KUALA LUMPUR: Social media content creators venturing into entrepreneurship is not something unheard of anymore as online marketing and advertising have become key in the survivability of a business.
Another reason for content creators to pivot into setting up their own business is to not be solely dependent on social media platforms for their income, said AEY Konxepts Sdn Bhd founder and director Arieff Yong.
He added that social media platforms such as Instagram cannot guarantee the long-term income of a creator although it has become a place for people to connect and be part of a community.
"When you build your community, you could convert that community into sales through online marketing…But many entrepreneurs, particularly F&B owners, don't believe in online marketing," hetold the New Straits Times in an interview recently.
Arieff, who is known for imitating different accents comedically on Instagram, said there are many challenges that content creators faced when they dabble into entrepreneurship.
The 28-year-old said Johorean said learning the ropes of running a successful business takes time and experience, and in his case, he was exposed to the ins-and-outs of F&B business since four years ago.
"I met my mentor when I moved to Kuala Lumpur from Johor Bahru. She's in the F&B business and she owns many restaurants in the city."
"I went under her wing and throughout the journey, I learned a lot of things like how to order the raw items, how to get the best prices at the market, how to deal with operations, renting, leasing and all that," he said.
Arieff then ventured into business by setting up his own restaurants - Bangkok Wasabe and So Thai in MyTown Shopping Centre. The business is a partnership between Arieff and his uncle.
"I did this with my uncle because he's also in the F&B business, and because of my fame, he suggested to open a new restaurant and use my face as the brand so that my followers would come to our restaurant," he said.
He added that the current restaurants he owned are a stepping stone for him as he plans to open more restaurants in the future while diversifying into logistics and online marketing agency as well.
He opened a new Thai dessert café - One One Thai Dessert - on April 25 this year. The café sells mainly fried bananas or gorpis and a few other Thai hot delicacies.
Prior to owning a business, Arieff started his career as a cabin crew with AirAsia Bhd and Singapore Airlines. At the same time, he was creating comedy videos and sharing it online since he was a teenager.
However, he was furloughed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He decided to focus on creating content full time and it led him to many brand deals and the move to Kuala Lumpur.
"I started getting a lot of brand deals calling me on Instagram to come to Kuala Lumpur. I thought this could be a good career for me, so that's why I decided to move from Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur," Arieff said.
Speaking on the competition in Malaysia's F&B industry, Arieff said it was very competitive especially in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor as there are many F&B outlets offering food from different countries.
"That's why I think online marketing is probably the best way for F&B to survive…Now the Gen Zs are starting to go into the adulting world to work and they would Google the restaurants or read reviews online before going there."
"But online marketing isn't just about Google. It's about your brand. How your brand portrays to the people. How to appeal to the public especially the younger generation," he said.