What is the magic of rural internet celebrities?

In the process of modernization, everyone is running to the city. Today, with the more developed Internet, a group of people choose to return to their hometowns and take root there. With the help of short videos and live broadcast platforms, they depict the unique style of their hometowns and become rural Internet celebrities who lead their fellow villagers to overcome poverty. Let's take a look at it together.

"I have thought about going out to work countless times, but was dissuaded by little Zhima's call of 'Dad' countless times." In order to accompany his daughter as she grows up, Luosang ended his more than ten years of working career outside the home, started a short video business in his hometown, and joined the team of "Village Guardians" on Douyin.

1. Tibetan dad becomes internet celebrity

"Losang and Xiao Zhima" is the name of Losang's short video account, on which he records the simple life and natural scenery of western Sichuan.

Luosang, who used to work as a security guard and waiter, has now become an Internet celebrity with more than 2 million fans across the entire network.

Luosang was a left-behind child himself, and because he didn't want his daughter to become one too, he decided not to leave home and stay in his hometown of Kowloon. This is how the story of using short videos to change one's destiny came about.

▲Image source: Hourly News

Starting from scratch, learning photography, and posting daily life, I didn’t get much attention in the beginning.

Luosang was also very confused about his future, but his determination and hard work finally paid off in a video of him and his daughter Xiao Zhima going to the wetland park to cut grass. This video received over ten thousand likes.

▲Image source: TikTok

Some netizens praised Luosang’s choice, saying that companionship is priceless and every minute and every second spent with family is the most precious treasure.

▲Image source: TikTok

This gave him the determination to keep going. He changed the name of his account to "Lausanne and Xiao Zhima", and a steady stream of innovative ideas emerged in his mind.

In July 2021, Luosang, who was doing a live broadcast at a tea garden at an altitude of 2,400 meters in Haibo, increased the sales of his hometown's black tea to 300,000 that month. He figured out his own direction of selling goods and continued to export the local high-mountain specialties to more distant places.

Leaving the mountains and returning to the mountains, his videos and live broadcasts are full of the flavor of fireworks in western Sichuan.

A partner commented on Luosang: "He is dedicated and hardworking. One live broadcast lasted for 14 hours. Even though he has achieved some results, he is not impetuous. His attitude during live broadcast is genuine and unpretentious."

▲Image source: TikTok

Authenticity is the most valuable quality on the Internet. I have seen too many Internet celebrities who became famous overnight and then fell from grace. Some of them faked their personalities, some became extravagant because of their wealth, and some just wanted to make money without ensuring quality. Their inconsistent performance is really disheartening.

Showing netizens original records, creating high-quality content, providing genuine products, promoting the beauty of his hometown while helping his fellow villagers get rich. Luosang, who never forgets his original intention, always has a clear understanding of himself.

He can be regarded as the spokesperson of his hometown, and continues to convey beauty, love and warmth. The high-quality food in his live broadcast room will also be exported to more places and deserves to be seen by more people.

The identity of an internet celebrity is a burden on Luosang's shoulders, which makes him automatically assume the responsibility of promoting local agricultural products. I believe that Luosang will make more people fall in love with the natural scenery of western Sichuan.

Luosang and little Zhima, their ordinary daily three meals a day, the story continues to be updated, and the ordinary life can also continue to write a brilliant life.

2. Longing for rural life will make you addicted

In the era of short videos, people like to use cameras to record their lives, and netizens also like to watch other people's lifestyles on the Internet, especially daily life in rural areas, which seems to arouse more interest among netizens.

From the Huanong Brothers who became famous in the early days, to Zhang Tongxue who recorded the daily life of rural Northeast China, to Sister Taozi from Shuzhong who was called "Homesickness on the Stove" in a CCTV video, to the rural "craftsman" Shuanongniao Ge, more and more rural stories have entered people's vision and gained the continued attention of a large number of netizens.

▲Image source: CCTV News Network People Weekly

The city is full of tricks, I want to go back to the countryside. Maybe it's because I've lived in the city for too long, I want to escape from the high-rise buildings full of steel and concrete, and yearn for a simple rural life, but I have to face the cruel reality that I can't escape in order to support my family.

However, in the online world, people can re-understand the countryside through the perspective of bloggers and find the rural memories that are submerged in the daily hustle and bustle.

