Cassey Ho of Blogilates shares tips for success before SXSW
In the midst of the possibility of a recession, people are looking for a way to protect themselves, including the creators of content. In the process, many are coming to the realization that using only sponsorship deals and brand agreements to earn revenue isn't sustainable..
With the possibility of a recession brands, deals with brands and the like aren't known for consistency--even for creators with massive followings. Add a downturn into the mix and deals may disappear completely as an option to earn income for many artists.
Solutions to this problem have emerged, including the creation of social media funds such as TikTok's. While the funds appear they've been criticized for their small payouts because of the high number of creators seeking a portion of the limited funds. To address this, TikTok is actively exploring a new version of the creator fund that gives creators higher payouts, but only time will tell if this version of the fund will be able to do what the 2020 version did not.
To get to the root of how creative people can develop profitable businesses without the restrictions that social media has, we set down to talk with the queen of entrepreneurship herself -- business mogul Cassey Ho, also known as Blogilates.
More than 12 years ago, a small home pilates YouTube video earned Cassey's elevation to influencer status. Cassey has inspired more than 14 million people through her videos that have been watched over 2 billion times.
This meant that Cassey could focus on her love for fashion. She now sports, not only two, but two multimillion dollars portfolio brands: Blogilates and POPFLEX in addition to an alliance together with 24 Hour Fitness, where her unique style of POP Pilates is taught in fitness centers across the nation. The partnership also includes her trademark POP Pilates online certification course that Cassey is the host on .
With her ability to leverage her fans and adapting to their needs with multiple products, Cassey is able to create a successful business that is trending for more than 10 years.
Dive into our Q&A with Cassey to go deeper into how she has diversified her income streams through physical products, digital goods, and more.
Note: Responses were lightly edited to improve clarity.
What's the elevator song you use?
It is possible to say that I'm a style and fitness-related business owner. I began my career with YouTube as a pilates instructor. On all platforms, I have over 14 to 15 million followers with 2 billion views. I basically started my journey by providing free home training videos to the public, however that really wasn't my goal. I've always wanted to be fashionable. I started teaching workouts, built a community, after which I was able reconnect with my first love of fashion. My audience was asking for yoga mats and clothes and I started to dress my audience. And it's just been such wonderful journey to see how social media brought me to return my original interest. Yoga mats are located on Target under Blogilates, and POPFLEX is my clothing company.
Let's take a look and discover some of your social media experiences. What led you to ultimately start you own YouTube channel?
I was employed as a part-time instructor as a pilates instructor in college. I taught POP Pilates specifically, which is done to music, and at the time nobody taught that style of Pilates. Pilates was taught to the absence of music, or only to traditional music. So, I was teaching in 24 Hour Fitness, and I was about to graduate in the year I received an offer in Boston and was aware that I would have to travel across the country and that nobody was going to be teaching this form of pilates again. Because of this I decided to film a ten-minute workout and then put it up on this YouTube website in the year 2009. It was only for 40 people who were at the gym. That's it. Then, after I posted it on YouTube the video, I did not look at it again until about a month later. There were thousands of views as well as hundreds of users asking for more information, which is the main reason for Blogilates!
How have you changed the way that you use social media changed your life since you started Blogilates since 2009?
In 2009, YouTube that was used to create video. Facebook was the place to create an online community. It was an enjoyable location back in the day. Throughout the past few years, we've seen all of these different social media platforms emerge the past, and it's been absolutely tiring, nevertheless, you need to remain relevant in the changing platforms. You must figure out what you can say to your target audience on every platform as well as how to produce content on each one. You have to keep playing the game, but social media, at the end of all is just a tool. It all depends upon who is watching you through that tool, but in general I believe it's an excellent thing since it can break down walls and nobody is preventing you from your success. You can keep exploring and testing until discover a form of content that works but you continue trying to do it and do it better every single occasion.
What's been different since your first launch in 2009? In terms as a creator on YouTube?
So much has changed! In 2009 the year 2009, being an influencer was not an option; earning cash through deals with brands was not a trend; AdSense wasn't even a feature at the time. YouTubers uploaded videos on YouTube as a way to share their expertise as well as their humorous moments and the content they created. That was it. It was not about becoming famous or becoming YouTube celebrities. In the year 2023, and the scene has changed completely, and, in many ways, I honestly think it's not as authentic.
