Thandi grows brand on Tik Tok, YouTube
ONLINE content creator and guitarist Thandi Bhala says social media has played a vital role in her career, particularly last year during the surge of Covid-19 when she would wake up to the monotonous homebody routines.
Stuck in isolation, she tapped into her personal development upgrading her skill set, as the demand for her content escalated.
Not only has she been consistent in creating relevant comic skits and music on Tik Tok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, her ability to edit videos and use music production software has also helped her brand grow profitably.
“I have always loved the art of creating and invoking certain vibes or feelings more specifically in a holistic and positive way, which is very important to me as I engage in the notional process eloquent about genuine self-expression and entertaining audiences,” Thandi said.
“For quite some time now, I’ve been an entertainer who is diverse, so it’s quite difficult to put me in a box because, to be honest,
I am an all-rounder, literally ‘umabamba zonke’.
“Authenticity is very important to me so being me is my unique selling point. I think that’s every content creator’s basic differentiation actually, because you won’t get following or online views if your content looks or sounds similar to someone else.”
The Bulawayo-based entertainer pointed out that when creating content, she starts with finding topical issues which she is passionate about.
This is followed by the expression of her views on the subject, in a relatable way to audiences using a format and platform of her choice.
“The starting point is always weighing my options whether I connect with the topic emotionally or not, so as a result most of my skits are impromptu. Once that chord is struck, I then decide on the format I want the content to take. From there, immense effort is put on creating well-thought-out relevant content either comical or musical. My main goal is positive vibes, making people feel good while also giving them something to think about, so I always make sure that’s the audience’s takeaway,” she said. “When the content is ready to be published, I sit down with my manager, and we come up with a social media strategy. Aware of the similarities and differences of the functions of Tik Tok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Sound Cloud Cloud, we dissect on the merits and demerits of posting on the social media platforms also taking note of the target audience, audience engagement and retention. Thoughts on hashtags to be used are shortly followed by putting the content out.” Thandi advocates for mental health awareness in communities. She noted that often people go through the most psychological, emotional, physical, and social difficulties and do not talk about it, something which impacts negatively on their mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.
Reacting to the negative circumstances, the content creator said her only agenda is to make the load seem a little more bearable, hence her content is mostly delivered in Ndebele, Shona, and English, languages widely spoken in Zimbabwe that she admits to be eloquently proficient in.
“Representation does matter; neglecting a language can at times alienate a certain group of audiences. Mixing of languages can help attract a larger fan base. It’s a tricky space to navigate in, therefore I focus on the emotional aspect putting out positive vibes hoping that people connect with the content or message intended to be put across and not just with the lingo.
“This is why music remains my first love because it is a universal language that communicates sentiment and emotion without a listener needing to understand what’s being said. My manager and I coined the phrase ‘humour makes the load lighter, and empathy makes the darkness brighter’, that’s the role of my content, to heal the world and make it a better place. The feedback I get from my followers and fans reaffirms this,” Thandi said.
“With each clip of content I post, I’m getting more and more comments and direct messages about how my music is helping people get through predicaments.
“Actually most of the messages I get are requests from people asking me to sing dedications in the form of hymns for sick relatives, or romantic songs for loved ones. To be honest, it strikes me as odd that people say my skits and music move them to a better state of mind. At first I really didn’t get it until I realised how some of the messages were so self-propelling and deep. When I did some research and found out that my vocal range is in a frequency that is considered to be calming and restorative, I was chuffed and I haven’t looked back since.”
With comic skits and music that is raising her brand profile, volume of inquiries, clientele base as well as her level of exposure, the outcome is a constant source of inspiration that helps Thandi persevere despite the continual increase of the cost of internet data which is the biggest hurdle for most content creators in Zimbabwe.
While entertainers are expected to be always jovial, it is important for them to remain focused, calm and collected, mentally prepared to contain social media trolls and the immense pressure that comes with being famous.