What could have been a catch-up between college classmates soon became a formal critique of a misleading pitch, poor writing skills, and the need to write this post. Here’s the thing, I consider myself a friendly person to strangers and people I haven’t spoken to in a long time.


I am equally as frank when someone mistakes my kindness for ignorance. And I don’t mean weakness, I mean I become bitter when someone believes my cantor is a sign of being oblivious. A college classmate saw the Hyde to my Jekyll this past week after he tried to scam me after I was under the impression that we were catching up.


“Intro to financial planning for Will” was the subject line to the email that set me off on this guy. I obsess over words. Between writing as a passion and having a professional background in marketing, intention, and diction are my tenets.
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When I read this subject line I was offended for two reasons. The first reason I was bothered was the assumption that I had no literacy in finances. The second reason, and the deeper reason I was offended, is because of how the LinkedIn message that led to this email invite was written under the premise of a collegiate catch-up.

Pitching and all derivations of it owe their roots to the discipline of public relations, a field born and shaped by writers. The idea of pitching that many salespeople use is simply called, “making a sale.” What these finance bros and salespeople forget is that the key to an effective pitch is precise and persuasive writing.


Back to the email aforementioned, this failed frat bro thought he could get one past the Oscar-nominated publicist. The role of a salesperson is not far off from a publicist. Both professions require creating a transactional action, in the former getting media and the latter a financial purchase.
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While I understood this guy’s hustle I didn’t respect the lack of respect he gave to the art of writing and communication. Publicists were some of the earliest gatekeepers of both information and the practice of pitching. In my publicist life, I may have invited someone to catch up but if I was pitching them I’d prime them. My issue with salespeople is that they seem to not honor the writer’s tradition of respecting the audience.

While this may sound shady, because it is a little bit, I believe that if you want to be an effective salesperson you need a strong set of writing skills. Writers know this, but not enough still get that writing is a universal skill. In an industry like sales where you are communicating, you should have the training to do this effectively. And one skill that helps you communicate effectively is understanding your audience.


In any writing convention I take on, pitching to blogging, I need to write with an audience in mind. This guy from my college failed at identifying his audience because he did not even know who I was. He gave me the vague, “Hey Will! I see you have been up to a lot” When I used to pitch, I made sure that I knew this person’s name, job title, and where they were. While I give credit to this college classmate for knowing my name, he not once brought up my company, industry, or title when he was asking me to catch up.

I want to end this post with some vital clarification. I did not make this post in any way to belittle anyone’s profession, but rather to offer constructive criticism. Even in my rebuttal to this old peer, I held my piece from using the full spectrum of obscenities that were coloring my mouth. I plainly wrote back, “Hey X, I see that the subject line doesn’t reflect the catch-up you proposed. I’m comfortable with my financial plan and have experts in my industry who advise me on this. Also, I worked in PR so remember that I read closely.”


There are many other points that I’ve learned in my writing career that I wanted to point out, but this is not a writing course. This is a post that was meant to start a conversation with other writers who may be plagued by old peers whose worst offense is their lack of writing sophistication.
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Saying no thanks is often the hardest thing to do, but maybe after reading this post you’ll have a better sense of how to close a conversation by keeping it concise. Remember that courtesy is key in communication, and it truly is courteous to offer someone constructive criticism sometimes.

Any social media professional or influencer will tell you that in 2021 authenticity is in and artifice is out. With the rise of TikTok, Gen Z’s proliferation on social media, and our current global situation, audiences want posts with some grit. As I’ve started to employ this new social media strategy, I’ve noticed in my analytics that less than perfect is the perfect type of posts to relate to people. 
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This post is my guide on the best free and paid apps for social media beginners who want to work as social media influencers or as content creators. 

A quick note, nothing is as perfect as you see on social media and the same is true for those posts that seem like someone isn’t trying that hard. Now sit back, stop scrolling for a minute, and happy readings. 

The power of mobile phone cameras and onboard software is honestly all you need to help become a professional content creator. While I do have a proper camera, my iPhone 12 Pro Max camera has been the key to helping me reach new heights on social media.
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I shoot all of my footage on my phone and I use the onboard apps for a majority of my editing. The in-house photo app on the iPhone (and I’m sure Android too) has some amazing features. For my desired aesthetic, I edit in this manner: lower the contrast; increase the exposure; increase warmth; increase sharpen. Depending on the photo, I play with these settings until the photo looks like a post that matches the aesthetic I’ve planned. 

Using your own phone's camera and editing is a great tool for growing as a social media professor. I highly recommend you invest your time into mastering the tool in your hand before investing in expensive gear that you need fundamentals for. 

My most liked, shared, and engaged posts are those without heavy filters that don’t make my posts look too perfect and this is thanks to the Tezza app. Founded by another original content creator and respected influencer Tezza Barton, the Tezza app is an editing app with dozens of presets, filters, and frame tools. The Tezza app has quickly become a favorite tool of mine and anecdotally is a fan favorite among many Instagram influencers. 

