Samantina Zenon: Content Creating Her Way To The Top
Samantina Zenon
In 2019 Samantina Zenon was named one of the most influential content creators by Shape.
She is a content creator expert, actress, educator, mental health advocate and a speaker.
As an influencer she wants to use her voice to lead aspiring entrepreneurs to be bold and fierce, so they can
go out there and make their wildest dreams come true. Samantina has an impressive audience of
50,000 plus followers across Social Media Platforms. Her work has been featured in
notable publications, including Shape, Thrive Global, Medium, Miami Times and more.
Interview with Samantina Zenon: Content Creating Her Way To The Top
BD Mag - What drew you into being a content creator?
Long before I was a content creator, I was a promotional model and a brand ambassador. I worked with marketing agencies and were often hired to work at live events and pop-up stores. Winter 2016 I was working at a holiday pop-up store, one of the models told me to look into being a beauty content creator, since she noticed I loved makeup, and that's where the journey began. Five years later, I have collaborated with more than 200 brands including Givenchy, Becca Cosmetics, Urban Decay, Tiktok and more.
BD Mag - What does the work look like?
There is a perception that content creator/influencer get pay to just take pictures and " get free stuff". This is far from the truth. It really depends on the agreement we have with the client. We may have to shoot videos for products, write blog posts, create gift guides, attend live events and more. The whole idea is to help the brand gain more visibilities, so we may have to create contents for different platforms to help the clients reach their goals. These agreements can be long and short terms. There are many content creators that work full- time because it can be overwhelming, especially around the holiday seasons. Content creators are also videographers, producers, and storytellers.
BD Mag - What, if any, habits have you adopted that help you succeed?
One habit that I adapted was to always seek for opportunities and not wait to be discovered. When I was on the come up. I spent a lot of times searching for marketing agencies that worked with influencers. I probably signed up for more than 100 companies. I also worked for free for many brands. I post contents about brands often on all of my Social Media platforms using specific hashtags for visibilities. From there more brands/companies and even magazines were reaching out to me. I also created a media kit that highlighted some of my collaborations and press features, not only does it give me authorities, but it shows my professionalism.
BD Mag - Effect of Pandemic/trends you see? Expansion plans/opportunities?
The pandemic definitely created more opportunities. We were on a lock down and needed something to entertained us. One of the current trends is educational content. People actually love to learn. Summer 2020 I hired by Tiktok to be part of their #learnontiktok campaign. I created contents teaching their audience about modelling and acting. Many of my videos went viral; I was also intrigued to learn more because their audience were asking specific questioned that required me to do some research. Not only was I able to teach, I also learned new things. In addition, I coached a few of the aspiring models and actors via zoom.
BD Mag - What advice do you have for young entrepreneurs?
One advice I have for young entrepreneurs is to understand the purpose of your business and, also build a strong foundation. Your main focus can't just be to "get rich", because being an entrepreneur is a lot of work. Also be yourself; you will come across people that will try to change you or expect for you to be just one thing.
Believe it or not, I am still facing these challenges. However, I have worked so hard to accept myself for who I am and I can't and will not allow anybody to abuse me and turn me into a puppet. I want to live my life and using the voice and platform I have to start conversations. I used to think being an educator was to be a teacher in a classroom but I was wrong. We are all educators, and we teach others every day.
BD Mag - What inspires/concerns you?
I am inspired by passionate people, those who are not afraid to be vulnerable. Often time I come across people who brags about their statuses and those people are just looking for validations to me. Unfortunately, we live in a world where people are attracted to statuses, but I personally don't care. You never know who may help you in times of needs. I like to make real connections with genuine people, because after all we are all humans, and we all make mistakes and face challenges.
BD Mag - Is Samantina Zenon active on social media? Which channels?
Yes, I am, social media platforms are a great way to connect with others, use it to your advantage. Also be active, don't just wait for people to come find you.
Website: www.samantina.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/wildsamfierce
Business Instagram: www.instagram.com/wildsamfieceshop
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/samantinazenon
Twitter: www.twitter.com/wildsamfierce
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willdsamfierce
