Creators On The Rise: Alyssa McKay’s “Rich Girl” Persona Is The Star Of Her Character-Driven Content Strategy

Welcome to Creators on the Rise, the place—in partnership with world creator firm Jellysmack—we discover and profile breakout creators who’re within the midst of extraordinary development. 

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When Alyssa McKay returned to YouTube in February 2021, she had a plan.

A full-time school scholar and content material creator based mostly in Portland, McKay began importing private vlogs to YouTube in 2018. The viewers these movies amassed–round 40,000 subscribers–was nothing to sneeze at, however McKay couldn’t shake the sensation that until she discovered her personal area of interest, her distinctive “factor,” her content material would by no means take off the best way she needed.

The downside? She had no thought what that “factor” may very well be.

Then, in 2020, amid a quarantine-induced nationwide financial downturn that additionally noticed unbelievable inventory market features, it dropped into her lap.

The wealthy lady.

The wealthy lady is McKay’s haughty, head-tossing alter-ego. She’s higher than you and is aware of it. She doesn’t have time for bank errors, or Becca (her archnemesis in socialitedom), or other TikTokers threatening her queen bee status. And she particularly doesn’t have time for boring college classes.

After the wealthy lady’s introduction, McKay’s TikTok engagement “exploded” with individuals following the character’s (mis)adventures, she says. In lower than a yr, her wealthy lady movies collectively netted a couple of billion views, and her account grew from 2 million followers to 7 million.

McKay knew she’d discovered her “factor” on TikTok, however she wasn’t prepared to surrender on YouTube. So, she went again to The Network Effect, the digital advertising and marketing and expertise company that had been serving to handle her TikTok account, and collectively they got here up with a technique: they’d deploy McKay’s shortform wealthy lady content material on YouTube Shorts.

The wealthy lady made her Shorts debut in February. Over the previous three months, McKay and her crew have dropped no less than one wealthy lady video per week. As a outcome, her channel has gone from 40,000 complete subscribers and three.3 million views per thirty days in February to 223,000 subscribers and 37.7 million views in March to, now, greater than 350,000 subscribers and 70 million lifetime views.

McKay’s YouTube view and subscriber counts spiked in February and March. Data from Gospel Stats.

For McKay, the wealthy lady was her key to content material creation as a profession. But Shorts is the bridge that allowed her to show her established success on TikTok into the inspiration for a profession on her very first residence platform: YouTube.

Check out our chat together with her under.

Tubefilter: Tell us a bit of about you! What’s your identify? Where are you from? What do you rise up to outdoors of YouTube?

Alyssa McKay: Hi everybody! It’s Alyssa! I’m a proud born-and-raised Portland’er. Outside of making unique content material, I’m a full-time school scholar. I’m working towards getting my diploma in communications.

Some of my passions outdoors of faculty and content material creation are style, sushi, and canines. I completely adore Ayla, my mini long-haired English cream dachshund.

Tubefilter: When and why did you begin a YouTube channel? Was there a selected cause? Was there a selected form of content material you needed to make?

AM: I first began my YouTube channel in July 2018. When I first launched my channel, I used to be creating long-form vlogs/behind-the-scenes movies. I constructed a direct viewers of 40,000 subs.

Then, with the launch of the “wealthy lady” character and her shortform POVs and rap battles on TikTok, my channel actually exploded! At this level, these movies have over one billion views. My viewers additionally went from 2M to 7M followers in a single yr.

I knew I might be again on YouTube with a vengeance as soon as myself and my crew at The Network Effect received a great sense of YouTube Shorts.

Tubefilter: Your channel has not too long ago seen an enormous spike in views and subscribers. When and why did it take off?

AM: We launched our particular YouTube Shorts technique on February 12, whereas Shorts was nonetheless in beta within the U.S. I noticed a direct spike as soon as the preliminary movies gained traction, which was just about immediately!

Over the final 90+ days, I’m so excited to say that my channel has gained over 300k subscribers and has seen over 70 million views. Sixteen of the 70 Shorts I’ve posted up to now have over a million views every!

All my Shorts movies function the “wealthy lady” in a wide range of conditions and situations . From POVs to rap battle to skits/shortform vlogs to miniseries. I’m blown away day by day by the quantity of feedback and votes on my Community tab polls. One has nearly 100,000 votes. 🙂

Tubefilter: Why do you suppose the “wealthy lady” character caught on?

AM: The shortform POV movies that I create that includes the “wealthy lady” and her music/rap battles have initially executed VERY properly on YouTube. I feel it’s due to a number of causes.

First, I do consider that she has struck a chord with this era. The viewers will get to dwell vicariously by means of her fast bytes day by day. I additionally suppose these music movies enable the viewers to sing alongside to the lyrics and in addition recreate their very own variations. It is superb to see this happen. I like it!

Tubefilter: We’re seeing a number of creators take off on YouTube Shorts. Do you suppose Shorts performed a major position in your channel’s engagement increase?

AM: I do know it has performed a major position. I’ve actually leaned into shortform content material over the previous two years throughout all platforms. With YouTube, I knew my viewers was there–it was nearly giving them the content material within the brand-new approach that YouTube is now providing inside their product.

Tubefilter: What benefits does Shorts have versus long-form content material on YouTube primary? Does it have any benefits over platforms like TikTok and Snapchat?

AM: With Shorts, YouTube is offering the following era with the content material and expertise that they’ve raised their hand for. I do suppose there’s a place for BOTH long-form and shortform, and YouTube seems like that place.

And they’ve a large world viewers!

Tubefilter: Tell us a bit about utilizing your Community tab. When did you resolve to launch one? What perks does it supply for you and your subscribers? Is this an essential a part of your channel?

AM: My crew at The Network Effect gave me an outline of the Community tab and the way it was a good way to work together immediately with my channel/subs. I posted my first ballot the place I requested everybody to vote on which Shorts they’ve preferred the most effective and what their favourite of the final 5 have been. The response has been nothing wanting Amazing. 500K+ votes already.

Tubefilter: Has your current engagement uptick modified something for you? Do you have got any new plans or objectives in your content material profession?

AM: I completely LOVE what I’m doing proper now and very grateful for all the things. I’m very centered on persevering with to construct out the “wealthy lady” character and her story.

You by no means know what’s going to occur together with her subsequent. 🙂

Tubefilter: What’s your favourite a part of making content material on YouTube?

AM: My favourite a part of creating content material on YouTube is the group. It is superb to see the extent of engagement and back-and-forth dialogue with everybody watching these movies.

Tubefilter: Are you making content material on every other platforms, or are you primarily centered on YouTube?

AM: I create unique content material throughout all platforms that function shortform content material: YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram. I’ve additionally not too long ago launched my personalized Amazon Storefront, which I like. It actually permits me to curate my favorites in style.

Tubefilter: What’s subsequent for you and your channel?

AM: Great query! I like the journey that I’m at the moment on. I’ll proceed to create content material that hopefully continues to make individuals snigger and smile!

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Jellysmack is the worldwide creator firm that detects and develops the world’s most proficient video creators. The firm’s proprietary video optimization expertise and knowledge drive social viewers development, unlocking new income streams and amplifying monetization.

Currently residence to over 150 influential Creators together with PewDiePie, MrBeast, Brad Mondo, and Bailey Sarian, Jellysmack optimizes, operates, and distributes creator-made video content material to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. Jellysmack-managed content material boasts 10 billion world month-to-month video views and a cross-platform attain of 125 million distinctive U.S. customers, making it the biggest U.S. digital-first firm in month-to-month social media viewers.

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