my 5 favorite content creators

I’ve had the opportunity to watch tons of content creators over the years and even get to know a few after connecting with them on social media. It’s hard for me to just select five of my favorites but for the sake of the reader, and my fingers, I’ll just share the ones that make it to the top of my list.

Image Courtesy: Sandra Olaniyi via Canva

1. Praise Asalu | @king.asalu

Praise is someone I had the opportunity to watch break out in this space in real time. I’ve known him since we were kids and it’s been amazing to see his personality expressed on social media as well through his fashion and lifestyle content. His lifestyle vlogs are more like mini movies, and his work ethic doesn’t go unnoticed because his content is always top notch. I don’t tend to follow many male creators, simply because I can’t really connect with their content, but through his videos, he is able to connect with so many different people and it shows through how his supporters respond and engage with him. He has such a long way to go in this industry, and this is just the beginning of his success!

2. Ahnesti Monet McMichael | @monetmcmichael

Monet is a beauty creator that I stumbled upon while scrolling on TikTok last summer. Although I found her through TikTok, she is also well known on YouTube as well as Instagram following her success on TikTok. I fell in love with her GRWM videos where she would sit down and chat while doing her makeup. What I love about Monet is her ability to capture her audience and how she is truly authentic in both her organic and sponsored content. I’m automatically glued to my phone once a video of hers pops up on my for you page and I am thoroughly engaged until the end. It’s a joy to watch her grow and see how much success she’s gained not only on TikTok, but Instagram, and YouTube as well. I am always rooting for black creators, more specifically black WOMEN and it's important to witness her represent women of color in the beauty industry!

3. Jackie Aina | @jackieaina

Jackie Aina is a Nigerian-American influencer who started off as a beauty guru and now owns her own candle line named, FORVR MOOD. I have been following her since the beginning of college and have loved watching her journey from YouTube to Instagram and now owning a business. I would say she’s definitely moved more towards a lifestyle niche rather than a beauty niche which is amazing for her, as she taps into her soft life era. I love that she’s expressing herself in a new space that isn't focused primarily on makeup or beauty, and it’s extremely evident that she loves making lifestyle content. Lifestyle also goes hand in hand with her candle collection and she is able to combine the two flawlessly through various posts whether on TikTok or Instagram.

4. Chazlyn Stunson | @chazlyn.yvonne

Chazlyn Yvonne is THE PINK PRINCESS. I had the opportunity to get to know Chazlyn through an group that the two of us are a part of called 28Row, an influencer community for college-aged girls. She’s a small influencer, who is CONSISTENT. One thing I love about her is how she’s never afraid to showcase her hyperfeminine side through all of her princess pink content. She’s a mix of the cottage core and girly girl Pinterest aesthetic and pulls off the most iconic looks ever in my opinion. As small as she started on platforms like TikTok and Instagram her hard work and extremely detailed content caught the attention of major brands such as Selkie, LoveShackFancy, Lulus, and many more. She has recently hit 40k on Instagram, and I’m super excited to see what she does in the future.

5. Keyon Elkins | @itskeyon

I actually fell in love with Keyon on Twitter instead of Instagram and TikTok, which makes him stand out compared to the other creators. In order to catch my attention on Twitter, you have to be funny or interesting enough to the point where I actually care to see what you're writing about. Keyon's tweets constantly went viral, and he frequently would critique or make comments about films which I really enjoyed. He joined TikTok around 2021 I believe, and the same energy he had on Twitter was also brought to TikTok, but in a visual format. He grew a massive following in such little time, and has still been one of my favorite creators to watch. He’s very entertaining and relatable which is why I find myself constantly scrolling throughout his page. None of his content is ever forced and he remains authentic which is something his fans and supporters have expressed their love for. I would love to see him break out a bit more in the film space, especially in pop culture, who knows maybe a streaming service could partner with him in the near future, I'm here for it.

Of course I couldn’t share ALL of my favorite creators or we would be here forever. I encourage you all to really support the creators you love by liking, sharing and even leaving encouraging comments for them. As a small creator, I can assure you that your support and engagement on content is a motivator to keep going, so please express that love to your favorites! Let me know who your favorite creators are in the comments!