Tayo Aina is a Nigerian filmmaker, entrepreneur, and YouTuber known for his engaging content on Africa, real estate, travel, and personal development.
In 2015, Tayo left home, worked as an Uber driver in Lagos and started learning how to make videos.
He started making videos in 2017 but only took Youtube seriously in 2019. By the end of 2020, he got his first paycheck from Youtube - the same year he hit 100k subscribers.
Today, he has almost 800,000 subscribers on Youtube alone and has about 4 sources of income. He travels all over the world, documenting the stories of Africans and African businesses, reviewing travel locations and sharing video reviews predominantly through his Youtube channel.
In this article, we are going to explore some of the things that helped him to become a successful creator, his sources of income and share his advice for aspiring Youtube creators.
Tayo’s journey to success as a content creator can be broken down into several key components:
Identifying a Niche:
Tayo Aina found a unique niche by focusing on documenting African stories around urban development, lifestyle, and real estate, a topic that no other Nigerian was tackling on YouTube. This niche allowed him to stand out and cater to both a local and international audience interested in African development, culture and lifestyle.
Being the first to enter this space was certainly an edge but according to Tayo, he was just trying to make videos because he liked doing it and didn’t expect to become as successful as he is today from them.
Consistent Quality Content:
Tayo has spent up to $7000 on a single video which shows his commitment to producing high-quality, engaging content that has made his videos a pleasure to watch. His videos are well-shot, informative, and professionally edited, making them appealing to viewers and brand sponsors as well.
He started out creating videos on his phone and took lessons on videography and video editing to help him shoot quality videos.
Authenticity and Passion:
Tayo would always say “I love creating videos” and the genuine interest in the topics he covers comes through in his content. His passion for creating documentaries, introducing Africa to the world and the world to Africa resonates with his audience. This authenticity has helped him build trust and a strong connection with his viewers.
It has also helped him diversify his content; from documenting African culture to documenting African businesses to Travel documentaries.
Leveraging Social Media and Collaboration:
Tayo has a huge following on Instagram and Twitter which he has effectively used to promote his content and engage with his audience. Collaborations with other creators and professionals have also helped him expand his reach and bring new people to his channel.
Tayo does content distribution well and with multiple collaborations, he has gained a huge following across social media which he used to promote his Youtube videos.
Learning and Adapting:
Like many successful creators, Tayo has shown a willingness to learn from feedback, experiment with different types of content, and adapt to changes in the digital landscape. This adaptability has helped him stay relevant and continue to grow his audience over time.
Monetization and Diversification:
Beyond YouTube ad revenue, Tayo has explored various monetization strategies, including brand sponsorships, digital product sales and affiliate marketing. Diversifying his income streams has not only contributed to his financial success but also allowed him to invest back into his content and other business ventures.
Community Engagement:
Many people describe Tayo as humble and authentic. This is because he has maintained authenticity and understands the importance of engaging with his community. He actively posts and engages with his community where he shares his original thoughts even though they may not always be popular. This engagement has created a sense of belonging among his viewers, making them feel like he is a friend they know.
Educational Value:
Tayo’s videos have taught me a lot about Nigeria, Africa and the world and you have probably also learnt a thing or more from his videos too. There’s so much to learn about the places he takes you to through his videos and the people he introduces us to, including some of the most successful entrepreneurs in Africa. This educational value of his content adds another layer of quality to his content, making it not just entertaining but also informative.
Let us break down his sources of income (at least the ones he has disclosed)
Youtube Adsense
Brand sponsorships (where he makes from $7,500 for a 1 mins ad in his video)
Digital products
Affiliate marketing
Tayo’s Advice to Aspiring Creators
Fall in love with making content
Move on your ideas and test it - even if it fails
Do not be afraid of failure
Create content consistently
The dots will make sense in the future
Tayo Aina's success as a content creator is a testament to his hard work, strategic approach, and genuine passion for storytelling and video documentaries. His journey highlights the importance of getting started, doing something really well and trusting the process.
It took him 3 years to make money on Youtube even after posting there consistently for 3 years and today, 7 years later, he has grown to over 700,000 subscribers on Youtube and the money he makes as a creator can now sponsor his videos, travel and lifestyle.
Being a creator requires consistent quality output and even if it feels like the process is slow, Tayo’s story is proof that it is well worth it.
You can find him on Youtube here
