Influencer
Howieazy On Achieving Success As A Content Creator
A college student skipping class to make a six-second video might seem like a recipe for academic disaster. For Howie Melia, known online as “Howieazy,” it became the foundation of a career.
“I skipped a class to do a Vine and it went viral,” he recalls. “The teacher told me, ‘You can’t be skipping class to make silly videos. You’re wasting your time.'” That “waste of time” would eventually grow into a multi-platform comedy empire reaching 13.5 million followers and partnerships with giants such as Sony and Paramount.
Before becoming Howieazy, the creator known for his pop culture comedy and movie tropes, Howie was a self-described gamer at A&T [North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University]. “I was mainly in my room after class, just playing Skyrim and MMOs,” he says. Between switching majors from computer science to IT to graphic design to journalism, Howie found his true calling when friends convinced him to download Vine.
What began as casual skits quickly gained traction. “I started making goofy skits. I was still really shy, but I thought it was fun,” says Howie. His natural sense of humor translated well to the platform, and it wasn’t long before he experienced his first taste of viral success when WorldStar featured one of his videos.
“WorldStar picked up a skit I made, and it was my first viral video. I thought I made it, but I didn’t realize how much more work was ahead,” Howie reflects.
By the time Vine shuttered, Howie had accumulated more than 50,000 followers. The platform’s closure could have marked the end of his content creation career, but instead, it became a pivotal moment that pushed him to expand to other platforms.
Moving Between Platforms
The demise of Vine presented a major challenge for many creators, but Howie handled it strategically. He salvaged his content and repurposed it for YouTube, where loyal followers from his Vine days followed him.
“After Vine shut down, I was really sad,” Howie admits. “I had built over 50,000 followers, which was big for that time. I was growing with friends, and we were all having a good time on that app.”
Despite the setback, Howie discovered that his six-second Vine videos performed surprisingly well on YouTube. “Some of the Vines I posted on YouTube did pretty well for just a portrait six-second video,” he explains. The transition wasn’t seamless, however. Adjusting to YouTube’s longer format required a mental shift. “It was hard to adjust because I was so used to six seconds. A minute felt so long for me.”
His breakthrough on YouTube came with a creative series called “Ultra Instinct Mom,” inspired by the popular anime “Dragon Ball Super.” As Howie shares, the series became so successful that it helped him earn his first YouTube Silver Play Button for reaching 100,000 subscribers.
When TikTok emerged during the pandemic, Howie was initially hesitant. “At first I thought, ‘I don’t think much will happen on this. It’s just a weird version of Vine,'” he says. However, after encouragement from friends, he began posting and quickly found success. “It reminded me of Vine, like I could bring back my old snappy, quick comedy,” Howie says.
The Business Behind the Comedy
While creating entertaining content comes naturally to Howie, handling the business aspects of being a content creator presented a steeper learning curve. His journey to full-time creator status wasn’t straightforward and involved various revenue streams across multiple platforms.
A critical turning point came through Snapchat’s Spotlight program, which offered major monetary incentives for creators. “Snapchat was offering a million dollars a day for creators. If you had a viral video, you’d get a share,” Howie explains. One of his videos performed exceptionally well, earning him “about a hundred thousand” from Snapchat. This windfall allowed him to pay off his college loans, support his family, and fully commit to content creation as a career.
“After the Snapchat payout and YouTube bonuses, I left my job and pursued content creation full-time,” Howie says. “It was scary because I was jobless, but this was something I always wanted to do.”
The transition from side hustle to career wasn’t without challenges, particularly in terms of financial management. “The biggest learning curve is definitely the finances, the taxes, setting up the business,” Howie admits. “The first year, I didn’t know how to handle it. I didn’t know about taxes and had to get an advisor. It was overwhelming.” He continues to work through these aspects, considering options like establishing an S Corporation and understanding business write-offs.
Howie’s long-term strategy has focused on building a large content library that continues to generate views and revenue. “The best move I made was building the content log. I have a lot of evergreen content, so most of my videos get views from older content,” he explains. “I’ve built thousands of videos over the last decade.”
Crafting Content Across Platforms
Unlike many creators who invest in expensive equipment, Howie creates and edits all his content using just his iPhone. “I’ve always filmed on my iPhone, never with a camera,” he reveals. “I edit and record through my phone. It’s just easy and simple.”
His content specialty has gravitated toward pop culture references and movie-related humor, creating a distinctive niche. “A lot of my skits lean into movie tropes,” Howie explains. “I’ve always been a big fan of Marvel and anime. ‘Dragon Ball’ really shaped my YouTube and helped it grow.”
