Julina Kaakunga
One of the most impactful forms of modern technology is social media, and it keeps getting better and better. Social media, as we may know, does not exist without content. Taking a deep dive into the sphere of content creation as well as its challenges, Taimi Nuunyango enlightens us on her journey. Ujaa Getzen is an upcoming YouTuber, and also journeying into her passion of content creation.
Creating content is the talk of the internet world as this activity is becoming more popular and more importantly, more profitable, by the day. Platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and TikTok are not only allowing creators to be creative, but they are adding much-needed income as well.
Nuunyango, who has been making a name for herself in the industry, is mostly known for her YouTube channel of the same name. After Covid basically shut down the globe, her make-up business came to a halt. She then decided to start a YouTube channel to create content, where she advised viewers on make-up options. Apart from that, she describes herself as a creative, which was another reason she decided to venture into content-creation.
Nuunyango is the face of Fly Namibia as the airline’s brand ambassador. This is a position she attained through social media, despite interviews conducted for the spot. She recalls advertising herself through Instagram, Twitter as well as TikTok. One of the many advantages social media offers is brand deals, which is what Nuunyango has managed to land.
On her most popular platform, YouTube, her income averages about 70 euros, which converts to over N$1 400. She says these rates are not fixed, and creators do not earn the same amount every month.
Overall, Nuunyango urges small content creators to be consistent, and to always have a reason why they are doing it, which is not money. In that way, they can stay self-motivated. Some of the challenges, though, are cyber-bullying, and people feeling opinionated about her life as a creator. Apart from that, another challenge is when fighting brands for payments, as they sometimes refuse to pay. This is not something that happened to her personally, but to people she personally knows of.
Getzen said it is not about the number of subscribers she has but more about the love she has for creating content. The YouTuber said her love for content creation has always been a part of who she is. However, the inspiration comes from a well-known YouTuber, Tjimee Maendo, who has influenced Getzen into starting her own YouTube channel. “The things which keep me going is the love and support from my subscribers. It really melts my heart when they leave comments, both positive and negative, as there is always room for improvement.”
Ever since she was younger, Getzen has always aspired to be on television. This made her love making videos of herself and posting them. When she realised she could do that without being on TV, she decided this was her chance.
“I hope my platform grows over time and influences other people who also want to start without having anxiety to start one.” It’s been three months since Getzen started her YouTube channel, and she has managed to get over a hundred subscribers, and is happy with the progress. Her advice to other upcoming content-creators is that they should focus on why they are doing what they are doing, and not merely what people think.
“This is about you. We will all start small, but will surely become bigger and better. That’s just how life is. It is a learning process, but I know we can do it. Pick up that phone, iPhone or android, and just start. The rest will find you on the way, as you will never know what you need until you actually start filming.”
Getzen says YouTube has helped increase her confidence. Therefore, she is not about to stop, and urges everyone else who is starting to do the same.