This story was initially printed in The Creators — a e-newsletter in regards to the individuals powering the creator financial system. Get it despatched to your inbox.
Nic Kaufmann (18.2M, TikTok) began performing on-line when he moved from Singapore to Germany to review pc science.
“Since I didn’t have a lot to do, not realizing lots of people being in a brand new nation, I simply began making movies,” Kaufmann, 21, stated. “And that led to my first two movies blowing up. And from then on, I made a decision I might submit day by day and I’ve since then.”
Kaufmann stated his area of interest as an influencer facilities round his persona, and he posts movies of his travels, outfits, and hair styling. He’s drawn to style and in addition feels passionately about tackling gender stereotypes. Kaufmann, who’s half Indian and half German, additionally tries to advertise multiculturalism on his platform.
“I’m very curious about attempting to interrupt gender norms on social media and poisonous masculinity,” he stated. “That’s one thing that I undoubtedly have plenty of affect on.”
Kaufmann’s followers hail from all around the globe together with the U.S., the U.Ok., Europe and Latin America. He additionally stated he has plenty of Indian followers due to his background. Initially, Kaufmann’s follower base was 97% feminine, but it surely has since diversified.
Kaufmann’s income streams
Kaufmann, who is predicated in Munich, makes most of his cash via selling completely different manufacturers on his platform, working with style firms like Prada and Louis Vuitton that pay him to advertise their clothes. He additionally generates revenue via TikTok’s creator fund, which he described as a small, however constant income stream. TikTok customers will pay creators after they livestream on the platform, however Kaufmann urges his followers to not.
“I inform my following to not donate as a result of I really feel prefer it’s superb for me to take cash from massive manufacturers, however I don’t need my followers, a few of who’re very younger and impressionable, simply to be giving me 10 bucks after they solely have 20,” he stated.
Kaufmann stated he additionally has cash invested in cryptocurrency and NFTs and a inventory portfolio. He additionally hopes to become involved in actual property investing this yr.
Constructing his personal manufacturers
Along with selling different manufacturers, Kaufmann is engaged on launching two of his personal. He desires to begin a hair care line with merchandise primarily focused in direction of males since plenty of the content material he makes revolve round his hair performs nicely.
“Certainly one of my most profitable codecs on social media has been hair tutorials on TikTok, most of which get upwards of 30 million views,” he stated. “I undoubtedly assume that I’ve experience on the subject of hair stylings. So I might undoubtedly like to mix that with my very own model.”
He’s additionally engaged on beginning an e-commerce style firm centered on reasonably priced however ethically sourced clothes.
For a lot of creators, working with firms is a major supply of revenue. Typically, followers will get pissed off when creators they observe promote manufacturers in a method that appears contrived or inauthentic. However Kaufmann stated creators typically should not have plenty of autonomy in relation to working with manufacturers
“I feel lots of people don’t know the way restricted the creator is typically,” he stated. “So typically you get a extremely good model deal from a extremely good firm or accomplice to work with, however they drive you to do it in a really particular method.”=
Look strain
When Kaufmann began on TikTok, he stated plenty of his content material was centered round selling his look, which is what attracted lots of his followers. However he’s been engaged on increasing his content material to grow to be extra significant by posting movies which can be extra personality-based.
“There’s undoubtedly a really excessive strain,” he stated. “Though the strain was a lot greater when my content material was purely revolved round the truth that my followers or pals assume I look good.”
Recommendation for creators
Kaufmann suggested aspiring creators to hone in on a selected high quality or area of interest that can entice followers: “Firstly, you’re a no one similar to everybody else within the sense that you simply don’t have any public picture, you don’t have any public persona,” he stated. “So that you first have to construct that up.”
This interview was initially printed in The Creators, a e-newsletter in regards to the individuals powering the creator financial system. Get it in your inbox earlier than it’s on-line.
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