How to capitalise on your social media, Alphi Mkhwanazi gives tips for content creators
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- 14 Jun 2022
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TikTok and Instagram sensation Alphi Mkhwanazi has become one of South Africa's fan favourites on social media, and he has some advice to share with creatives, on how to turn social media into something lucrative.
The comedian, who is also an emcee, has over 350,000 followers on TikTok and more than 130,000 followers on Instagram.
"The second I hit 100k followers on Instagram and over 250k followers on TikTok, I immediately realised that my social media pages are no longer 'chilled' spaces where I can say or do as I please.
"If I am strategic, I can easily use these pages as a source of income that'll help me monetise my love for social media and engaging with my followers," he said.
According to the socialite who grew up in Daveyton, he had no intention of becoming a social media star, it just happened.
One random day Mkwanazi posted a video of himself in a bathtub on his WhatsApp status where he was sharing his frustrations about not having a flat tummy, and how he was going to become the most disrespectful person once he attained one.
At the time, Mkhwanazi was not on TikTok, but people took the video, shared it on other social media platforms and just like that, he was well on his way to stardom. He joined TikTok, posted more videos and built a famous brand that puts a smile on people's faces.
Content creation is more than just that
In a country sitting on an unemployment rate of 35.3%, Mkhwanazi advises that people can use tools such as social media to make some money, but it will take a bit of hard work and discipline.
"Content creation has become an economy of its own, and in a country where the youth unemployment rate keeps rising daily, it is imperative for all of us to make use of every opportunity available to us," said Mkhwanazi.
Here are some tips to assist creatives in growing and benefiting from social media
Be intentional
The 29-year-old social media star concedes that it is not always easy to know what you want to make of your brand, especially when starting out. But it is crucial to be intentional about what you want to do. This helps creatives strategically position themselves to grab each opportunity as it comes along.
"When you are more intentional about what you want to achieve, you are able to stay on the mark with the content you share, the brands you work with, and the campaigns you want to be part of.
"So be intentional in what you post, how you share your content and which audience you want to engage with the most. This allows me to be as authentic as possible in my engagement and my content creation," he said.
Get a manager
Social media accounts that show growth and receive a lot of interaction often get approached by brands for partnerships. It is important to have someone by your side who guides you on which brands to work with and rates to accept. This is where having a manager comes in handy.
"Having a manager that is able to negotiate better rates, source campaigns, assist with the general operation of your business etc, can be an added bonus for the creative.
"This also allows you to focus more on the content creation, while your manager takes care of the operational and general management of the business aspects for the creative," Mkhwanazi said. Read More…