People want to become influential or create because they're chasing fame and attention. Their self-worth is determined by their own metrics that they're chasing, and it's regret it because most of the original creators who began in 2009 were looking to meet. This is why I went to the event. I was looking to instruct POP Pilates. And, I believe that is the reason Blogilates has existed for fourteen years now. It hasn't ceased to exist which is occurring a lot among young creators. I believe the market is different and more competitive. However, it's great for entrepreneurs since it doesn't require relying on traditional media or advertising for getting your brand and out there. You can begin making connections with your audience using your smartphone and creating the TikTok and YouTube short or Instagram Reel.
What were your experiences when you started earning income on YouTube? Did you have a system for generating a steady income? If yes, could you provide us with the details of that strategy?
Truthfully, I'm not sure whether it was really a plan. There was always a job on the side. The goal was not to go full in with YouTube. I did something behind the scenes, regardless of whether I was selling things or at my very first corporate job. Therefore, I did not have a true plan. In the beginning, I started to realize that bloggers and YouTubers were signing brand agreements that I didn't think that getting an agent or a manager, was a possibility. I remember one of my bloggers said to me "Don't stress about it; there's no need to reach out. Just keep growing your following and they'll come. This is exactly what happened. I'm not sure if I consider that to be a good strategy or not, but I did my best to focus on my audience and served them by putting out amazing content I was passionate about and then everything resulted from that. AdSense, brand dealsand anything else are a part of my income stream, however today, they make up less than one percent of my revenue total because it's the primary factor.
Did that happen consistently for you, or did it first begin with social media?
It was initially split because I was always creating yoga mats or bags as well as brand partnerships. They were always present and would grow, but when they increased in number, I was also becoming more unhappy. I wasn't a fan of them brand deals because typically in these deals you're tied together with a firm that just doesn't really recognize or believe in your vision It's like you go through the bullet points in the brief but then you submit your content and knock off every single bullet point, and then they're going to propose changes because they don't like this. There was a constant sense of people telling me what I can or cannot do with my own content and my audience. I became so unsatisfied by brand deals that it's been my aim over the last couple of years to fizzle out of such agreements and concentrate on speaking about my personal company.
Let's discuss the algorithm. Are algorithms affecting your ability for earning money through social platforms?
Since I began making video designs a year two months ago, I realized that the way the TikTok algorithm, or the YouTube algorithm worked, maybe but not as much the Instagram algorithm, could truly determine the destiny of a product and how fast it's going to become a bestseller. As an example, we saw one of our legging videos explode in popularity and gain at least 25 million or more views, and it literally was sold out within a matter of hours. However, sometimes a post will go viral for one platform but not on another, and it's the same video. It's intriguing to know the results, and I don't think it's because my viewers are diverse on different platforms, but I think it's because, as an example, TikTok has this high probability of being viral because they are able to serve it to a look-alike audience regardless of the audience the case, it's fascinating. The algorithm plays a big role in how the videos do in terms of performance, thus, playing an important role in the sales. However, should you keep focusing on your product's quality, which I and my team do every day, you don't need these viral videos. They're nice, but my business doesn't depend on being viral. It depends on a quality product.
As time goes on, creators will realize they need to use social media as an opportunity to build audience and traffic source and less of an instrument for direct monetization - similar to what you've been able to do. What do you think of this trend?
It is important to offer something worthwhile to your audience. You have to create value whether that is for entertainment or education. It's not possible to grow an audience when you only try to extract money from them. Whatever it's for those of you listening this morning: What is that something you can share with people that they're going to take home and keep in mind? Just keep trying to help your audience as you are ready to launch that product they're going to think of the time you have helped them. They're going to want to join the journey you embark on as you launch the product. For me, even though this wasn't my strategy this is what actually ended up happening.
Free YouTube videos that I've uploaded over the course of a decade, as well as amidst the process of designing products and fans seeing the journey of the product, and want to be a part of it. In the end, by involving them in the design process, I've made this thing it's a genuine community.
Most creators believe that the only way to make cash is to make affiliate deals on social media. Where would you suggest that creators diversify their internet income streams?
Let's list out all of the ways creators can diversify their income streams. Naturally, there are brand deals and you can also use AdSense on YouTube, and TikTok's creator fund. Creators can also branch into creating merchandise and products and digital products like a service or online training course . At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself what value are you providing. What do people want to spend money on? need to ask yourself this question since you can make free content however, you shouldn't be giving all of your content for free. If you don't, you'll be burnt out. Additionally, the behavior of consumers has proven that when somebody purchases something, they are more likely to stay by doing what they say than when it is offered for free.
I believe it's essential to define what your worth is and then package it up into something which could be a service a product, or even an article of information.
How did you increase the reach of your social media followers to promote POPFLEX and your Blogilates product line at Target? What is the best way you have transferred traffic from social media to your website?