His creative process varies between structured and spontaneous approaches. “It’s really a mix. Sometimes an idea hits and I write it down, other times I find inspiration while scrolling,” Howie says. He keeps a running list of ideas in his notes app, drawing inspiration from daily life experiences and trends. “A lot of my ideas come from random daily life moments. If something funny happens, I’ll write it down.”
Each platform requires a different strategy, and Howie has learned to adapt his content accordingly. “The platforms are always changing,” he notes. “TikTok used to favor 12-30-second videos, then it shifted. YouTube Shorts didn’t want videos over a minute, but now they can be three minutes.”
To stay on feeds, Howie carefully monitors trending content. “I always look at what’s trending, what’s relevant,” he says. “TikTok’s FYP [For You Page] shows what everyone’s up to.” This helps him gauge what might resonate while maintaining his unique style.
Brand Partnerships and Industry Recognition
Howie’s experience with brand partnerships began during his Vine days with EduBirdie, a company that assists students with writing college essays. “They approached me and my friends, and we were excited to get paid for a six-second promo,” he recalls.
As his following grew, so did the opportunities. Howie has collaborated with major entertainment companies, including Sony, Paramount, and Netflix. These partnerships have been particularly meaningful because they’ve offered experiences beyond financial compensation. “Some of my favorite brand deals were with Netflix and Paramount because they brought me experiences,” Howie says. “Netflix invited me to a premiere in LA, and Paramount got me into films I didn’t think I’d enjoy, but I did.”
When it comes to new brand partners, Howie is selective. “If a brand doesn’t make sense for me, I’ll end it quickly,” he says. “If they understand the creator economy and have ideas that fit my content, I’ll continue.” He reveals that his management team, Xtend Creators, plays a crucial role in filtering opportunities.
One of his most memorable experiences came through YouTube, which arranged for him to attend the red carpet premiere of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” with Sony. “I got to see Tom Holland and the cast just from being a pop culture creator,” Howie shares. While at the premiere, he created content on the spot. “When Tom Holland came to shake our hands, I pretended to take a picture to unlock Spider-Man’s phone. That video went viral because it was on trend and tied to the movie.”
As a verified Snapchat partner and former YouTube ambassador for North Carolina, Howie has received recognition from the platforms themselves. “It was cool being one of the first 300 verified creators on Snapchat and getting to meet the people there,” he says.
Challenges and Changes
Despite his success, Howie faces the same challenges that many long-term creators encounter, particularly burnout. “After doing this so long, burnout is always a thing,” he admits. To combat this, he’s diversified his content approach, exploring streaming as an alternative to his traditional skit format. “I’ve been playing video games and streaming, just chatting with people there.”
The demanding posting schedule that built his following has become increasingly difficult to maintain. “When Vine was out, I made one every day for a year. During quarantine, I made a TikTok every day,” he says. “That same consistency is hard to maintain.” This realization has led Howie to adjust his approach. “I’ve learned it’s okay to step away and not post every day.”
The comedy scene itself has changed significantly since Howie started creating content. “Back then, people made anything, and it could go viral, even low-quality videos,” he observes. “Now social media is saturated, and comedy content is more refined, with bigger budgets and better equipment.”
Collaboration remains an area where Howie sees room for growth. “I want to get better at collaboration, but the people I know are spread out,” he explains. “I’ve been thinking of moving somewhere closer to more creators.”
What’s Next for Howie?
As Howie looks to the future, he’s intrigued by the changes in the online environment of content creation. “It surprises me how much the internet changes every year,” he says. He’s particularly interested in the growing trend toward live streaming. “I see more people moving into streaming. I’m considering it because it’s important to diversify as a full-time creator.”
He’s also drawn to higher-production projects and collaborations. “I’m seeing more skit comedians doing higher production, even landing small movie roles,” Howie notes. “I’ve seen creators working on Netflix projects.”
This move toward more professional production represents a major leap from his phone-only approach. “I told my manager it would be cool to do something high-production because I’ve never done that. Everything’s been on my phone,” he says. His dream collaboration would merge his love of pop culture with content creation. “If I had a tiny cameo in a Marvel film, since I’m a Spider-Man fan, that would be amazing.”
For emerging creators looking to break into comedy content creation, Howie emphasizes the importance of consistency and perseverance. “You have to put yourself out there. There’s so much competition,” he advises. “Your first videos won’t be perfect, maybe not even good, because you’re just starting.”
Most importantly, he encourages creators to push past the initial discomfort. “You have to get past the cringe. You’ll make videos that make you cringe, but once you push through and keep making content that makes you happy, you’ll find your audience,” he concludes.
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