creators on apps like TikTok amass a considerable following quickly. People are looking for content they resonate with because it gives them kinship.

It is also why ordinary people get more views than big brands- they have a more organic community.

Vanessa talks about this same trend, “The power will start swaying more and more to the common people. It’s now the community that dictates whether a brand thrives or not.”

Paid ads are not as effective as they used to be

Gone are the days when a good ad could almost triple a company’s sales.

Paid ads were so prominent in the past because data collection made it relatively easy to target the right people.

However, due to recent updates to global privacy policies, many companies still need to get the mark- which is why brands are moving away from this form of marketing and embracing other tools like influencers.

Ads may not be obsolete and ineffective, but they are well on their way there. 

Vanessa Lau agrees with this prediction: “Many business owners can no longer justify and afford to spend money on ads only to reach the wrong audience and not get strong returns.”

Instagram is losing its identity

This is not news, to be fair. Recently, Instagram has been scrambling, trying too many things at once, to the displeasure and frustration of their users.

Some people think it’s trying too hard to become TikTok, and most are tired of the constant glitches.

One thing is sure: Instagram needs to get it together and work on a rebrand.

But, of course, because of its dominance for many years, people are still holding on, and content creators are thriving off of brand deals and exposure. 

However, to be on the safest side, you must venture outside Instagram to build your personal brand and ensure your business has a good foundation. 

Vanessa Lau is an advocate for casting a wider net. She closes with this:

“However, more than ever before, I highly urge creators to have a second platform they are growing in conjunction with Instagram if they have not started already.”

Have any thoughts on this? Carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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