I show my audience exactly what I thought of when I created an idea. If I'm showing an awesome garment, I'm not going to say 'Oh this is a nice sweater. You should buy it.' Again, we aren't selling to the audience. We are educating them. I create products to address challenges. I include them in the design journey, which helps to involve them in the process and engage with the final product. Their design requests go to product development, then we turn it into a reality. happen, and through that we create trust with my clients. We're not just treating them as customers, we treat them as collaborators in the design process. It is what makes this journey enjoyable for everyone.
In terms of getting my viewers to move from my social media accounts to my website, I focus on what is obvious, such as putting links on my Instagram. For example, using tags to promote your items. The use of links is to shift my audience from social apps to my site. I also use other content creators who showcase my merchandise, as well as represent how my clothing can fit women of all dimensions and shapes. Yes, the content we create is what funnels my audience toward the website. Additionally, I utilize newsletters to drive tons of sales.
Where did you begin at the beginning ? Why did you decide to design the Pop Pilates courses on ?
I was desperately searching for a site that would offer my instructor training program , so near the beginning of this podcast I talked about the possibility of teaching POP Pilates at 24 Hour Fitness. After a few years later, POP Pilates becomes the official pilates program for all 24 Hour Fitnesses in the US. This is why I wanted to find an online platform or software to house all of the instructors and to share the choreography. But I couldn't find anything. It was while watching Chalene Johnson's podcast. She was talking casually about something when she made reference to . That's when I learned about it ! It truly was the only platform that would permit me to accomplish the things I had to accomplish on the level required to accomplish and I am always grateful for that.
Examining the landscape of creators in general. What are the most common mistakes that creators making in today's environment today?
Creators make a lot of mistakes today however the most common problem I'm seeing is that sometimes creators are able to gain attention and have a huge following. And then, all of a sudden they are offered brand contracts and the content they create starts to appear like it's been forced. Sure there is a need for a salary and need to pay their bills, but at the same time, they're ruining the trust of their fans. It's been my experience that this type of content] decimate the brands of creators. Also, I'm intrigued to see how building a creator career based on other careers plays out. As an example, a teacher becomes an influencer. The entire success of a teacher comes from being a teacher. But what happens when they cease being a teacher because they've become successful [as a creator]?
What do we suggest? Begin a class on .
What is one thing the creators don't seem to be doing enough?
Everybody tells me all the time 'Everyone wants the same thing you offer. People want to have a product line in order to not need to be talking about other brand names all the time.' Here's the thing, I think you have to want that, you have to want to run a product business. I think every creator with an audience must be able to offer a item or service. This is definitely the place creative people should focus their efforts, but you need to be a believer and actually live the product, because if you don't, your product is likely to be a challenge to market.
Do you have any advice you can offer someone who is new in this field who would like to start using digital products?
It seems to go back to what I said earlier regarding determining what the value is you provide to your audience, and then figuring out the best way to package it so that it is available for purchase. You have to remain focused on what that is. In case you're not sure, that is okay. You can test out the concept through free content. This is about assessing your target audience. However, I would like to add, you have to be very careful about not following your audience into a direction you aren't comfortable in. If you are following the numbers too much and you are too influenced by the opinions of others it can lead to losing your own identity. It is possible to lose the purpose you have as you lose sight of what you stand for anymore which is the primary reason that creators become burnt out. Creatives who are burned out are unhappy as they can no have the freedom to live for them. They're living and creating for another person. So pay attention to all the signals, including your heart. At the end of the day, you must be creating contents that make you feel happy otherwise it's not going to last.
Make your own destiny digital goods
It's evident that the future of success for creators depends on diversifying income streams in order to establish sustainable businesses, much as Cassey did.
With digital products, like online courses, along with brands and physical products, Cassey has been able to increase her influence around the world and eventually, take control of her future.
When creators begin to follow suit how they make use of social media is set to shift. They will use it not as a method of the purpose of monetization, and instead as an avenue to direct the audience towards other trustworthy sources of income, such as digital goods.
"The most significant role that HTML0 has had to help me build a vibrant community of instructors for Pop Pilates." - Cassey Ho
Already, it has supported more than 55,000 creative entrepreneurs to earn the sum of $4.9 billion dollars. The number of people supported is increasing with every passing minute.
We're going to eliminate the middleman and allowing you to retain all of your profits in addition to owning your customers, model of business, and brand.
For more on how to master your destiny and excel as an entrepreneur or creator You can catch Cassey as well as Matt Steffanina, 's President/CPO Sean Kim, and Jim Louderback, on the -sponsored stage of SXSW next month.
If you're interested in diversifying your income with digital goods, try them your luck the possibilities with the free trial of 14 days.