For our 6th guest on The Entrance series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Angie Wong, a social media content creator and specialist whose Instagram account reached over 200K followers at its height.
With social media becoming an integral part of our lives and daily routines, more and more people are drawn to it as it not only allows individuals to keep in touch with friends and family, but it also connects people with like-minded interests across the globe and allows them to share their own thoughts and insights online. With little to no start-up cost, social media content creation has become increasingly popular over the years as it enables creative individuals to leverage their skills on different platforms.
If you are also passionate about social media and content creation and would love to learn more, you definitely won’t want to miss this interview with Angie!
OpenDoors: How did you get started in social media content creation and how did you decide on an area to focus on?
Angie: My first exposure to social media content creation was sparked by the opportunity to join and contribute to a Facebook page created by two of my friends 10 years ago. While the three of us share the same interest in watching and following Western films and music, the focus of the social media account came naturally as we hoped to share our passion for film and music with others. My friends first started creating content and uploading on Xanga, where films and music were introduced, reviewed, and discussed. With more viewers and followers, our team moved to Facebook and later expanded to Instagram.
OpenDoors: How long did it take to start generating income for your Instagram page?
Angie: In the first three to four years, our Instagram page did not generate any income as our main focus was simply to secure an engaged community and gain as much exposure as possible. Eventually, as we have accumulated and built up a network of subscribers, our page started doing partnerships with film production companies, music brands, and event organizers to promote movie and music releases, as well as concerts and other events.
OpenDoors: What would you say were your biggest challenges in the past ten or so years?
Angie: One of the biggest challenges I encountered throughout the years would be having to deal with haters and negative comments. With a public social media page, anyone could leave comments, whether it be positive or negative. At the start, I struggled with handling haters and negative comments. However, as I began to realize that all interaction with my content is helpful because it fuels exposure, I learned the importance to accept negative comments as part of having an online presence.
Another challenge was to deal with social media imposters. It can be really frustrating when other accounts take the content we spent hours creating and claim it as their own without giving credits. Over time, instead of dwelling on social media fraud, I have not only realized that it is a testament to the high quality of our content, but I have also learned to direct my focus to our content creation process and to constantly improve on our own work.
In more recent times, the rise of COVID-19 has undoubtedly taken a terrible toll on the global movie business and the music industry, with cinemas shutting down and productions put on a halt. This has affected our Instagram page as fewer partnerships and collaborations are secured, which make up the main source of income for our page.
OpenDoors: At one point your Instagram page reached over 200K followers, which is a dream for many, what is your secret?
Angie: Consistency is key when it comes to building an audience for a social media page. In order to keep followers engaged, it is important to follow a content calendar, update the page several times throughout the day, and create news-worthy content that would prompt viewers to share and forward to friends. Posting Instagram stories is a great way to keep followers engaged, as it allows you to be creative and utilize the poll function to facilitate interactions. Last but not least, creating and posting content that you are genuinely passionate about is the most organic way to attract new audiences and retain followers. It is important that you put your heart into creating content and not focus aimlessly on the end result. Social media content creation is full of excitement and at the end of the day, the process is what truly matters.
Get in touch with Angie:
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