Kyle Bauske, commonly recognized as Garage Goblin, is a classic car enthusiast and a full-time talent manager based out of Florida, where the automotive scene thrives, fueled by its wealthy residents and perfect year-round weather.

Kyle attributes his love for cars to his upbringing, owning a classic Pontiac Grand Am as his first car and the surrounding environment of like-minded collectors and fanatics. 

Kyle says, “Many may assume that this is my full-time job, but I never worked in the automotive industry. In fact, my main job is in the tech/marketing industry, which is another reason I knew all this was achievable.” 

Turing A Niche Topic Into Relatable Skits With Cars Influencer Garage Goblin 

Why Did You Start Content Creation? 

“I think my story is similar to many creators who went into content creation to build another source of income during hard times.” 

“When COVID hit, I was in a bad financial place, and I remember self-learning from other creators, thinking if they can do it, so can I.”

Kyle explains, “After spending several months observing and learning from other creators in the same field, understanding different formats, audience preferences, and reactions, I began taking action.” 

“Within a month or even less, I successfully entered the monetization program and directed all my focus toward optimizing the process for efficiency.”

What Does Your Creative Process Look Like? 

Dedicating one day a week to creating compelling content, Kyle strives to make all processes as streamlined as possible and emphasizes that being calculated and informative are vital elements. 

He explains, “I post once every other day and follow a set schedule and list of car brands that help me come up with the overall picture faster.” 

However, despite the planning and time optimization, Kyle’s creative strategy is focused on adding value and humorously educating people; here are the steps he recommends taking:

Choose a Topic from a Broad List of Pre-generated Ideas 

From comments on videos of what people want to see to what videos perform well with other creators, this step saves time and minimizes indecisiveness for Kyle. 

He explains, “I take note of all car brands and what I want to talk about, then refer to that list weekly to build upon the initial idea.”

Research Your Next Video Topic

Kyle tells us, “My content resonates with many people because the plot is taken from real-life situations. Community pages are some of the best places for stories and information to include in the skits; Reddit and Quora are excellent sources for this information.” 

He elaborates with an example of the famous luxury brand Ferrari, stating, “I can make a viral video about luxury brands like Ferrari without ever living the experience of buying one. I have to put myself in the buyer’s perspective by looking up stories from more knowledgeable people.” 

Add Your Own Twist 

“Knowing your audience will allow you to tweak your messages to be mass-comprehended and well-delivered. Jokes, commonly agreed-upon concepts, and non-technical terminology are a few ways to make skits consumable by a broader audience.” 

How Far Do You See Yourself Taking Things? 

Kyle’s ideal version of content creation is to shift the focus from only vehicles to his everyday life and personal interest, covering more of what’s now behind the scenes. 

He says, “The idea is to turn my lifestyle and mundane daily tasks into content. It is the ultimate form of optimizing for efficiency and allows me to expand my interests and hobbies without taking from my time as a creator.”

In other words, Kyle’s long-term objective is to replace scripted content with more genuine content that does not require as much effort and allows more insights into who he is as a person. 

He adds, “Career-wise though, I’d also love to launch my own garage that restores salvage vehicles and resells them, get my hands a bit dirty. That’s my definition of fun, and it would be a dream to do it for a living.”

Youtube Vs. TikTok 

While the Garage Goblin TikTok account is strategically built around growth and monetization, Kyle’s YouTube is more about creative freedom and documenting the essential steps of his projects, like rebuilding his Project 1975 Camaro. 

Like other creators, Kyle perceives YouTube as a creative playground with more flexibility and means to communicate his passions rather than short-form platforms that force creators to compete for attention. 

Let’s Talk Brand Deals and Sponsorships 

“Most of my audience are middle-aged men who have money to spend; of course, I’m going to get endless inquiries to promote things, and I’m very selective with who I work with.”

Kyle explains that many sponsorship offers he receives are for trendy TikTok products and merch that will quickly become irrelevant. 

Kyle says,” The only brands I promote are those that blend in with the personality of the characters I play or be something cool that I’d personally purchase.” 

He adds, “Brands sometimes ask you to promote things their way, and I don’t take those deals.. I refuse to create a video only about a product, but I have no problem making a skit wearing a branded hat, shirt, or watch that fits the theme.”

“I’m very selective with the brand; if the product doesn’t mesh completely organically, I don’t want to work with the company, and I’m strict with that rule.” 

Have Car Companies Reached Out To Collaborate Yet? 

“No, and I think it’s more difficult to integrate car products into my videos since they’re almost never in an actual car. Though promoting a dealer would work, I’m yet to receive such a request.” 

What Tips Do You Have On Communicating A Niche Topic?

Stick With The Common and Relatable

“I think the process that many creators fail at is basing their content on other people’s experiences. A lot of creators will just assume people share the same stance on things.”

“Creators should look at common stereotypes, facts, and stories and base their skits upon stats of views, interaction, and what people want to hear about.“

“It is crucial to do so, and I think it allows creators to broaden their reach beyond people with similar interests and deliver better overall results.”

Discover All Viewpoints To Leverage Controversy.

Kyle believes that by looking for what the majority agrees with, you will also encounter less popular opinions that often contradict what the masses want to hear. Use these unpopular opinions to spike conversation and boost engagement. 

Giving an example to support his claims, Kyle says, “I know a creator within the same niche that built his entire influencer career off of ‘hot takes’ and giving the opposite opinion on what’s commonly agreed upon.” 

What Is The Best Car Brand In Your Opinion?

“The perfect car brand does not exist or is simply the car that makes you happy, and it’s human nature to change your favorite car brand, model, or build with time.” 

“Today, a Corvette made me happy, but I might want a Pontiac Grand Am again next month.  

Wrapping up his answer, Kyle emphasizes his love for classic cars, saying, “My project car is a classic; my first car was a classic, and I’d choose Classic over luxury and sports cars anytime. 

Conclusion 

When breaking down a complex matter or communicating a niche passion, the key is to avoid getting caught up in the nitty gritty matters and focus on aspects anyone can understand while adding informative value. 

Kyle believes this is his advantage compared to other creators in the space who only focus on appealing to an audience of similar interests.