- Yumna Jawad is the founder of Feel Good Foodie brand.
- She has 2 million followers on TikTok and says its ban will affect her business.
- She has built her own website and other platforms to help diversify her income.
This essay as stated is based on a conversation with Jumna Jevadfounder of Feel good like food. It has been edited for length and clarity.
When I think about the upcoming ban of TikTokwhich may come into force as early as Sunday unless the Supreme Court intervenes, I feel sad. There is a social and cultural aspect of TikTok that I will miss if the app goes away. It has always felt more diverse and interesting to me than other social media.
The disappearance of TikTok could also be a big deal for my company, Feel Good Foodie. I have over 2 million followers on TikTok and earn money from sponsored posts and content creation. The ban will affect my income, but not as much as some other influencers. Fortunately, I learned early on in my content creation career that having multiple streams of income is critical.
Losing access to my Instagram was an important lesson
I started Feel Good Foodie in 2013 to teach myself how to cook. My Instagram following grew quickly and I had a lot of fun learning in this public setting. About 18 months later, I had about 300,000 followers and was starting to get freebies and occasional to be paid by brands.
One day in 2014, I woke up and my account was deactivated. This happened with other grocery accounts too, and we never figured out why. But it was really scary. I realized that I was building this passion and avenue to make money, and it could all go away.
Luckily, I got my account back in about 24 hours. But I had learned an important lesson about diversification.
I quit my day job when my influencer earnings increased
At the time, I was making about $80,000 a year as a marketing consultant. About two years into Feel Good Foodie, my income from social media surpassed my income from marketing. When I hit one six figure income from InstagramI quit my marketing job.
In 2016, Instagram changed its algorithm and I realized that fewer people were seeing my posts. Then I started a website. I wanted to know that my audience could find my content, even if the algorithm didn’t show it to them. Creating the website helped me maintain control.
Today Feel Good Foodie is a very substantial business (I’m always hesitant to be more specific about my income – it’s part of the culture in my Lebanese family). I have 12 contractors working for me that help produce content and I’m making more than I ever would in marketing.
I have about seven different income streamswhich keeps the business stable. About 60% of my income comes from my website, where I make money from advertising revenue. Another 30% comes from sponsored content, most often on Instagram and TikTok. I also monetize my cookbook and my Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest accounts.
My fees for sponsored content can be reduced by 25%
Even though I’ve diversified, a TikTok ban will still put a dent in my income. Most of my sponsored content is sold as a package, where I post the same video on Instagram and TikTok. I upload with both platforms in mind.
whether TikTok is bannedI will not be able to charge the same amount. I would expect to see a 20-25% reduction in what I make from sponsored content.
Fortunately, I have really solid audiences elsewhere. My website averages about 7 million page views per month, which makes it very attractive to advertisers, and I have more than 4 million followers on Instagram. I’ll be fine, but other content creators who are more addicted to TikTok might not be.
I am fortunate that my skills are transferable to other platforms
Social media platforms come and go, but it’s not easy for advertisers to make the switch. It takes a long time for brands to get comfortable with a new platform. I was on TikTok for about three years before I got paid to post there. It will take time for advertisers to accept any new platform users that migrate.
Fortunately, I have built skills that are transferable to other platforms. I’m disappointed about the TikTok ban, but optimistic about the health of my company.
