Chino Liu, popularly known as Tita Krissy, shared his pandemic experience. Like most people, Chino is still adjusting to the ‘new normal’ because of the COVID-19, the trials he experienced after selling their house especially during the outbreak of the coronavirus, moving into a new apartment, and buying new things for his new home.
On the other hand, there were good things that came his way because it helped his social media presence be felt particularly in the digital world.
As humble as Chino could be, he said that the fame he’s experiencing is a given already since people do not have anything to do in their homes. However, it was hard for him to create content since he was used to going outside or shooting on a location.
“I guess that’s an obvious statement naman because everyone is staying at their homes, everyone is in the digital platform, nakatutok sa cellphone di ba? Dun na lang ang pinagkukunan ng news and entertainment, so siguro that’s the advantage,” he said.
Chino and Team Payaman: How it all started
As early as 2018, Chino, Cong, and Viy already knew each other since they were under “Adobers” way back 2017. It all started when Team Payaman moved to Better Living in ParaƱaque and he helped them with content which in turn became exposure for him.
Since then, Team Payaman insisted that they be used as content material for Krissy’s vlog. However, Krissy could not go to Payamansion as often as she wanted because of the pandemic, considering the number of people that Team Payaman has in their home.
What To Expect on Chino after 3-5 Years?
When asked what to expect from him in the next 3-5 years, he said that he would love to go back to mainstream media and just do minimal vlogging. The reason is that he wants to be remembered by everyone.
“In the next 3-5 years, makikita ko pa rin ang sarili ko sa YouTube pero may side-trip naman ng TV. So parang 50-50. I do TV, I do ano [vlogging]. Kasi I still believe in the power of mainstream media,” he said.
Furthermore, he believes that being on television is one way to easily remember someone.
“Naniniwala ako na kapag napapanuod ako nang tao, may recall,” he added.
Tips for Aspiring YouTubers
Because of his experience both in mainstream media and the digital platform, we asked him for some advice for those who would like to become influencers.
Chino’s first advise is, “You have to have your own branding. Kasi sa laki ng YouTube community, if you are an aspiring vlogger, how would you fit in and how would you keep up with the content creators around you?”
According to him, it is best to have your own branding. For aspiring influencers, it must be important to remember that people will remember you for who you are in the social media platform. Your branding will help you stand out and fit in among other YouTubers. Moreover, you have to think of something unique to deliver your content.
For Chino, his branding is his impersonation of Kris Aquino. However, he separates his portrayal of the Queen of All Media by doing things that Kris would not normally do.
Second is that your content must be consistent and of quality. If you are a newbie in vlogging, it is best to do it once a month, until you are comfortable with doing vlogs once or twice a week.
Additionally, consistency is the key to becoming a successful YouTuber. Uploading on a regular basis and not just uploading content, but quality content is the reason why he reached 1 million subscribers.
“Hindi ako makakaabot ng 1 million if I didn’t upload,” he said.
And third, do not do it for the money. You really have to be passionate about doing vlogs. For Chino, earning from vlogging is just the fruit of his passion.
“Kasi kapag wala kang dedication, kapag napipilitan ka lang, ending wala syang progress. And later on, mawawala sa’yo.”
The Art of Giving Back
Aside from little things that he does for his fans, Chino interacts with his supporters by replying to them, by being responsive. Sometimes, he gives time to conduct conference calls with his fans. During the start of the pandemic, he has found a way to support local businesses not just by buying the products but also promoting them for free. He actually learned how to give back to those who support him from the actual Kris Aquino. According to him, Kris would allot 4 hours of her time whenever she’s traveling just to have enough time to accommodate her fans.