With a quick glance at my Instagram profile (Willsshowem), you may see a cohesive color palette and editing style and that’s thanks to the Tezza app. As I became comfortable with editing on my photos app, I wanted to find an app with some more options. Through researching blogs and influencers' posts, I started to see the name Tezza repeated. 
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 The Tezza App is built for creators by creators and makes it a perfect app for those aspiring social media influencers. (In case you’re curious, my preferred preset is Softee.) The app has some free features, but I recommend investing in the paid version for more access to filters, frames, and even video filters perfect for Instagram and TikTok. 

​One of my most in-demand TikTok videos has been how to land internships and entry level jobs in entertainment. Between my posts about open applications and my own journey, the one topic that I had to write about was crafting a Hollywood ready resume. From my first internship at a nonprofit to now at CBS News, my resume has evolved in tandem with my career. And I don’t mean that I simply update my resume when I get a new job.
 
As I influence more followers, I stress how a strong resume can be your golden ticket in the biz. To make it short and sweet, I believe a good resume should follow these 3 C’s I’ve created. My advice is that your professional documents be clear, concise, and complete. I developed these criteria for my resume through my own growth as a writer. Whether you don’t have a resume at all or an outdated one, this is your guide on how to write this essential document to break into the entertainment industry. Much of this advice is from my first resume post on this blog that you can find here.

I believe that like your own identity, resumes and cover letters constantly evolve in appearance, tone, and interest. A good resume includes your education, experience, and expertise. A great resume is like a tailored suit – meant for the specific occasion and interview. Unlike a custom garment you don’t have to break the bank to craft an application worthy of a red carpet. I built my first resume on Google Docs. You have to work with what you had, and I used this free productivity software to keep a living record of my professional development. 

When I was able to invest in myself, I built my master resume on Microsoft Word. And then when I had the time to learn how to use it, I turned to Canva to design something with a pop. Note that you always want to have a master resume. Whether 1 page or 10, keep a living record of any internship, job, activity you do that has helped you grow. You never know when a part-time job or online certification could be that X factor that helps you stand out. When it comes to creating on Canva, this is a perfect example of designing a resume that is a copy and paste from my master document. 

As flashy as the entertainment industry is, a cover letter and resume for this biz needs to hold back on the decorum. If there’s one thing I cannot stand it’s a loud professional document. A surplus of color, graphics, and pictures doesn’t translate to artistic. Too many design elements and not enough attention on the writing itself is a major mistake for young professionals. I recommend that should you pick a color, make it a small piece of your documents.
 
As for fonts and sizing – make it uniform and sensible. I write in Garamond, and some people love Helvetica. Of course, pick a font that’s legible and conveys professionalism. Remember that your personality will shine through in your interviews, don’t be overbearing in this first impression.

The heart of your resume is how you write about your experience. Here is my first piece of advice for writing your resume, do not lead with your education. If you have enough experience to, feel free to move your education lower. While I was in college, I did keep this section before the section of my past jobs and internships. After school, I did restructure my resume to lead with my experience first. I shifted my resume to present me as a young professional instead of a recent grad. Of course write in chronological order (most recent to oldest). What I want to stress here is that the order of your resume needs purpose. If you want to impress a recruiter you want to write what you did, how you did it, and the impact of your action.
 
Throw away the general role descriptions. I want you to be as specific and clear about your impact. For example, this is a weak bullet point, “Managed calendars, travel expenses, and supported CEO.” What makes this description weak is that I don’t get an impression of your impact or frequency. The story of you as a working professional is the mark you made. A better description would be something like, “Daily support to CEO in administrative duties, resulting in 3-4 less weekly meetings and weekly independent projects.” (For a list of words that I recommend you plug into your resume click here."

Resume writing is an art that takes practice and discipline. I am by no means an expert, but it’s thanks to trial and error that I developed a criteria that got me my first entertainment internship at the Oscars. Take this advice as a suggestion and not as a set of rules.

As a former Hollywood publicist, I have witnessed and experienced the truth that everyone will have their 15 minutes of fame — except in today’s world it’s 15 seconds and on TikTok. In case you’re unfamiliar, TikTok is a social media platform that’s become notorious for giving everyone an equal chance of going viral. After going viral on TikTok, I wanted to write this post as a guide for how I built a social media strategy to go viral on TikTok. 
 
As a professional in the media space, I’ve spoken with experts who all agree that TikTok is built to give everyone a sense of fame. Fame is just like a drug, it’s addicting, and some people cannot handle the high. After going viral on TikTok not once, not twice, but thrice — I have some thoughts on how to capitalize on this moment and make a winning strategy to maintain active followers.

In case you don’t know me, or you need a refresher, my name is Will Samayoa and I’m an L.A. based social media enthusiast. My claim to fame is that at 23 I’ve been to the Oscars twice — and this is the same out of the pocket story that popped on my TikTok. Since about last March, at the top of quarantine, I made a commitment to level up my social media presence. I’ve always looked at social media as a tool for learning. This mindset is what helped me break through the viral dances and climb to 10 thousand followers in under one week.
 
