Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrés Castillo
Hi Andrés, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Absolutely! Thanks for having me on Voyage Houston. I’m a 22 year old Mexican-American, and I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. As a Houston content creator, I had the pleasure of working on paid collaborations with over 45 businesses, including art museums, restaurants, festivals, and even skincare studios. I currently have over 13,900 followers on TikTok, and I met some of the most talented creators and lifelong friends through this app.
Content creation has always been a part of my life. I was the kid who liked posting vlogs on Youtube, capturing all of our school trips to look back at. This really sparked my love for filmmaking and led me to a pre-college film program at the University of Houston, where I got to make my first short film. I loved the experience, which ultimately led me to getting my Bachelor of Arts in Film from Kenyon College, a small liberal arts college in Ohio.
As I transitioned into post-grad life, I became infatuated with posting on TikTok, and it really took off this past summer. I had my first food PR package from a company called Roots Farm Fresh. I couldn’t believe I was being sent free food straight to my house. I also became one of the influencers for the Houston Cinema Arts Festival, Houston Media Conference, and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH). CAMH was actually the first business I worked with, and I became super close with the team. Social media has really allowed me to explore my city to the fullest extent, and I look forward to continuing that in 2025.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
If there’s one thing I learned from content creation is that people love authenticity and connection. It’s still mind-boggling to me when people come up to me and say they recognize me from my videos. It’s one thing to see the numbers on my phone, but it’s a totally different feeling when you get to build genuine connections in person.
Starting content wasn’t a smooth road at all. I had trouble finding a niche at first. Eventually I started posting a series called “A Perfect Day in Houston,” which caught the eye of the first business I partnered with, The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. Since then, I became close with the Communications Coordinator there, Autumn, who invited me to become an influencer for other film events like the Houston Cinema Arts Festival and the Houston Media Conference. As a film graduate, I was thrilled!
My next challenge is figuring out what I am going to do with the upcoming TikTok ban. We saw the app shut down temporarily on January 18, so the future of this app is unpredictable. However, I am looking to repurpose all of my content and move to Instagram. If I did it once, I can certainly do it again!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
You can find me on TikTok and Instagram @itsssandres. I have some exciting campaigns and partnerships coming soon. If you’re from Houston, or planning to visit Houston, I highly recommend giving me a follow because I’m posting every hotspot in the city from food, activities, and other hidden gems. I constantly hear “Houston is not a real place,” and I want to bring this phrase to life through my videos.
One of my favorite projects I recently worked on was a UGC (user generated content) campaign for Reach International Outfitters. They had a Bucket List card game with over 50 scratch off cards of things to do in Houston, and they reached out to me to create a video advertisement for it. It was truly one of my most fun campaigns as a freelancer, and it aligned perfectly with my online brand.
I’ve been lucky to work with a Houston marketing agency called Public Content, who has invited me to a lot of new events in Houston. More businesses are starting to realize the power of influencer marketing, and I feel incredibly proud to be a part of this fairly new industry. In my professional career, I work in marketing for the health and wellness industry, so I’ve been able to learn more about my field through this hobby I started.
Contact Info:
- For business inquiries: castilloandres778@gmail.com
Image Credits
Image credit to Jiā Media for the personal photo. Shot at Waygood Coffee.
