Out of doors content material creation provides a possibility to flex your creativity whereas exploring the wilderness. It’s a good way to assist join others to backcountry adventures too. Certainly, many out of doors adventurers are keen to seek out methods to leverage social media and different digital platforms to align their passions with their work. That’s why we began our out of doors content material creator collection!
On this collection, we ask several types of out of doors content material creators:
- How they received began in out of doors content material creation
- What they take pleasure in about being out of doors content material creators
- How they steadiness content material creation with merely having fun with the outside
- Ideas they’ve for others trying to get into the sector
In half one, we chatted with our very personal model ambassador, Michelle Zhang, about what it’s like being a model ambassador and her recommendation for getting began as one. In half two, we dove into all issues gear with Liz Thomas, editor-in-chief at Treeline Overview!
Now, partially three of our out of doors content material creator collection, we’re taking a hike into all issues TikTok with Kacy Guajardo, also referred to as @kacystrails!
Kacy Guajardo is a Colorado-based hiker, skier, and type-2 fun-seeker. Her TikTok account focuses on instructional and provoking out of doors content material. Right now, she has greater than 50,000 followers on the platform. We caught up with Kacy to study extra about what it’s like being a TikTok influencer and the way others can get began too!
Gossamer Gear: Are you able to begin by telling us just a little about how you bought began making out of doors content material on TikTok?
Kacy: I’ve all the time cherished sharing my adventures with family and friends on Instagram, so when TikTok got here up in 2020, it was a pure development for me. I labored in social media for a couple of skilled sports activities groups in faculty and early in my profession, so it’s been cool to make use of my skilled abilities for content material that I’m actually captivated with. My mother and father mentioned that the video format makes it simpler for them to remain linked to me and observe my life since I’m so dangerous at calling residence. Sorry, mother and pa!
What about short-form video do you assume helps encourage others?
It’s fast and to the purpose. Once I’m on the lookout for recommendation on gear or a fast assessment, I don’t wish to learn a brilliant lengthy article or sit by a 10-minute YouTube video. It’s a straightforward method to share info with out getting slowed down within the particulars. I would like my followers to have the ability to scroll by my web page and get all the knowledge they should get into backpacking with out spending hours researching themselves. I put plenty of time and analysis into my instructional content material so I is usually a one-stop useful resource for brand new adventurers!
What’s the time dedication like for modifying movies, sharing them, interacting with followers, and all that jazz?
It takes much more time than you’d assume! I usually spend about 10 to fifteen hours every week specializing in my social media. Interacting with my followers is my favourite a part of it, so I spend plenty of time replying to feedback and constructing my neighborhood. My aim for TikTok has all the time been to construct an superior neighborhood of rad adventurers that I think about mates slightly than simply followers, in order that’s why I put participating with my viewers above all else.
How do you select which manufacturers to spotlight or associate with? What sort of issues do manufacturers count on from you and what do you count on in return?
I attempt to associate with corporations that I really feel are a pure match for me in my life. With Gossamer Gear, I used a GG pack on my thru-hike of the Colorado Path in 2020 and have been an enormous supporter of the corporate ever since. I discovered myself recommending their merchandise to everybody I knew, so it simply made sense for me to shoot my shot with them, and I’m so glad I did! I believe my GG content material did very well as a result of I had the liberty to create what I felt would work finest on my web page and it translated properly to the model web page too. Freedom to create is important to a very good partnership!
I additionally favor to work with smaller corporations with in-house advertising and marketing groups as a result of I really feel like I can join on a deeper stage with the model. Usually, the staff of out of doors corporations share comparable pursuits within the open air, so they only get it. It’s necessary to me that every model deal is collaborative, however I even have the liberty to create as a result of there’s not a cookie-cutter template for a profitable advert.
Is it arduous to steadiness curating content material on a display with having fun with the second within the open air? How do you discover your steadiness?
I attempt to maintain a powerful boundary with myself once I’m within the open air in order that I don’t begin feeling like each hike is a content material journey. I’ll set my intention earlier than I head out—like, okay, this journey is for content material, so I’ll carry my digicam gear and never really feel dangerous about taking longer on a hike. A number of my journeys, although, I set the intention of staying current and off my telephone as a result of climbing is my time. It’s actually necessary to me to carry this boundary as a result of I don’t wish to lose my love for the outside by filming each second of my journey.
Do you’ve any recommendation for others who could also be enthusiastic about sharing their out of doors content material on TikTok?
Simply begin posting! Your first few (hundred, lol) movies will in all probability be crap, however don’t fear an excessive amount of about that. You’ll discover your content material model and your workflow will grow to be simpler and extra environment friendly. A giant a part of this for me was getting over the concern and embarrassment of filming in public. It’s all the time going to be low-key embarrassing, however for me, I do know my content material helps so many individuals navigate the out of doors way of life, so I simply must remind myself why I’m doing it! You may’t join with individuals until you place your self on the market, and belief me, it’s value it!
Use Brief Movies to Educate and Encourage Different Out of doors Fanatics on TikTok
Our important takeaway from chatting with Kacy is that brief movies will be actually impactful for educating people who find themselves newer to backpacking or different out of doors actions. We additionally discovered how this kind can create significant neighborhood. Changing into a TikTok influencer is a time dedication, however with wholesome boundaries round if you end up and should not creating new content material, you may nonetheless discover loads of time to easily benefit from the open air.
You may observe Kacy on TikTok at @kacystrails.
And we wish to see your brief movies with our merchandise! Tag us on social media (@gossamergear) and utilizing the hashtag #takelessdomore to point out off your out of doors content material creation abilities.
Have one other sort of out of doors trade gig you’re inquisitive about? Attain out and tell us at korrin@gossamergear.com. We’ll see if we are able to spherical up one other interview to study all about it!
