MATANZAS, Cuba. – Although Ira Rigñack Ibalmea has been using social media since 2015, it was not until her role as Ester in the second season of the Cuban independent series 10lxs (Ten beats per second) that he began to see them as more than a hobby.
The content creator and influencer At 27 years old, she did not choose any university degree, because in her year, when she still lived in the province of Matanzas, she did not obtain a degree in Psychology or German Language, and she was determined to reject any other degree that she was not passionate about.
Ira studied for a year at the School of Hotel Management and Tourism (FORMATUR) to later work as a hotel receptionist in Varadero, and remained in that position until she auditioned for a role in the production of Playxon, directed by Edy Suárez.
For two years he has been living in Havanawhere he recorded 10lxs and began to become popular among viewers, especially among young audiences. Your Instagram account was growing, and so were the opportunities to establish herself in the digital world. With more than 140,000 followers on the social network, she has built up a loyal community that responds positively to her content.
―How much does the number of followers influence being considered influencer?
―The issue of the number of followers being influencer It’s very relative, because a person with 20,000 or 30,000 followers can sometimes have more influence and reach, depending on the niche, than someone with 100,000 followers. It all depends on how strong and loyal your community is to you, how capable you are of creating a community.
Anyway, consider me influencer It’s complicated. It has always been used as a joke among the public: “Oh, she thinks she’s a fool.” “influencer”I have rejected that word a bit. I just say that I am a content creator. Sometimes I don’t even see it that way, because I grew up on Instagram because of a series I acted in and that was very popular, it caught people’s attention, and people follow me to see my life, what I do, the line of content I carry.
We’re not going to lie, I can influence you to a certain extent, because there’s a reason businesses and others contact you for promotions, because in the end you give them visibility and your followers believe in you to opt for those services. It’s a bit of everything.
―So, what factors does a person depend on to be called influencer?
―It all depends on how capable you are of creating a community that trusts you, not that follows you because you make two jokes. If you make videos that go viral, great, everyone follows you because of that, but how capable are you of creating loyalty in those followers so that they follow you in the sense that they do what you recommend, that they ask you for opinions and so on?
―What responsibility does it bring when people see you as influencer?
―We do have responsibility, at least I am very careful about anything I say on social media regarding a business, a complaint or an opinion I might give on any topic, because there are many people who see you as a reference. Depending on what you say, good or bad, a positive or negative opinion of a place, a person, a situation can be created; they can influence others to believe in a certain way.
―What are the main obstacles to content creation in Cuba?
― The Internet. As we know, the country’s connection is not the best. For a youtuber It’s a nightmare to upload your video; you have to do it the day before, often in the early morning when the connection is better. For example, I go to Matanzas, my parents live in Camarioca MouthI’m from there, and when I’m there I upload a story or reel It’s a nightmare. In Varadero The connection is fast, but you go to a town and it is terrible.
Another obstacle is monetization, both on YouTube and Instagram. In order to monetize, I have to have the data of another person who lives abroad. There are also bonuses, which were suspended for a while and are now starting on Instagram. You have to enter tax information for a friend or family member, and get paid with a bank account in another country; our banks do not exist in the world.
―The celebration of Santa Maria Music Festin August 2023, caused a stir among Cubans. Many influencers They promoted the festival. What do you think about the situation that arose?
―I didn’t attend the first part of the festival; I was invited, but I had a vacation planned with my family. I went to the second part. The people were attacked a lot. influencers. People who criticize are the first ones who, when they are invited to an all-expenses-paid event, [sic]they go on vacation.
Regarding the event I can say that there was very poor organization, many people slept in lobbies; others were left without a hotel.
There is also the political part that was formed. You could say that I am unaware of most of it, because I was in Cayo Largo enjoying myself with my family and I was quite oblivious to everything. I saw one or two live, but I disconnected, because it was my vacation from everything. At the second event we had a good time, I received a little hate [odio]. They criticized me in some comments, but we don’t have to take the blame; they attacked us a lot without any need.
The influencers They didn’t know what was going to happen, they went for the first time, they were invited to do promotion and they went there. It was a bit hypocritical that they attacked people who, like the clients themselves, were expecting something. They made them hate for publishing and what they don’t understand is that they are doing the job for which they were brought. So, one’s hands are tied.
―How do you determine what content to publish?
―You know, depending on your community, followers, your niche, what will be feasible and what will not. If I do it alone, reels in trends or makeup and suddenly I upload one about the gym, it won’t have any reach; I have to upload many until I reach a certain point, because it’s not the content for which they follow me; they do it, for example, because of the jokes I post about the people I choose being younger than me.
These videos go viral for me because my followers identify with them. It’s working along the same lines, if you’re going to make a change you have to relate it to what you do, or know that it won’t work and you’ll have to do several. It happened to me with makeup.
―With the proliferation of social media, the reach generated by accounts and the work that arises from digitalization, do you think that searching for followers and creating content has become a trend?
―Yes, it has become a trend; it was already a trend all over the world, but the Internet came to us later. Right now I don’t have a job in a state or private place, I support myself entirely through my social networks. Obviously it’s nice not to be tied down to anything. That way you plan your life as you want, without schedules or restrictions. Everyone likes that little bit of fame it gives you, the visibility, the social status, so yes, everyone wants to create content, so to speak.
―Is this a positive or negative trend?
―I don’t really see it as positive or negative; if you are passionate about it and you want to do it because you like it, go for it on social media, and even if there are a million people doing the same thing, you will find a way to be authentic and make a difference. I think that is the most important thing.
However, you have to be careful, because not everyone who creates content or influences is doing the right thing or showing educational, valuable elements; it’s not even that they have to be that way, but rather that they don’t spread vulgarity or bad habits. There is a fine line between positive and negative.
―What benefits does working in a university offer, over and above other jobs? in social networks?
―Economic benefits perhaps, because you can have many jobs at the same time, many promotions, businesses that you collaborate with; it’s income. Before working only on networks I had a steady job and this was like a plus. When I arrived in Havana I started from scratch and worked as a clerk in a restaurant.
I got to the point where I didn’t need that and could rely solely on social media, which is great. The biggest benefit isn’t even financial; the best thing is time, you plan and use it as you want, but you have to be super focused. Sometimes with social media you sit back a bit and the money stops coming in; it’s a matter of being focused.
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