Pastoral life has been rooted in the hearts of Chinese people for thousands of years. Rural life videos provide a place for those who work hard in the city. This is an important reason why this track can take the lead.

There are many people who shoot rural themes. What are the special features of those who are successful and can continue to attract audiences?

Differentiated style characteristics create exclusive labels, just like the character settings in movies, which must have unique character images, which can be personality, appearance, language, actions, etc.

For example, the hardworking and humorous Huanong Brothers, the “Husband, let’s eat!” of Rain of Fantasy City and Huo’er, the slightly mysterious “old kid” in the Kangzai Nongren group, and the hair-flipping of handsome Nong Niaoge…

▲Image source: Handsome Farmer Bird bilibili

The vivid characters use the camera to record their daily lives, just like presenting a real-life TV series, making the audience feel like the little things are happening around them, satisfying the viewer's emotional projection.

People who have never experienced rural life will have a curiosity mentality. A life of working from sunrise to sunset is both novel and interesting to them.

They can find their own interests in it, whether it is the old objects placed in the corner, the way of getting along with neighbors, the crops in the fields, or the steaming food on the stove...

This type of video gives viewers a chance to briefly escape from the pressure of real life. The simple atmosphere of daily life and the real and down-to-earth rural landscape are the city dwellers' tickets to the beautiful and distant place in their hearts.

3. Return to hometown to start a business and become an internet celebrity

With the combined blessing of the dividends of the times and Internet technology, more than 10 million people have returned to their hometowns to start businesses, and many of them choose to shoot videos, open online stores, and engage in live direct sales.

The Internet has gradually blurred the distance between urban and rural areas. Rural people no longer have the only option of working outside the city. They can also create a new world with the help of a mobile phone.

The Lausanne family, who had fallen into depression due to the epidemic, relied on the traffic sharing of Xigua Video and Douyin e-commerce, and the family’s total income increased fivefold compared to before.

Luosang is just a microcosm of the millions of people. There are also Xiaoying and her husband who became famous for dancing in the fields of Wenzhou, Taozi, who started her short video creation journey with the encouragement of her brother-in-law, who gave up her job as a designer and returned to her hometown to help fruit farmers, and Cheng Yunfu, the honest and simple Shandong "Ramen Brother"...

▲Image source: TikTok

Holding up a mobile phone, the most ordinary, real and simple stories are presented to thousands of viewers through the language of the camera. It is this simplicity and rusticity that creates the romantic color of rural life.

Last year, the country launched a "Rural Internet Celebrity" cultivation plan, calling on more new farmers to return to the countryside and help promote rural revitalization.

Tao Yuanming's "Returning to Gardens and Fields", "The caged bird longs for the old forest, the fish in the pond misses its old home. Reclaiming the wasteland in the southern fields, returning to the gardens and fields to live a simple life", is a portrayal of the inner thoughts of many city dwellers today.

Rural internet celebrities can showcase the beautiful scenery, food, culture, customs and good life of the countryside from different perspectives, compose new rural stories in the new era and spread the charm of the countryside.

It is not easy to create a rural internet celebrity who is a spokesperson for the countryside in the new era. It is not as simple as copying and pasting a few Liziqi and Huanong Brothers. It is necessary to differentiate and unique the content, combine it with local traditional cultural characteristics, and restore the true appearance of the countryside to the greatest extent possible.

▲Image source: TikTok

Bloggers who produce eye-catching content for the sake of traffic will only get a brief moment of audience attention. Shoddy and low-quality content will quickly be filtered out by the Internet. Only the continuous production of high-quality content is the trump card for retaining audiences.

A year after becoming popular, rural blogger Zhang said that he has been creating short videos for two years, but still wants to break through himself and produce some better quality works.

▲Image source: Guangming Daily

If you want to go back to the countryside and become an internet celebrity now, you must have a story, ideas, creativity, and characteristics. It is definitely not something you do on impulse and make up jokes just because you see others become popular.

You don't have to be Li Ziqi or Zhang Tongxue. Other people's stories cannot be copied, and your own unique characteristics cannot be imitated by others. Calm down and create your own unique content. Long-term popularity is more dazzling than sudden fame.

Author: Li Dawei

Source: WeChat public account "Internet Brand Official (ID: szwanba)"