chronicles of a content creator - jayla johnson

Jayla is a storyteller with a passion for building marketing campaigns, executing internal and external brand partnerships, and leveraging her creativity to help brands, companies, and artists’ soar. She is an experienced PR specialist with over five years in digital marketing, sales, project, and social media management. During her undergraduate years at Drexel University, she co-oped with Furia Rubel as a Public Relations Intern and worked for Sony Music Entertainment, Epic Records, Bumble, Rent the Runway, Her Campus, and Victoria’s Secret PINK. She graduated cum laude, with Pennoni honors in June 2022. Jayla created successful marketing campaigns, designed electronic press kits, wrote blog posts, assembled podcasts, worked with influencers, and supported businesses in the Northeast region. Jayla seamlessly uses her personal brand to connect her interest in the entertainment, lifestyle, fashion, and beauty industries. She plans to leave her mark in any room she steps foot in.

I had the pleasure of working with Jayla, and becoming super close with her during our time in college. She's one of my greatest friends, and kills everything she does in the world of digital marketing and content creation. It's only right for me to have a chat with her about this field and all that goes into it, so that's exactly what we did!

Photo Courtesy of Jayla Johnson

Introduce yourself, who you are, what you do, and how you entered this space

I’m Jayla Johnson, I am a recent graduate from Drexel University. I am friends and a former employee with Sandra Olaniyi.

What's your primary platform of use and why?

I used to be on Instagram a lot. However, I have transitioned to TikTok, because it is much more organic, and I can post as much as I want, regardless of the view or like counts.

What advice do you have for aspiring creators who don’t know how to navigate this space yet, or think that they can just hop on a trend and be successful in that space?

It is simple. Expect the unexpected. Everything takes time and don't worry about creators around. You focus on your craft and the impact you want to have, whether you're creating content for fun, or you want to do it so you can be a full-time content creator. Yes, I think it might be hard to just jump on a trend unless you do your research where you can find a trendy sound, and you use the trending hashtag on a given platform, but once again if it's very authentic and organic, you never know what actually will become viral.

Do you ever experience burnout or writer’s block, if so how do you get out of that mood and what steps do you take to pace yourself in this industry?

Yes, I definitely experience burnout. I don't experience writer's block, however, I think it all falls under the same category. For me, I watch reality TV, and I listen to the Calm App meditation. I meditate, I try to at least, you know, go on a walk. But I definitely try to limit my social media spending.

How has content creation affected how you use social media now, is it still enjoyable or strictly a place for work?

It's a mixture of both. For me, I treat everything as if it's for a brand. So what I post I want to make sure if I happen to show it to a company, or someone, whoever i'm around, I am proud of the image or the content that I've created. Nowadays, I see everything as a filter. Sometimes I think, okay that person probably took a thousand photos to get that shot, where other times I'm thinking, "Oh, there's no way that they really thought this was something great." But then whom am I to judge? Because at the end of the day I, too, am a brand and have an image to uphold.

What’s one bit of analytical or technical advice you could give to an aspiring creator whether in regard to equipment, or what strategies to use on a specific social platform?

I would say you should definitely invest in a good ring light, a tripod that stays at you know ,where you live, and then also a portable tripod, so when you're out shooting content, it's very simple and easy to have. I think by learning the basic editing tools from different platforms is really beneficial, whether that's Adobe, even like Microsoft Suite, or whatever it may be, find what works for you, and truly cater to that, and just be happy with everything you create.

Are you following industry best practices or doing your own research when it comes to social media content creation and posting, or do you just post whenever you want ?

I used to follow Google's best times to post and best hashtags. But now, I just post when I want and use hashtags that work best for me, and that are unique to my content, or something that I don't see others using so. A good friend of mine, Sandra, she actually told me that I should create my own hashtag, so #DailyDoseofJ is a tag, and you know nobody uses that. But if you google it i'm sure you know I'll pop up. So I think it already just depends on what you are trying to get and gain out of what you are posting? Because if you don't want to be seen, or you know, get on somebody's for you page, then post what you want. Don't do what's trending, don't follow best practices. Do what you think is right, and then, if you are someone that wants to follow the best practices, and you're doing research because you want to stand out, you want friends to see you, companies, influencers, whatever, then yes, I think there's a plan for everyone. But you have to be comfortable with what you're creating, and how you post it.

Why is it essential to do research on best practices, when working as a creator, and what is something you would change or do differently now that you are at the stage you’re currently in?

Everyone is a student. You don't know everything. So you're learning each and every day. And that's the beauty of social media. It's ever so changing. So, by being up to date on trends and best practices, you can definitely leverage yourself on what you can bring to a brand or company, knowing that you've done your research, and that's really what's important. I think back then I would have taken less gifted campaigns and utilized paid ones, and tried to leverage my skills and ability to content create. But once again everything happens for a reason.

Do you find that you limit yourself to a specific niche, or are you free to post whatever you want?

I have morals and values, and I would say, I'm not limiting myself. I just know what I prefer, and what I would want to see. So for me that is lifestyle, beauty, fashion, and now I'm currently dipping into the UGC content creation world.

I love that I've been able to enter this space with one of my greatest friends by my side. She is such a joy to work with and to learn from as well. Like she said, EVERYONE is a student. What did you learn from this conversation with Jayla, I would love to know! Make sure to check our her #DailyDoseofJ on TikTok as well! See you soon!