Moderating a panel discussion with Kreators Jax Reyes (@jaxreyes_), Andrew Levins (@levinsonline), and Gwen (@evelyngwyneth), Marcus Yong, Vice President of Global Marketing at Klook explores their foray into content creation and building a personal brand at Klook's first KREATORVERSE event.
How long have you been a Klook Kreator, and what made you say ‘yes’ to join the program?
Andrew: It was simple, they offered to pay for pretty much an entire holiday to Japan as I was making toy videos. At that point, I’d booked just the flights and hotels, and Klook offered to cover the experiences in return for videos. And so I did. From that trip alone, I would have made between 30 and 50 videos for mostly people in Australia.
Jax: I said yes to the program because I believe in Klook. When Klook launched way back then, I was already using the app. What's lovely about being part of the Kreator program is that Klook supports its Kreators and will find ways to help you create the experiences you want, and won’t insisting on experiences that doesn’t fit your lifestyle or brand. They're always a partner, so the content is authentically you.
Gwen: It’s about being heard. Klook listens to what I want to deliver to my audience, and they work with me rather than just giving me a brief. For example, I once shared my personal journey of traveling with my partner in Japan and how we incorporated Klook experiences, so that was a genuine collaboration.
What’s the most difficult part of nailing a good video?
Andrew: Balancing content for my different audiences is tough. Sometimes, I focus too much on one niche and alienate others. What works one time might completely flop the next, even if it’s similar content.
Gwen: For me, it’s creating the perfect hook. I spend a lot of time analyzing other viral videos and figuring out how to align them with my niche.
Jax: The key is maintaining your unique voice and delivering value. If a video lacks authenticity or purpose, your followers will notice, and it won’t perform well.
How did you craft your personal brand? How did you discover your unique voice and online personality?
Jax: My online personality was not intentional and did not evolve over time, it’s the same voice I had ever since I started creating content. I always wanted to be me, my own voice, how I talk (in a mix of Tagalog and English, and in the simplest way that I can portray value to my followers. For example, if a piece of content may not be so easily understood with words, I can show it to them through visuals.
Gwen: When a brand approaches me, the first thing that I take note of is the product, whether it fits me or not. If it doesn't fit, we cannot talk a lot about compensation because it doesn't just align with what I deliver in value which is family-oriented. So I use these hooks and direction to share my journey and create my content which benefits both the brand and my audience, it’s all about using my niche.
Andrew: I work with a lot of different brands. Sometimes they're not a perfect fit, so I try to find a balance between those with my own pure unadulterated content that people come to my channel for. And then it just distracts from the brand stuff. Maybe that's not necessarily a good thing for the brand, but it's a good thing for my channel.
In five words or less, how would you describe your content calendar?
Jax: Uniquely flexible. You don't know what is needed in that specific time, and you need to ride on what is relevant in that specific day. You’ll have to be ready to create that content and put it out right away in real-time. And that's why it's unique too.
Andrew: Chaotic, expensive, messy, different. In my head and my phone, I’ve made hundreds of lists of the videos I want to create with the thousands of boxes of toys in my room, that one day I said I’d make a video about. And then things just get bumped lower and lower as the next new shiny thing gets delivered, and I decide to make a video about that instead.
Gwen: It’s a mix of both - complicated yet uniquely flexible. I feel the same, I always want to give the best out of every content, so I really think about how it can play out but sometimes it takes a long time and I’d need to adjust. And then comes another trend that I need to tap into right away, that has me making a script to edit it and everything.
Have you ever created a video that didn't perform as well? Tell us what the video was and what did you learn from that experience?
Andrew: All my Japan content did really well, and I thought “I'm going to go to Thailand, and I'm going to make tons of videos”, but the engagement was not immediate. Some of the videos similar to my regular content, just in Thailand, they did fine, but the ones that were super informative about a new location didn't do as well.
Gwen: I created a piece of content about Amanohashidate and Ine Funaya, which are non-touristy spots in Kyoto, that performed quite well. I received some follow-up comments, and when I tried to create another piece of content to respond to it, the results weren’t the same. Perhaps there wasn’t enough context, or wasn’t relatable enough to the audience. Another poor-performing video was of a ghost yokai town in Japan, because in hindsight had a messy flow. I wanted it to be perfect but probably overthought and overdid it.
Looking to the future and as content creators - what is one tip or advice?
Andrew: Don’t be afraid to try new things. Challenge yourself regularly to keep the excitement alive. Maybe you could make a video about a new topic or a new style, and that’s what going to make you more excited for the future.
Jax: Don’t wait for perfection. Just post the content. If I hadn’t posted my first video, I wouldn’t be here today. It’s important to stay true to yourself, your voice and the value you provide will ensure a long-lasting career.
Gwen: Be original, but also adapt to trends. It’s a balancing act. Embrace technology, and use it to enhance your content.
