Pop culture, UGC and everything in between: How Farah built a career she loves

How it started

Farah always knew she wanted to create. After finishing school, she enrolled in a multimedia journalism programme and did a work placement with an influencer, her first real taste of the industry. But after facing harassment that led to a labour court case, the three years of proceedings meant she couldn't apply for jobs while it was ongoing. The court ruled in her favour, and it was at that precise moment that she decided to become her own boss by opening her own freelance business and going all in on UGC.

Finding her voice came naturally. She'd been running a TikTok account dedicated to pop culture since 2020, sharing her love of film and travel. Her journalism training helped sharpen that niche further, eventually earning her invitations to world premieres to review films and series. Pop culture in its broadest sense, films, series, video games, music, manga, anime, comics, is where she lives. But she's never closed herself off.

"In UGC I touch everything. Mobile apps, beauty, lifestyle, travel, finance, food, leisure, I love learning and discovering new sides of the job."

Nearly three years in, she also works as a Brand Ambassador and currently oversees UGC video production at dating app adopte. She has no intention of going back to employment any time soon.

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What a typical week looks like

Mornings are for monitoring trends, prospecting and writing scripts. Afternoons are for filming, editing and posting. Some weeks bring events that take her outside to shoot on location.

"The great thing is every week is different."

Quieter periods give way to weeks where five or six brands respond at once with three days to deliver everything. She handles it all from a dedicated workspace at home, where content creation has become her full-time job.

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Growing and nurturing an audience

In the pop culture niche, speed is everything. When news breaks, you have to be first, and that's what makes people subscribe, because they know they can count on you.

"When I create a video I already know in advance what people are going to comment or notice, and that's what you have to lean into."

Consistency is her other weapon. She posts three times a day across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, and hit 1 million views on Instagram in under three weeks on an account she'd never posted on before.

"Even if something flops, you have to keep posting. Sometimes you'll get 200 views on a concept you loved. Sometimes 1 million on a video you barely prepared. You have to have thick skin."

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The format that changed everything

In her niche, talking-head videos are the standard recommendation. But Farah's best-performing content tells a different story.

"Six-second short formats with simple white text on a black background - just a hook, or a hook plus a demo or photo - completely changed my stats."

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When the algorithm hit hard

Six months ago her numbers dropped without warning. Rather than giving up, she adapted by switching from long to short format, moving from general pop culture to breaking news, and going from posting once a day to three times.

"After three days the algorithm finally picked me back up and I was getting between 100k and 300k views per video."

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What platforms give and where they fall short

For Farah, social media's biggest value is the network it builds and the doors it opens. People she's met through her platforms can help her find collaborations today, and vice versa.

TikTok has become increasingly hard to manage, requiring far more patience than it used to. Over time she's found a genuine passion for YouTube Shorts and Instagram instead.

"My community is really present there and the stats are excellent."

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What makes a great brief

The content Farah loves most is always experience-based, whether a restaurant, an activity with friends, something she can live and then share with both the brand and her community. But she loves the simple things just as much.

"When it's an unboxing or crash test of beauty or skincare products, I can't wait to turn the camera on."

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The money conversation

Farah came into UGC already knowing the value of production thanks to her studies. But her selectivity has grown significantly since she started.

"In UGC, everything has a price. When I see brands offering €50 or €100 for a video where you have to write your own script, speak to camera, travel, buy the product yourself and feature another person, I recognise the workload that represents and choose not to take part."

A video means hours of shooting and editing, professional equipment, and giving up your image. That's not insignificant.

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The Ramdam impact

Farah's monthly earnings on the platform vary depending on the campaigns she chooses, ranging from €250 to €925 a month. Alongside Ramdam, she takes on other UGC collaborations where she can negotiate her own rates.

"Ramdam sets a fixed price, but it opened the door."

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What the audience really gives you

Farah is candid about something many creators don't talk about: the hate.

"You have to be prepared for it. Body shaming and misogyny online are very real. You have to be aware of the dangers of social media before putting yourself out there, it's not for everyone."

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On bombing, and what it means

Every video Farah posts matters to her because she makes them with heart and personality. But she's realistic:

"I'm aware it's not content that's going to change the world. That said, I do bring a lot of useful information on news that some people might have missed. Does that count?" 🤣

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Views, trends and staying true to yourself

On TikTok especially, Farah knows what she posts won't primarily be seen by her existing followers but instead it'll land on the feeds of new people entirely. So she stays true to herself while following trends.

"If someone follows me it's because they appreciate the niche, but I mostly follow the trends."

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