Cassey Ho of Blogilates shares secrets for success ahead of SXSW
While the world is grappling with an imminent recession, everyone is seeking a way to protect themselves, including creators of content. In the process, many are coming to the realization that relying solely on sponsorship deals and brand agreements to generate revenue is not sustainable..
A possible recession aside, brand deals as well as similar deals aren't known as reliable, even for artists with large follower counts. Add a downturn into the mix, and brand deals could disappear altogether as an option to earn income for many creators.
Solutions to this ongoing challenge have emerged, including the creation of social media funds like TikTok's. While the funds appear they've come under scrutiny for their small payouts because of the huge amount of creators requesting a share of the limited funds. In response, TikTok is actively testing a revamped creator fund that gives creators higher payments, however it is too early to tell whether this revamped model of fund can achieve what its 2020 version was unable to do.
In order to get at the heart of the question of how entrepreneurs can create sustainable businesses free of the limitations of social media, we sit up a meeting to talk with the queen of entrepreneurship herself--business mogul Cassey Ho, aka Blogilates.
About 12 and a half years ago, an insignificant house pilates YouTube video earned Cassey's elevation to influencer status. She's inspired over 14 million people with her videos that were watched more than 2 billion times.
As a result, Cassey was able to focus on her love for fashion. Now, she has one, but two multi-million dollar portfolio brands, Blogilates and POPFLEX in addition to an alliance with 24 Hour Fitness, where her unique format POP Pilates is taught in gymnasiums throughout the United States. In the agreement is her famous POP Pilates online certification course, which Cassey runs on .
By leveraging her audience and adapting to their demands through a range of services, Cassey has created a company that is trending for more than 10 years.
Take a look at our Q&A with Cassey for a deeper look at the ways she's diversified her income streams through digital products, physical merchandise as well as other sources.
Note: Responses were lightly edited to improve clarity.
How do you pitch your elevator pitch?
It is possible to say that I'm a style and fitness-related businessman. I started off in the YouTube world as pilates instructors. All platforms included, I have over 14 or 15 million followers as well as 2 billion views. I basically started my journey with free workout videos to people but it wasn't really my intention. I've always wanted to be in fashion. When I first started teaching classes and built a community and later, because of that, I was able to get back to my original desire to be a fashionista. My audience was asking for yoga mats and clothes which is why I decided dressing my clients. And it's just been such an amazing journey as social media brought me to return my original interest. Yoga mats are found on Target under Blogilates. POPFLEX is my company for clothing.
Let's take a look and discover what you learned from your social media experience. What led you to ultimately begin your YouTube channel?
I was employed as a part-time instructor teaching pilates while in college. I taught POP Pilates specifically, which is a form of exercise that involves music but at the time, no one taught that style of Pilates. Pilates is done with the absence of music, or only to classical music. This is why I was teaching at 24 Hour Fitness, and I was graduating, and at the time I received an with a company in Boston and knew that I had to move across the country and that nobody was going to teach this type of pilates anymore. Because of this I decided to make a ten-minute workout and then upload it on the YouTube website in the year 2009. It was only for 40 people at the gym, that's the end of it. After I uploaded it and deleted it, I didn't look at it for a few months later. It received thousands of views and hundreds of comments asking for more information, which is the reason why I started Blogilates!
How have you changed the way that you use social media changed your life since you started Blogilates since 2009?
In 2009, it was YouTube was the form of video. Facebook was where you created communities. It was a great place back then. Over the past few years, we've seen various social platforms come in, and honestly, it's been exhausting nevertheless, you need to keep your relevance by adapting to the new platforms. You must figure out what you can say to the people who are on them as well as how to produce material for each. It is essential to continue playing the game, but social media, at the end of it all is an instrument. So it really depends the people who are watching you use the platform, but generally speaking I consider it to be a positive thing because it can break down walls and nobody is preventing you from your accomplishments. Keep trying and testing until you discover a form of content that is effective And then keep striving to do it better every single occasion.
What has changed since the time you launched back in 2009 ? What has changed in the process the process of creating content on YouTube?
So much has changed! In 2009, being an influencer wasn't something that was popular; earning money via brand deals was not a trend; AdSense wasn't even a concept back then. YouTubers uploaded videos on YouTube as a way to show their knowledge, their funny moments, as well as their own content. That was it. It was not about becoming famous or becoming an YouTube star. Fast forward to now, 2023, the landscape is quite different and it's different in many ways. I'm convinced that it's not as authentic.
