“ASMR allows creators to be both artistic and helpful in aiding relaxation, but when the war in Ukraine began, I knew I had to use my platform for more than just comfort — I had to inform, unite, and inspire action against this tragedy.” — Valeriya ASMR
As a part of our series about leaders who are using their social media platform to make a significant social impact, we had the pleasure of interviewing Valeriya ASMR.
Valeriya ASMR is a blogger, YouTuber, and ASMRtist with over a million subscribers. Valeriya creates videos in the ASMR genre (ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, a phenomenon where certain sounds or visuals trigger a calming or tingling sensation in the body). However, three years ago, after the start of the war in Ukraine, her posts on Instagram began to include calls for peace and the end of the war.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I have always wanted to create something beautiful related to video and cinema. Fortunately, YouTube became a wonderful platform to realize this dream, not only for me but also for millions of other bloggers. ASMR, in particular, is a unique genre that sits at the intersection of reality and imagination, allowing creators to be both artistic and helpful in aiding relaxation.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?
No one anticipated that the ASMR genre would gain such popularity on YouTube. When I started my channel almost 10 years ago, ASMR seemed like a niche genre primarily for people with sleep problems. However, a few years later, it became clear that ASMR resonated with a much wider audience. So, the unexpected popularity is probably the most interesting story.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I first started making videos in English, I mispronounced many words since it’s my second language. Many viewers found it cute and kindly corrected me. I began to prepare my scripts more carefully and try to memorize the pronunciation of difficult words. Although I still have an accent, it surprisingly didn’t bother anyone. On the contrary, many found it interesting in the ASMR genre. So, this “flaw” even became an advantage.
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
For bloggers, the number of subscribers plays a significant role. If you have less than 100,000 subscribers, the main challenge is simply not to stop, to keep creating, believe in yourself, and experiment with new genres while improving your content. If you have between 100,000 and a million subscribers, a new challenge arises — hate. Unfortunately, other people’s success can irritate many, and you need to be prepared for negativity. After reaching a million subscribers, the main issue becomes continuing to stay interesting for your audience.
Ok super. Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?
It probably should be said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine deeply hurt me personally. I am half Ukrainian and half Russian, so this became a great tragedy for me. From the first days of the war, I began using my Instagram to tell people about this war and urge them to unite their efforts to stop the conflict and punish all those involved in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Since many of my followers are foreigners, I felt it was my duty to inform them about the crimes of Putin’s regime, such as the shelling of peaceful cities in Ukraine, the massacre in Bucha, and the persecution of political activists in Russia — those who are against the war.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?
Many people wrote to me that they started donating to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and supporting political prisoners in Russia after reading my posts. I also received thanks from many Ukrainians for my support. Of course, I also received threats and hate from Putin’s supporters, as well as promises to imprison me. But this is another story.
Was there a tipping point that made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?
It seems to me unthinkable that a full-scale war would break out in Europe since World War II. That in the 21st century we are still forced to resolve disputes using brute force and thousands of dead. I think this is something that should forever remain in the past. I thought that war was a relic of the past, something from history books. But now it’s happening right next to us, and it seems like there’s nothing we can do. But we MUST do something.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
First of all, we need political decisions and pressure from societies on their politicians. Putin must be stopped and punished. Therefore, I try to inform my foreign viewers about what is really happening so that the topic of the war in Ukraine does not cease to be important. Humanitarian aid and volunteers are also important.
Why do you think social media in particular has the power to create social change and create a positive impact on humanity?
The role of social platforms is now more important than ever. They are the ones who now shape public opinion and allow people to speak freely on this or that topic. Unfortunately, in Russia there is censorship, and free sites are blocked. Therefore, it is important to use every opportunity to convey information to people. Even if it’s just an Instagram page.
What specific strategies have you been using to promote and advance this cause? Can you recommend any good tips for people who want to follow your lead and use their social platform for a social good?
I created and published light entertainment content, and I understood why people subscribed. Therefore, it is important to continue doing what people came to your page for, but also dedicate some of your posts to causes that are important to you. This creates the right balance and allows viewers to remain interested.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
- You never know if you will become popular. When I first started, I thought that I would have 100 subscribers, no more. However, everything turned out much better than I expected. The main thing is to continue doing your best.
- Constantly improve your work, even if it seems to you that you are doing everything perfectly. Sometimes I rewatch my old videos and see many shortcomings that I gradually corrected, although at the time it seemed to me that I was doing everything perfectly. There is no limit to perfection.
- Don’t neglect the help of other people. Some of my most successful videos are collaborations with other bloggers. Also, many of them gave me valuable advice.
- You are not your job. You are so much more. Try to maintain a balance, otherwise it will all end in burnout.
- Don’t be afraid to try something new and get creative. Some of my most successful videos are the ones where I decided to experiment and it worked. Don’t be like everyone else, try to stand out.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I think it is impossible to single out one movement on planet Earth that is more important than all. Unfortunately, we have too many problems now. I would like people to pay more attention to something that concerns them, but not just think about it, but take meaningful action. Then we will make at least a little progress in solving our problems.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a power lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Barack Obama. I think this would be an interesting conversation.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Well, I have Instagram https://www.instagram.com/valeriyaasmr/ and my YouTube-channel https://www.youtube.com/@ValeriyaASMR
This was very meaningful. Thank you so much!
Social Media Stars Making a Social Impact: Why & How Valeriya ASMR Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.