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Outside content material creation presents a possibility to flex your creativity whereas exploring the wilderness. It’s a good way to assist join others to backcountry adventures too. Certainly, many outside adventurers are keen to seek out methods to leverage social media and different digital platforms to align their passions with their work. That’s why we began our outside content material creator collection!
On this collection, we ask several types of outside content material creators:
- How they bought began in outside content material creation
- What they get pleasure from about being outside content material creators
- How they steadiness content material creation with merely having fun with the outside
- Ideas they’ve for others seeking to get into the sector
In half one, we chatted with our very personal model ambassador, Michelle Zhang, about what it’s like being a model ambassador and her recommendation for getting began as one. In half two, we dove into all issues gear with Liz Thomas, editor-in-chief at Treeline Overview!
Now, partially three of our outside content material creator collection, we’re taking a hike into all issues TikTok with Kacy Guajardo, also referred to as @kacystrails!
Kacy Guajardo is a Colorado-based hiker, skier, and type-2 fun-seeker. Her TikTok account focuses on instructional and provoking outside content material. At the moment, she has greater than 50,000 followers on the platform. We caught up with Kacy to study extra about what it’s like being a TikTok influencer and the way others can get began too!
Gossamer Gear: Are you able to begin by telling us slightly about how you bought began making outside content material on TikTok?
Kacy: I’ve at all times cherished sharing my adventures with family and friends on Instagram, so when TikTok got here up in 2020, it was a pure development for me. I labored in social media for a number of skilled sports activities groups in school and early in my profession, so it’s been cool to make use of my skilled expertise for content material that I’m actually obsessed with. My mother and father stated that the video format makes it simpler for them to remain related to me and comply with my life since I’m so unhealthy at calling house. Sorry, mother and pop!
What about short-form video do you assume helps encourage others?
It’s fast and to the purpose. Once I’m in search of recommendation on gear or a fast assessment, I don’t need to learn an excellent lengthy article or sit via a 10-minute YouTube video. It’s a straightforward solution to share info with out getting slowed down within the particulars. I need my followers to have the ability to scroll via my web page and get all the data they should get into backpacking with out spending hours researching themselves. I put a variety of time and analysis into my instructional content material so I is usually a one-stop useful resource for brand new adventurers!
What’s the time dedication like for enhancing movies, sharing them, interacting with followers, and all that jazz?
It takes much more time than you’d assume! I usually spend about 10 to fifteen hours every week specializing in my social media. Interacting with my followers is my favourite a part of it, so I spend a variety of time replying to feedback and constructing my group. My objective for TikTok has at all times been to construct an superior group of rad adventurers that I take into account associates reasonably than simply followers, in order that’s why I put partaking with my viewers above all else.
How do you select which manufacturers to spotlight or companion with? What sort of issues do manufacturers count on from you and what do you count on in return?
I attempt to companion with firms that I really feel are a pure match for me in my life. With Gossamer Gear, I used a GG pack on my thru-hike of the Colorado Path in 2020 and have been an enormous supporter of the corporate ever since. I discovered myself recommending their merchandise to everybody I knew, so it simply made sense for me to shoot my shot with them, and I’m so glad I did! I feel my GG content material did rather well as a result of I had the liberty to create what I felt would work greatest on my web page and it translated properly to the model web page too. Freedom to create is significant to a very good partnership!
I additionally desire to work with smaller firms with in-house advertising groups as a result of I really feel like I can join on a deeper degree with the model. Sometimes, the workers of out of doors firms share related pursuits within the outdoor, so they simply get it. It’s necessary to me that every model deal is collaborative, however I even have the liberty to create as a result of there’s not a cookie-cutter template for a profitable advert.
Is it exhausting to steadiness curating content material on a display screen with having fun with the second within the outdoor? How do you discover your steadiness?
I attempt to maintain a powerful boundary with myself once I’m within the outdoor in order that I don’t begin feeling like each hike is a content material journey. I’ll set my intention earlier than I head out—like, okay, this journey is for content material, so I’ll carry my digicam gear and never really feel unhealthy about taking longer on a hike. A variety of my journeys, although, I set the intention of staying current and off my cellphone as a result of climbing is my time. It’s actually necessary to me to carry this boundary as a result of I don’t need to lose my love for the outside by filming each second of my journey.
Do you may have any recommendation for others who could also be desirous about sharing their outside content material on TikTok?
Simply begin posting! Your first few (hundred, lol) movies will in all probability be crap, however don’t fear an excessive amount of about that. You’ll discover your content material fashion and your workflow will develop into simpler and extra environment friendly. An enormous a part of this for me was getting over the worry and embarrassment of filming in public. It’s at all times going to be low-key embarrassing, however for me, I do know my content material helps so many individuals navigate the outside life-style, so I simply should remind myself why I’m doing it! You possibly can’t join with folks except you place your self on the market, and belief me, it’s price it!
Use Brief Movies to Educate and Encourage Different Outside Lovers on TikTok
Our essential takeaway from chatting with Kacy is that quick movies could be actually impactful for educating people who find themselves newer to backpacking or different outside actions. We additionally discovered how this kind can create significant group. Turning into a TikTok influencer is a time dedication, however with wholesome boundaries round when you find yourself and should not creating new content material, you may nonetheless discover loads of time to easily benefit from the outdoor.
You possibly can comply with Kacy on TikTok at @kacystrails.
And we need to see your quick movies with our merchandise! Tag us on social media (@gossamergear) and utilizing the hashtag #takelessdomore to point out off your outside content material creation expertise.
Have one other kind of out of doors business gig you’re interested by? Attain out and tell us at korrin@gossamergear.com. We’ll see if we are able to spherical up one other interview to study all about it!
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