Influencer
Maya Hussein: The Arab Canadian Influencer On Project Umrelief And Giving Back In Kenya
Who is Maya Hussein?
Known for her satirical and comedic videos, Maya Hussein is a Canadian/Lebanese content creator who makes relatable, family-friendly, and diverse content.
Anyone scrolling through Maya’s page will feel like they’ve known her their whole life due to how much her content is personalized.
Growing up, Maya’s household wasn’t limited to only parents and siblings; instead, she shared her house with an extensive chain of relatives who recently immigrated to Canada.
Maya’s household growing up, was also home to her with her many aunts, uncles, and two grandmas. Through living with such diverse personalities, Maya Hussein developed a sense of humor that is relevant to any age, preference, or taste.
Friends, family, and co-workers describe her as spontaneous, comical, outgoing, and the go-to person for a quick laugh, even in the worst times and situations.
Read along as we sit down with Maya Hussein and look into what got her into content creation and comedy, how she’s giving back to communities worldwide, and how you can do the same.
Why Content Creation and How Did It Start?
“Boredom meets a blessing in disguise,” Maya answers shortly.
She elaborates, “At the beginning of Covid-19 19, I discovered TikTok and noticed the lack of Arabic content, which inspired me to give it a shot with my own unique take on things.”
After gaining a few thousand followers on TikTok with some humorous videos, Maya gave Instagram content creation an attempt too, and unsurprisingly, it was a success as well.
She explains, “It’s like everyone was waiting for my content to drop all the time; I didn’t really have difficulties convincing people that I’m funny or have to grow on them; it just clicked from the start.”
Maya Hussein attributes her sense of humor and inspiration for social media videos to her Arab heritage. Her goal is to celebrate the beauty of the Arab culture by bringing Arabs from around the world together in a manner that’s comprehended even by those who don’t speak the language.
What does the creative process look like for you?
Maya Hussein says that some of the main elements that differentiate her from other creators are her real-time execution and pattern recognition of people’s behavior around her.
She explains, “I pay a lot of attention to people’s behavior and body language around me; by observing how people interact with each other and what they find funny, I’m able to pull off viral content like this; many of my viral videos happen in real-time right in front of me before I execute them. It’s another way I try to stand out.”
Although sometimes Maya sits down to brainstorm and jot down new ideas and skits most of the best performing and viral videos are inspired by the loved ones around her.
Some examples of best-performing content include her “Non-Arab Neighbor Videos,” “My Grandma gives me Money,” and her “Arab VS Non-Ararb skits that she collaborates on with LahibMK.
All About Project UMrelief in Kenya
Maya’s trip to Kenya to give back to the African community was spontaneous, as per many of her best moments as a creator.
When asking her what the whole UMreleif content is about, she answers, “I never thought I would go to Kenya! They asked me if I would be interested in raising money for the people of Wajir, Kenya. The people of Wajir Kenya were more excited to see us and spend time with us than what we helped them with.”
She adds, “I had to do my complete research on the organization, though; I always ask the important questions before going on a trip with nonprofits to make sure I know where the donated money Is going.
“I find that many influencers don’t ask when it comes to nonprofit collaborations, even though the first thing that comes to anyone’s mind is questioning the legitimacy.” I ended up going twice in one month to Kenya, which was a long trip for a short stay but definitely worth it!”
She summarizes the highlights of her first trip by helping 205 patients get Carterat surgery and says that these people of Wajir, Kenya, would’ve been blind if they didn’t make it on time.
She explains more about her second visit to Kenya and says, “The second trip was during Ramadan, and we handed out food and more.
God blessed me with this trip because not only did I meet so many beautiful Kenyan people, but I have become the best of friends on this trip with Faduma Mohamed, who is another influencer!
I plan to do more fundraisers for so many different countries inshallah because it’s extremely rewarding, Hamdillah!”
What do you look for in brand deals?
Personal/religious values and the relevance of companies, her overall niche, and her audience are keys in Maya’s overall decision to collaborate with different brands.
She tells us, “When it comes to brand deals, I look for appropriate ones. For example, I have had a company ask me to advertise cookies with alcohol in them; in my religion, alcohol is forbidden, so I would have to turn it down.”
“I want any collaboration to be a win-win situation for me and the brand to live up to the value brands expect to get from collaborating with me. I know my fanbase, and if it’s something they won’t find appealing, I probably won’t just take the deal for money’s sake,” she explains.
Any tips for aspiring creators?
Maya Hussein key tips for content creators are consistency, speed, and strategy. Although she built her online presence relatively fast compared to other creators, her tips and tricks on growing an audience are relevant to influencers in almost any niche.
Considering her experience in becoming a globally recognized Arab influencer, Maya’s recommendations for success are three.
Strategize
“Only quit your job once you see money coming into your bank account! If this is something you want to take on and test, you should keep your job and make content on the side until you build your followers, as I did.”
Be consistent
“Being consistent is huge for the algorithm! If you don’t post daily, you won’t see the results you’re looking for. You have to post whatever you make, see which video goes viral, and continue to build on it and make a series! Learn what the audience is going to enjoy!”
Focus on Efficiency
Finally, Maya Hussein emphasizes productive efficiency and says, “Time management and speed is the backbone of it all.” You need to constantly put out high-quality content to get the results you’re striving for. Use quick Ai-powered tools that do the job for you, brainstorm in a peaceful environment, and set deadlines and timelines if you want to be on top of your game.”
