Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chanel Nelson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Chanel, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.

VibesDetroit was originally an idea that I had based off of notes and lists on my phone that I compiled of places that I wanted to visit in Detroit during my college days at Wayne State. I love visiting new places and Detroit has seen an influx of so many new businesses in the recent years. Many of my friends and family would ask me for suggestions on places to go and I thought about starting a blog of my adventures for a bit.

I graduated in 2018 with my Masters in social work and then the pandemic hit in 2020, the idea to start a food blog took a backseat to the stress of the medical field. However, coming out of the pandemic in 2021 after being stuck inside for a year my boyfriend and I started visiting places from the list that I made back in college. As a Metro Detroit native I’ve always been invested in seeing the city grow and found myself researching and finding out about new places and adding those to my lists. I’ve always been interested in photography and had years of food and architectural content in Metro Detroit and from there I started VibesDetroit on Instagram in July of 2021. Originally I used photos that I already had archived then I moved onto reels and mini vlogs and the VibesDetroit brand really started to take off.

VibesDetroit started as a passion project where I would vlog highlighting local business as a way to show support coming out of the pandemic. As my content got better businesses and restaurants started reaching out to me and I decided to monetize my content in February of 2022. The first year looked like me establishing VibesDetroit as a social media presence by promoting my own content, purchasing more sophisticated equipment as I begin to monetize such as tripods, vlogging cameras, drones to make my content pop. I created VibesDetroit profiles on TikTok and Facebook and also launched my own website in April of 2022 where businesses now book me to request content creation and social media advertisement services.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

VibesDetroit is a social media platform ran by and brand that provides content creation and social media advertisement for businesses in the Metro Detroit area ran by me, Chanel Nelson. I provide packages such including TikTok videos, Reels, story posts, photography, and drone footage for local businesses.

What sets me apart as a content creator is the amount of research that I put into the businesses that I work with. I break down where to park, menu options for my vegan, vegetarian, halal and gluten free followers, I pride myself in being extremely detail oriented when compiling information for my followers. I also make it a point to support the businesses that book me I always donate a portion of the money spent on booking me back to the business, I always make it a point to get to know the staff, it’s about forming those relationships with businesses and not just shooting the content. I also created my own website at VibesDet.com where businesses can book me in real time and my followers can read my blog articles. I really love thinking of unique ways to elevate my brand and engage the community. Lastly I use professional equipment to create content from drones to vlogging cameras and DSLRs VibesDetroit content goes beyond just using an iPhone.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect is being able to authentically capture my adventures and share them with the VibesDetroit community. I absolutely love engaging with my followers hearing about their experiences in Detroit and giving suggestions on places to go. I’ve always loved photography but I really enjoy being able to share what I do with a larger audience and see all of the excitement for my posts.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I’m still very shocked at how much VibesDetroit has grown in a little over 2 years! Between Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook Vibes has over 110 thousand followers! I would say don’t be afraid to put your content out there, there is a niche for everything. Be unique and authentic in your content, use trending sounds, and relevant hashtags that draw viewers to your content.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vibesdet.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vibesdetroit/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VibesInTheD/?paipv=0&eav=AfYkbV2FUKgdzNow1wFtUxZDntNuYaFwQeBWGPqRud7LvmjqxRYnU08eNlaj8rtt5sU&_rdr
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vibesdetroit?lang=en