We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ismael Martinez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ismael, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I’m a full time creator. I quit my 9 to 5 in 2018 and now I make content for myself and for business. All this is possible because my followers. They’re support has caught the eyes of businesses and brands and I’ve been able to make this my job.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I started making social media content for myself in 2017. I started vlogging about my life and eventually evolved into me visiting local coffee shops and restaurants. Thankfully people started taking notice and my following grew. As more businesses started embracing social media and the impact it can have, I started getting hired to make photo and video content for them. Social media has changed my life and I’ve worked extremely hard to get where I am. I make content for myself and for businesses full-time now, but none of that would be possible without the support of my followers.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
You have to know your audience. Identify who you’re targeting. Most of the people that consume my content are from the RGV so I try to keep my content about local businesses. A lot of it is trial and error. You see what works and what doesn’t. Take notes on what people respond to. Also, work with what you have. Lots of people think you need expensive equipment. I have professional cameras but I grew a TikTok account of 60k followers using mostly an iPhone 12 mini.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I love connecting with people. Making content that people enjoy is what it’s all about. I made a short video of me eating at El Pocito Restaurant, which has been around for like 100 years. All these people felt the nostalgia and started sharing how they would eat there when they were kids. It was a beautiful feeling.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@forkit_?_t=8eYzN0shE6s&_r=1
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/forkitvlog?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/forkit956?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@Forkit956