More young people becoming self-employed content creators with big money to be made online

  • A growing number of content creators in Jersey are seeing big financial rewards for their online work

More young people in Jersey are deciding to ditch the traditional 9-5 job to embark on a career in social media.

A worldwide rise in User Generated Content or UGC has seen more Channel Islanders secure work with global brands.

Companies are increasingly turning to 'everyday people' to help sell their products through paid videos and photos on their own social accounts.

Yaiza Curtis uses Instagram and Tiktok to share her tips on how to break into the industry, in the hope that more people like her will give the job a go.

She says: "My job is definitely an interesting one. The reason these types of ads do better than others you might see, by maybe celebrities, is because people are more likely to buy from a normal person such as me."

Yaiza uses her platform to teach other creators how to become a success with UGC. Credit: ITV Channel

Content creators can earn many thousands of pounds each month for their work.

Yaiza explains that her regular income depends on how much effort she puts in: "Per month, it could be anything from a minimum of two to three grand, or depending on how much work I do for that month, it could be six, seven, eight grand in total.

"As long as I have a post code, I can literally work from anywhere around the world."

But not everyone wants to have social media as a full-time career, others use it as a way to share their day jobs.

Becky Barnes-Barrington is well known in Jersey for working on her family farm but she now uses her online accounts to show people behind the scenes.

She explains: "In recent years, there's been a financial benefit, I've been able to get a few sponsorships here and there and sell a few products.

"Now I'm reaping a few financial gains, that's an absolute bonus but the main goal of the account is to share, I always say, 'Showing the love of farming, through a farmer's eyes.'"

Becky shows her followers behind the scenes on the farm. Credit: ITV Channel

Emma Wildbore-Hands left her job in 2023 to found her Gen Z marketing and management agency VIDA.

She now works with other creatives in the Channel Islands to help businesses improve their social strategies and tap into a new market.

Emma says: "I think that we will see more growth in terms of social media because it's needed over here.

Emma runs a Gen Z marketing agency in the Channel Islands. Credit: ITV Channel

"We need more creatives and more young people to get out there and be confident in their skillset.

"You can work remotely now, you can work flexibly with the rise of digital nomad visas and co-working spaces, like The Cultured Lounge in Jersey, means it works so much better for creators in the way that you can just start something on your phone."

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