How Sheya Blue Created an 11M-View K-POP Video and Built media platform

Hello, this is Klab Insight.

For this feature, we’re introducing Sheya Blue, a content creator and the founder of Into The K, an emerging independent media platform dedicated to Korean culture in France.

More than just a fan, Sheya has built a community by delivering exclusive K-POP news, artist interviews, and cultural insights through various platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. She has also covered major industry events, including MAMA Awards, KCON Germany, and K-Expo France, making Into The K the first French media outlet to provide on-the-ground coverage of such prestigious ceremonies.

Her journey started with a deep passion for K-POP, which led her to explore different creative formats—concert vlogs, dance covers, and weekly news updates—to engage her growing audience. Today, she’s not only creating content but also shaping the conversation around K-culture in Europe.

The insights and experiences she shares will inspire not just K-POP fans but also aspiring creators looking to carve out their own space in the industry.

Through Sheya’s story, let’s discover how one person’s vision can transform a passion into a platform that brings K-culture closer to a global audience.

This newsletter highlights:

• Expanding K-Culture Media in France

• Covering Major K-POP Events Firsthand

• Leveraging Social Media for Impact

Q. Can you introduce yourself?

Hello, my name is Sheya Blue! I come from Paris, I am 25 years old and I am a content creator and founder of the media Into The K.

Q. What first sparked your interest in Korean culture and K-POP, and how did that passion evolve into a career?

One day I came across an MV of the group NCT127 and it intrigued me a lot because I didn't recognize the language and I was in awe of the video production, so I started looking for what K-pop was and then one thing led to another I discovered everything that went with it, the culture, the technology, the fashion, the series and everything that goes with it. It was during the covid period that I asked myself why not share my passion on social networks, I was already a content creator at that time but I had this desire to change my target audience in order to produce content that was a little more like me.

Q. Can you tell us about your journey in content creation and how you became interested in Korean culture?

At first everything was limited to simple TikTok videos which is the platform where I gather the most community, I mainly shared videos that talked about BTS news because I was a big fan of the group then one day I received a comment asking me to talk about Stray Kids too. That's when I understood that there was a demand and I developed the format through different concepts, vlog concerts, the 5 news of the week which brought together the key information of Korean culture as well as dance through dance covers. I was mainly interested in Korean culture through music.

Q. What inspired you to launch Into The K, and can you describe in detail what you do through Into The K?

ITK or Into The K is my independent media around Korean culture, it is mainly present on Instagram for the moment but the other platforms are in development. I share news around South Korea on music, series releases, interviews with artists or groups that I met but I also aimed to highlight the actors who highlight this culture in France.

Q. What is its main focus?

My goal in launching ITK is to become the first media around Korean culture, and for that we develop different concepts that are not implemented in other media. Also, although Korean culture is adored in France, very few media specialize only in this niche, so there is a place to be made, a market to take.

Q. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when launching Into The K? How did you overcome them?

I think the difficulty was based on the legitimacy of my person, I graduated from a school with a master's degree in marketing, so I have not done any studies related to journalism. This is a rather complex point because I know and I imagine that it does not please someone who does not graduate from a journalism school to come to a field that is not theirs but for me passion takes precedence over our degrees, I do not learn my subjects in articles, I know them because I simply live in them.

Q. How does your work as a content creator influence Into the K?

Since my name as a content creator had already been established for a while, when launching Into The K it was easy to bring people back to follow the medium because they base themselves on what you offer as a creator alone and if it is quality work and it is attractive subconsciously they will follow the rest of your projects.

Q. What revenue streams have been most effective for Into The K?

Honestly? Into The K is not generating any money yet, I am the one who is putting up the money for this project for now, given that it is 4 months old, we must first prove ourselves on the market, but given how it is going, we will soon be able to claim remuneration.

Q. Into The K has gained recognition as a go-to platform for Korean culture content. What strategies have you used to build its credibility and audience engagement?

It was not complicated to build loyalty with the public because fans of Korean culture are constantly looking to be up to date with the latest information, once again there are very few media around this niche so building loyalty was rather simple I would say. As for the strategy, we wanted to change the game by offering opportunities to our subscribers who follow us, so we collaborated with concert organizers to set up contests that would allow our followers to win. But what immediately differentiated us from our competitors is that Into The K is the first French media around Korean culture to have covered the Mama Awards ceremony and it is a point of our strategy to differentiate ourselves by offering content that is not seen anywhere else.

Q. What are some unique aspects of Into The K that differentiate it from other media platforms covering Korean culture?

The content has to be universal so that both audiences can relate to it and there is nothing more universal than dance, I think that is what has kept my community loyal and I am very grateful for that.

Q. Your content spans multiple platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. How do you tailor your content to each platform to maximize impact?

I dedicate a different target depending on the platform I am on, for example Instagram will revolve around my personal life in more detail than what I offer elsewhere, on TikTok I focus on short vlogs and dance then on YouTube long formats and shorts. What keeps my community satisfied is that I remain consistent in what I share because the end result is that everything revolves around Korean culture by adapting content for each platform, that's what makes the content have an impact.