People want to become creators or influences because they're chasing the spotlight and recognition. They're letting their self-worth be determined by their own metrics, and it makes me unhappy to think of this because many of the creators that started in 2009 were there to meet. This is why I went to the event. I was looking to instruct POP Pilates. And, I believe that is why Blogilates has existed for 14 years. The company didn't die, and you see that occurring a lot among new creators. I think the landscape is different and more competitive, but it's also fantastic for entrepreneurs because you don't have to rely on traditional media and advertising to make your name known there; you can start making connections with your audience using your smartphone and making a TikTok, YouTube Short or Instagram Reel.
How was it the first time you earned money via YouTube? Do you have a strategy that you could use to earn a sustainable earnings? If yes, could you provide us with the details of your program?
Truthfully, I'm not sure whether it was really a idea or not. I had always had work on the side. It was never to get fully involved on YouTube; I always did something behind the scenes, regardless of whether I was selling things or my first and last company job. So no, I didn't really have a strategy. But in the beginning, I started to realize that bloggers and YouTubers were signing brand agreements, and I didn't even think that getting an agent, or even a manager, was possible. One blogger friend of mine said "Don't be concerned about it, there's no need to reach out. Just keep growing your following and they'll come.' So that's exactly what happened. I don't know if I consider that to be a good strategy or not, but I did my best to focus on my audience and served them with great content that I felt strongly about, and everything else came from that. AdSense, brand agreements, and all constitute a portion of my income stream, however today, they make up just a tiny fraction of my entire revenue because the product is the main factor.
Was that always the case for you, or did it begin primarily on social?
It was initially than a split, as I was constantly designing yoga bags or mats, and brand deals were present and would grow in the beginning, however as they increased and I became unhappy. I didn't enjoy them (brand agreements) because usually with brand deals you're paired with a business who doesn't know or respect your ideas; you follow the bullet points in the brief. Then you submit your content and knock off every single bullet point, and then they're looking to make a change because they don't like it. There was a constant sense of being told what I can or cannot do with my own content and audience. I became so dissatisfied with brand agreements and it's my aim over the last several years to fade out of such deals , and instead focus on talking about my personal branding.
We'll now discuss the algorithm. Do you think algorithms have affected your capacity for earning money through social platforms?
Since I began making videos for design a year and an hour ago, how the TikTok algorithm or YouTube algorithm worked, maybe but not as much the Instagram algorithm. It could decide the fate of an item and how fast it's going to sell out. As an example, we saw a legging video skyrocket and gain at least 25 million or more views, and it literally was sold out in just a few hours. However, sometimes a post can go viral on one platform and won't be on the other, even though it's identical video. It's interesting to see how it performs, and I don't think it's because my viewers are distinct on every platform however, I believe it's because, as an example, TikTok has this high probability of being viral because they are able to serve the same audience, but whatever it is the case, it's fascinating. The algorithm is a major factor in the performance of videos, and therefore, plays an important role in the sales. However, if you continue to focus on creating a high-quality product which my staff and I is doing every day, then you do not need these viral videos. They're nice, but my company doesn't rely on making it viral. Instead, it is based on the quality of its product.
We're predicting that going forward, creators will realize they must use social media as an avenue to increase audience size and as a traffic source and less of an instrument for direct monetization as you've already been able to achieve. What do you think of this trend?
It is important provide something for the people who watch you. You have to create something of value, be it either in entertainment or education. It's not possible build a following by merely try to extract money from them. That's why whatever you're doing that you're hearing this morning: What is that aspect you communicate with others that they'll want be able to bring home and will remember you for? Just keep trying to make your message more useful to your viewers as you're ready to launch your product, they'll think of the time you help them. They'll be eager to be part of the process as you release your product. Even while this wasn't the plan I had in mind it was what happened.
Free YouTube videos that I've uploaded over the time period of about a decade while also creating products and fans seeing the journey of the product, and want to be a part of it. By involving people in the process of designing I've created this project I'm doing a true community.
A lot of creators believe that their only option to earn cash is to make affiliate agreements on social media. Where would you suggest that creators diversify their online income streams?
Let's list out all of the ways creators can diversify their income streams. There is no doubt that you've got brands, but you also have AdSense on YouTube and TikTok's Creator fund. Creators are also able to expand into the creation of products and items in addition to digital products like a service or online class on . In the end every day, it is important to consider what is the value you're providing. What are people willing to pay for? You should ask yourself this question since it is possible to create content for free but you cannot give the entire world for free. In the event that you do, you'll get burnt out. In addition, research is a proven fact that when a person purchases something, they are more likely to stay with the action than if they receive it as a free gift.
I think it's important to define what your worth is, and then wrap the value into something, whether that's a service, a product, or even a piece of material.
