We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marissa Sturkey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Marissa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

Within the social media space, trends are changing so quickly and I find it difficult at times to keep up with the algorithm. Since I create content for Food and Beverage companies specifically, I’ve found what works with certain audiences and what doesn’t perform as well. Short-form videos and reels are on the top of the trending charts right now and 15-30 seconds is the sweet spot. I think combining aesthetic visuals and adding an informative voiceover to explain a simple recipe is the perfect way to catch the viewers’ eye. When it comes to social media, engagement is the main thing brand partners want to see. It’s not necessarily the amount of likes you get per post but who’s bookmarking your recipe video into a folder for later? Who’s tagging you in their stories showing that they took the time to create your healthy meal idea you posted last week? Who is asking questions or providing feedback in the comments? There are many food video creators out there and it’s important to stick with the trends but to also make your content unique and keep the viewers engaged.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m an Ohio based (Columbus & Cincinnati) content creator who specializes in Food and Beverage. I do a mixture of content from Instagram/TikTok social media marketing to UGC to posting and promoting local restaurants. I started really focusing on social media in September 2024 and it truly has skyrocketed since then. I’ve always loved creating and editing videos but never had any interest in actually posting them until recently which has been the best decision I’ve made. It feels good to monetize and show off my work to an engaging audience or by brands I never thought I’d work with. I will say, it wasn’t easy to get started but once you get over the hump of caring about what others might think of you, you have a straight shot to succeeding. Turning one of my hobbies into a part-time career where I’m my own boss is something I never thought would actually happen which is why I’m so proud of myself for getting started. I’ve already worked with so many brands like Good Culture, Vital Proteins, Olipop, Truff, Zwilling and many more – and I’ve only been doing content creation for a few months!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is when I get a DM from someone I don’t know who sends me a picture of their dinner and it’s a recipe I created saying how good it is or what they added/substituted to make it right for their lifestyle. Nothing is better to me than someone telling you your food is delicious! I grew up with both of my parents being chefs and they agree there’s no better feeling. My main goal is to inspire others to find a good dish that they enjoy cooking and get to a place where they feel confident in the kitchen.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Social media is so broad and there are so many parts to it – it can be overwhelming when you’re just starting out. Through trial and error, I’ve tried dozens of apps so here are my recommendations to save you some time! All of these apps are free and super helpful:
TikTok – not necessarily for posting but for looking up videos on what others find helpful for video editing, voiceover tips, what apps are worth it, etc.
CapCut – The best and easiest app for editing in my opinion!
Feed Preview – This allows you to plan out your Instagram feed before you actually post to help with aesthetics.
Join Brands – If you’re starting out, this app allows you to create a profile and apply for small posting jobs with different brands to help build up your portfolio.
Canva – Best tool to create your portfolio that you can send to brands.

Contact Info:

• Website: Work with me! My UGC Portfolio: https://marissasturkey.my.canva.site/
• Instagram: @marissa_sturkey