Q. How did you first start creating content on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram?

I started first with YouTube and Instagram out of curiosity and a desire to experiment, at that time I was in high school, passionate about photography and videography so I got on social networks.

Then everything became more serious with TikTok, I suddenly gained visibility what was a simple passion finally became a job even if the pace of content creation is frantic I continued to enjoy my work without getting tired because passion drives me I think that's what makes the difference.

What helped me develop my skills in content creation is to have experimented with everything to see what suited me best and what spoke to my audience.

Q. Have you collaborated with brands or agencies?

Yes it happened to me several times even ahaha and it's what I appreciate the most in my work. I think that all my collaborations have marked me but the one that I keep in mind the most often remains my collaboration with TOP Media for the interview of the group MCND, it was my first interview with a K-pop group it marked a huge turning point in my career as a content creator as well as my most recent collaboration with CJ Entertainment who invited me to the Mamas Awards in Osaka last November. It was a dream to go to a ceremony of this magnitude.

Q. When working with companies on sponsored content, how do you maintain creative control while also meeting brand expectations?

The most important thing in a collaboration is the understanding and respect between the brand and the content creator, this plays an important role especially since I am a person who likes these collaborations to take place over the long term. My way of maintaining creative control is to immediately announce it to the brand "yes I agree to the collaboration but I would like to put my creativity first", if it does not work then I do not collaborate because I do not want my audience to think that I would be able to put myself aside for collaborations so I am very selective on this point.

Q. How do you price your content creation services for brands? What factors do you consider when setting your rates?

I was lucky enough to be in an agency for three years, so they had created my rate grid for collaborations when I left I kept it and improved it according to the partnership.

You have to take into account all the criteria of the partnership, the platform on which the video will be published, the requests of the brand, the size of the community engagement. 

Q. Your Samsung x TXT TikTok campaign gained over 11 million views, and your concert vlog content has reached more than 300K views. What strategies do you use to create viral and highly engaging K-POP content?

There is no secret to viral K-pop content, you just have to make sure that the first few seconds of the video are attractive to those who consume the content, a catchy phrase or a shot that stands out from the start. It was an agency that worked with Samsung that contacted me and presented the project, the main request was to reproduce the official choreography of TXT for the Olympic Games. I took the guideline of the video that I had received from the official choreographer with the different shots, from above, on the sides etc because I suspected that I would be the only one to make it in this style and I think that is what played a role in the virality of the video. 

Q. Can you share a specific project or collaboration that you are particularly proud of? What made it special?

One of the projects I am most proud of is a promotional video with the Korean cultural center in Paris, a collaboration for Instagram to highlight the exhibition “Frétillante Busan”, I loved working with them so I hope we will work together again in the future. 

The collaboration for the exhibition "Frétillante Busan" my mission was to highlight it in order to make people want to come and visit the Korean cultural center it was within the framework of "Busan 2030" they gave me total freedom to make my video.

Thanks to a dynamic montage that highlighted each piece of the exhibition the video collected more than 30,000 views on Instagram which boosted visits to the exhibition during this period.

Q. What advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own independent media focused on K-POP?

I would tell him to go for it because we have nothing to lose, how do we know if we will succeed without having had the courage to go for it? 

Q. What is your long-term vision for Into The K and your career in the K-POP industry?

As I said earlier, I hope that in the long term ITK will be the first source of media on k-culture in France and for my personal career I would like to settle down for a while in South Korea in order to be able to work in modeling and dancing, fingers crossed!

Q. How do you plan to monetize Into The K in the future?

We will monetize the media through affiliate marketing, selling our advertising services as well as advertising.

Q. What is the next big goal or vision you have for Into The K and your personal career?

The next goal would be to interview a new K-pop group, maybe a bigger group like Stray Kids either for ITK or myself.

Q. Lastly, do you have any message for the readers? Also, please share the best channel to contact you quickly.

Well thank you readers for reading my story, I hope it inspires you to dream big for your own projects! You can follow me on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube!

Sheya’s journey is a testament to the power of passion, adaptability, and creativity, proving that with dedication and a unique vision, one can turn a personal love for K-culture into a thriving media platform that bridges fans and the industry.

Key Insights

1. The Growing Demand for K-Culture Media

   With the rising global interest in Korean entertainment, independent media platforms like Into The K are essential in delivering localized and relevant content to fans who lack access to mainstream K-POP coverage.

2. Social Media as a Primary News Source

   K-POP fans rely on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for instant updates. Tailoring content to each platform’s unique format—such as short-form videos for engagement and long-form content for in-depth coverage—ensures maximum audience reach.

3. Building Trust Through Exclusive Content

   Offering unique and firsthand experiences, such as event coverage and artist interviews, establishes credibility. Into The K has set itself apart by becoming the first French media outlet to cover major K-POP events like the MAMA Awards.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this interview! Feel free to leave your comments below or email us at [email protected]. Your insights and questions are always welcome as we continue to explore the vibrant world of K-pop.

And feel free to connect with me on X, LinkedIn, & Thread.