How did you increase the reach of your social media audience to promote POPFLEX and the Blogilates range of products at Target? Or, how have you transferred traffic from social media to your website?
I will show the audience the way I came up with something. When I show off an awesome sweater, I'm not just saying 'oh this is a nice sweater. Go buy it.' Again, we aren't selling to the audience. They are being educated. I create products to address challenges. I involve them in the design journey, which helps to involve them into the process, and to involve in the process. Their design requests will be considered for product development and then we help make it happen, and through that we create confidence with my customers. We're not just treating them as clients, but we're treating as co-designers. This helps make the experience enjoyable to everyone.
In terms of moving my audience from my social media accounts to my site I concentrate on the obvious like including an Instagram link. For example, tagging your products. The use of links is to shift my customers from my social platforms to my website. Additionally, I use other content creators to showcase my merchandise and show how my clothing can fit women of all dimensions and shapes. Yes, the content we create will draw my customers to my website. Additionally, I utilize newsletters to generate a lot of sales.
Where did you begin with your Pilates ? Why did you decide to design Your Pop Pilates courses on ?
I was so desperately looking for a website to offer my instructor training program , so near the beginning of this show, I discussed about teaching POP Pilates at 24 Hour Fitness. In the next few years, POP Pilates becomes the official pilates of the 24 Hour Fitness centers across the US. This is why I wanted to find an online portal or program to house all of the instructors , and also to show the choreography. I could not find any. I was listening to Chalene Johnson's show on her podcast. She was just casually talking about something, and she brought up . This is how I discovered it ! It really was the only one that could permit me to accomplish the things I had to accomplish on the level that I needed to do it so always so thankful for that.
Examining the landscape of creators in general. What are the most common mistakes that creators making in today's situation?
Creators make many mistakes in the present however the most common issue I've seen is when creators get a great deal of attention and have a huge following. And then, the moment comes that they get brand deals and their content starts to feel extremely unnatural. Sure that they require a pay check and need to make ends meet, but at the same time, they're ruining confidence with their followers. It's happened to me. of content] degrade creators' brands. Additionally, I'm curious to learn how creating an artist career that is based on another career plays out. As an example, a teacher is now an influencer. The entire success of a teacher comes from teaching, but what happens after they stop being a teacher because they've become successful [as a creator]?
The answer is simple: Begin a class on .
What's the one thing you don't see creators doing enough of?
Everyone tells me every day that people want the same thing you offer. They want to be able to offer a line of products so that they don't have to talk about different brands constantly. But here's the truth I'm of the opinion that to want that, you must be able to envision running any kind of business that's based around products. It's my opinion that every artist that has built a following should have some type of products or services. It's definitely where creators should be and you should believe and live your product, because if you don't, your product is likely to be a challenge to sell.
What's a piece of advice you have for someone new on this journey who wants to begin using their digital tools?
I believe it is a reference back to what I said earlier about figuring out what value the product offers to its audience, and then figuring out a way to package it up so that it is available for purchase. You have to be strong in what that is. And, if you're not sure, that is acceptable. You're able to determine your idea through no-cost content. It's about feeling out your audience. However, I would like to add, you have to be cautious in not let your audience steer you into a direction isn't something you feel confident in. If you are following the numbers and make too many comments it can lead to losing yourself. Then you lose your motivation and don't really know the values you hold to This is a major reason that creators become burnt out. Creators who do this become unhappy because they no anymore live their lives for themselves. They're creating, living and being another person. Therefore, pay attention to all signals, not just your heart. In the end, you must be creating content that makes you happy otherwise it's likely to end in failure.
Own your destiny with digital products
It's evident that the future of success for creators depends upon diversifying the income stream to build sustainable businesses, just like Cassey did.
Through digital offerings, such as online classes, as well as tangible products and brand partnerships, Cassey has been able to increase her influence on the world, and eventually, take control of her own destiny.
When creators begin to follow suit, the way they use social media is likely to change. They'll use it not as a method of revenue generation and will instead be an avenue to direct users to other stable sources of revenue, like digital goods.
"The biggest role has played is aiding me in fostering the development of a vibrant community of instructors for Pop Pilates." - Cassey Ho
has already supported over 55,000 creative entrepreneurs to earn a collective $4.9 billion. And, that number grows with every passing minute.
We're ditching the middleman and allowing you to retain all of your earnings, as well as own your audience, business model, and brand.
If you want to know more about how to master your destiny and excel in your career as an entrepreneur and creator You can catch Cassey together with Matt Steffanina, 's President/CPO Sean Kim, and Jim Louderback at the sponsored stage at SXSW later this month..
If you're ready to start diversifying your income with digital products, test for yourself with a free 14-day trial.