Like all social media platforms that came before it, TikTok began as space for people to celebrate their quirks. But after the mega rise of Gen Z users becoming overnight social media influencers, and then President Trump trying to ban the app, TikTok became more than just an app. TikTok has become a major tool in influencing pop culture and contemporary discourse. Again, anyone for anything can go viral on TikTok. But it’s about having a strategy that translates to longevity.

My strategy for TikTok for the beginning was to simply learn how to use it. TikTok is far from intuitive and great for content creation. What draws people to it is the access to millions of users around the world. Like my other platforms, my strategy on TikTok was to showcase the “Extra” in every bit of the ordinary. In simpler terms, I wanted to share my one-of-a-kind entertainment career journey to inspire and educate others. The secret to my seemingly overnight viral success was a short video sharing an overview of my LinkedIn profile. This could be seen as a bit of boasting to some oversharing, but it was that level of discomfort that I needed to go viral. Everyone says we grow when we’re uncomfortable.
 
A good social media strategy includes identifying a niche and understanding whether you are providing information or entertainment. As mentioned, I use my social media to learn about trends in both business and lifestyle. The influencers I follow are those sharing products, services, or advice for personal development. My strategy for growing on social media includes replicating this theme of sharing advice. I try to post 2–3 times a day either making videos in response to specific questions or sharing advice on how to find a way into the biz. 

Since this 1 post introducing my career in entertainment that started at the Oscars I’ve gone to hit several social media milestones. The success that I’m talking about includes acquiring 13 thousand followers, joining the TikTok creator program, and a steady increase in my other followings.
 
I don’t see TikTok as my end game, instead, it’s a key towards working towards my overarching goal of becoming a full-time content creator. As my following grows I try to introduce more of my personality and interests outside of working in media. There’s no guaranteed way to know that your followers will respond — it’s about trial and error. For anyone trying to crack the code of TikTok, ditch the YouTube tutorials or those clickbait videos on, “How to get TikTok famous.” Instead of trying to study how to go viral, do the work to make media that will go viral. 

Every year, Apple promises an iPhone that’s bigger (or in some cases smaller with the brand-new iPhone mini), better, and the “best iPhone ever made.” Honestly, it’s hard for even us full-time marketers to deny the appeal of Apple’s captivating ad campaigns. In case you don’t know me, hello I work full-time in entertainment public relations and part-time I am a lifestyle blogger and vlogger.

​I started my YouTube journey in 2020. And I started on YouTube with an iPhone camera. I wanted to do the ultimate iPhone 12 Pro Max camera test and review by putting this brand-new device to the test for my profession and passion of working in social media marketing.

​There are dozens, if not hundreds, of YouTube videos and tech reviews dropping jargon as they write about the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s new camera. As someone whose job is creating media, I do understand the importance of understanding technology. However, I and many others use the iPhone camera for social media purposes.
 
Whether we are creating content or editing, the bigger than life display and specked out camera makes the pro models of iPhone a great investment. In my mission to review the iPhone 12 Pro Max and its camera I wanted to test this new device in the same manner I’d use it most.
 
I conducted the ultimate iPhone 12 Pro Max camera test by filming an entire vlog for my YouTube channel. ​I brought along the most recommended camera for starting a YouTube in 2020, the Canon M50 as a backup. I admit – the results of a full day of filming on the brand-new iPhone were interesting.

The photos taken on the iPhone 12 Pro Max camera looked brighter, sharper, and offered more information perfect for editing. A big part of my work in social media is content capturing. Most social media professionals will share this sentiment, we never post in real time. The new iPhone’s improved lenses, software, and sensors gave me richer photos. Again, the details like the color and lighting were on par with that of my Canon camera.
 
One feature of the iPhone 12 generation that coincides with this new camera is the 5G capabilities. I live in an area where 5G is available for the most part. While at home I rely on my WiFi when I’m out I find myself often sharing videos and photos with clients or my own cloud storage. The influencer in me will take 50 photos, only to find 1 that I want to present for a brand partnership.

​Having this new iPhone’s 5G speeds means being able to send this in on location and get my media approved in a timely fashion. While 5G is yet to be widely available, I think that the potential this iPhone presents makes it a sound investment.

My initial impression is that I honestly loved my upgrade to the iPhone 12 Pro Max. This brand-new iPhone lived up to Apple’s promise of delivering better, bolder, and the best experience yet. As a full-time marketer I understand these tech giants and their tactics like planned obsoleteness and proposed value. But the thing about these advertising tactics that makes Apple stand apart – is that they deliver.

​Thus, like many who rushed to buy this new iPhone I too made it a point to jump on the bandwagon. The difference is that I don’t see the iPhone 12 Pro Max as just another fancy smartphone – I see it as an investment in my career and my passion.