How to Succeed in Social Media in Spite of Having a College Degree
CREDIT: Courtesy Amber Doig-Thorne Having the courage to explore and be yourself pays off. People bring all sorts of backgrounds to social media. For many, it’s a history of business success. For others, it’s coaching, speaking and personal development. For very few though, it’s a degree in the secrets of the universe. That’s what Amber Doig-Thorne brings to her vlogging, Snapchatting and social media posting–not that you’d know it from the content that made her name. Amber graduated from University College London with a bachelor’s degree in Theoretical Physics. But instead of thinking hard about string theory (or more likely, finding a high-paid job at a bank) she launched a Facebook page and a YouTube channel and started building an audience. She filmed pranks and comedy sketches, social experiments and the occasional interview, and soon found her audience growing. Her Facebook page topped a million followers in less than year, while the videos she uploads to YouTube can generate native views that top six figures. The most important strategy for rapid audience growth, she says, is creating relatable and shareable content but forging deals with other publishers is a big help too. “I also share content with similar-sized Facebook pages and grow my shares as my page has grown,” says Amber. “A lot of creators do this and it works well, it’s also a great way to get to know other content creators!” Making those agreements and creating the content takes both time and effort. Not every piece of content will take off. Despite Amber asking those on her Facebook posts to tag their friends in the comments, not every post goes viral. But the benefits make the effort worthwhile. Amber regularly attends premieres and exclusive advance screenings. Recently, Paramount Studios flew her out to Los Angeles to help promote the new Baywatch movie, and 20th Century Fox brought her to South Africa to take part in the new Maze Runner movie. “I’ve had an incredible few months,” she says. Monetizing her social media audience is a bit more of a challenge. “It’s quite difficult,” Amber told the BBC. “My Facebook page isn’t monetized and I don’t make a lot from YouTube so it’s basically brand endorsements. That’s a sponsored Instagram post, snapchat story or the occasional branding video.” Amber’s manager sends her brand deals and interesting gigs, and so far that’s been enough to pay the bills… while traveling around the world, visiting movie sets and most importantly, entertaining audiences. “I love to make people laugh,” she explains. “That drives me to keep making new content. Having the power to completely turn someone’s week around, to cheer them up when they’re feeling down, is one of the most incredible gifts you can have.” Amber’s long-term goal is to use her social media following to break into acting in movies and televisions shows. In the meantime though, she has been turning back to her science background. She’s writing a book about science misconceptions and is planning to launch some new science-based content soon. And if that doesn’t work out, there’s always a career in banking.
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