Influencer
How ‘Edutainment’ Creator Hafu Go Turned Hobbies Into Viral Content
From lip-syncing Taylor Swift to 200 viewers to teaching millions about Rubik’s Cubes and yo-yo champions, Hafu Go has become a prominent figure on social media.
The Chinese-born Canadian immigrant, once banned from asking questions in class, now answers millions of curious minds through his “edutainment” channel.
His success story is built on his “hybrid creator” approach, which allows him to master both long-form and short-form content.
In an exclusive interview with Net Influencer, Hafu explains how a curious immigrant kid became a YouTube sensation and reveals plans to expand beyond digital content into physical products.
Turning Academic Frustration into YouTube Success
Hafu’s journey began in his university years at the University of British Columbia, where he studied marketing. Frustrated with the theoretical nature of his courses, he turned to YouTube as a practical outlet.
“I started YouTube because I felt like the classes were not practical at all,” Hafu tells us. “Social media was not a class. How to grow on YouTube was not a class. These are things that I wanted to figure out for myself.”
His content across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok has changed significantly since his early days of lip-syncing Taylor Swift songs in grade five.
Hafu’s breakthrough came with a day-in-the-life video at UBC that quickly garnered 10,000 views. “That was the first feeling where I could put a lot of work into a video and have it be rewarded,” he recalls.
Now, Hafu collaborates with niche experts, creating content around LeHafus, Rubik’s Cubes, and yo-yos. His approach involves continuous experimentation and personal interest.
“The way I found my niche is through a lot of experimenting,” Hafu says. “It’s just the things that I find interesting and passionate about exploring.”
For him, content creation serves as more than just a career. It’s a means of self-expression, particularly meaningful given his initial language barriers upon arriving in Canada.
“YouTube became a great outlet for me to express my creativity,” he reflects.
Mastering the Hybrid Approach
Hafu has positioned himself as a “hybrid creator,” adept at crafting long-form and short-form content. His creative process is methodical, blending data-driven insights with creative intuition.
“We look at many different things and factors for deciding which videos to make,” he explains. “There’s the external factor, such as outperforming videos on the platforms, the trends, and viral videos.”
This process has led to increasingly complex productions.
“When I first started, I could go from idea to uploaded video within a couple of days,” Hafu recalls. “But now, because the videos have gotten so much more complex, that process takes anywhere from two weeks to a month, sometimes even longer.”
Despite his current success, Hafu faced significant challenges early in his career.
“The biggest challenge initially was just having faith,” he admits. “I would put so much effort into each video. And again, nobody was watching them, and I doubted myself.”
He now focuses on team building and strategic planning. “How can I hire the right people to be on my team? How can I surround myself with the right people to guide me?” he ponders.
Balancing Education and Entertainment
Hafu’s approach to content creation is firmly rooted in his belief that viewers should gain something valuable from their watching time.
“When I watch YouTube, I want to walk away feeling like I didn’t waste my time,” Hafu explains. “So that’s the experience I try to create for my viewers: entertaining, but you’re not wasting your life watching it.”
This philosophy has been a constant throughout Hafu’s content progression.
From his early days producing campus tours of Ivy League schools to his current focus on hobbies and gadgets, each video aims to blend entertainment with education. “You take away something from each video,” he states.
Hafu’s natural curiosity drives this mindset. “I am very curious as well. That’s [my] biggest personality trait,” he admits.
His inquisitiveness, which once led to his ban from asking questions in his seventh-grade class, now fuels his content.
Audience feedback plays a crucial role in shaping Hafu’s videos. For years, he’s diligently read comments and replied to every single one.
While the responses have grown too large for individual replies, the content creator still engages with comments made within the first day of posting.
In-person events provide Hafu with invaluable insights and a sense of real connection with his audience.
“When I meet people in person, and they tell me the videos they’ve watched and how it’s changed their life, or how it has inspired or entertained them, I feel a real connection,” he shares.
Collabs and Partnerships
When it comes to collaborations and brand partnerships, Hafu is guided by authenticity and relevance. He prioritizes working with creators with unique skills that align with his audience’s interests.
“I always try to partner up with an expert who has a skill in something because that’s what a lot of my audience likes to see,” Hafu tells us.
The influencer emphasizes the importance of a natural fit between the sponsor and the video content for brand partnerships.
He avoids collaborations based solely on subscriber count or financial incentives, believing that forced partnerships are obvious to viewers.
“If it doesn’t feel natural, the audience can tell,” Hafu notes.
Cultivating Individuality on the Homogenized Content Scene
Hafu expresses concern about what some call the “Beast-ification” of YouTube, referring to the trend of creators emulating successful formats popularized by figures like MrBeast.
“The change I want to make is a push to be able to express your personality and your individuality more,” Hafu states.
He acknowledges the temptation for creators to replicate successful formulas, noting, “People see those Beast-type videos doing well and want the same level of success. So they copy the topics, the format, and the way they even talk in those videos.”
However, the seasoned creator advocates for a more nuanced approach. He encourages creators to understand the underlying principles of successful content without sacrificing their unique voice.
“I want to see people learn why those videos do well, but then apply that with their own individual twist,” he explains.
Hafu’s content serves as an example of this philosophy in action.
“I am not doing challenge videos. I’m doing learning videos, but with the formats that perform well on YouTube,” he says.
By sharing his experience and success, Hafu aims to inspire other creators to forge their paths.
“I want people to believe, and I am showing people that it’s possible to still have individuality and the viral success you want,” he asserts.
Hafu’s message is clear: success in content creation doesn’t necessitate conformity.
Instead, it requires understanding platform dynamics and audience preferences and applying that knowledge in ways that remain true to one’s unique creative vision.
Expansion Plans
With his subscriber count approaching 10 million, Hafu aims to maintain his impressive momentum of gaining nearly a million subscribers monthly.
“I just want to keep up the growth and the momentum. That’s my main focus this year,” he states.
Looking beyond subscriber milestones, Hafu plans to diversify his offerings.
He envisions creating products that complement his video content, explaining, “I want to focus more on creating products that Hafu along with the videos… I want to find a way to provide them the same experience of watching, but physically.”
Hafu also emphasizes the importance of continuous learning in his success.
“The biggest thing that has helped me succeed in content creation is the process of constantly learning,” he reflects.
