How singer-songwriter Chloé Caroline built a loyal following without chasing virality
California girl Chloé Caroline has been building community online since middle school. A singer-songwriter and creator with more than 300,000 followers across platforms, she's spent the past decade turning vulnerability into connection — whether through her music, her "Sending Sunshine" series, or her collaborations with brands like Stella Rosa Wines and Thursday Boots.
In this Creator Playbook, she opens up about her creative process, the meaning of virality, and what she’s learned from a decade of creating from the heart.
How did you begin your journey as a creator?
Technically, I first started creating "content" when I got a Facebook page in 7th grade and began sharing the songs I was writing in my bedroom as a form of healing and connection.
I had been really sick and pulled out of school in 6th grade, and then when I went to a new school in 7th grade dealt with mean girls for the first time, so for me, it was this outlet to safely work through what I was dealing with all around in the safe confines of my room, but also partake in the world.
I felt called to share what I'd create, even if at first I was highly self-deprecating about whether it was any good. It was this pull when I’d write something. Eventually, when I realized others were relating to it, it fueled me to keep going. I never wanted anyone to feel alone or misunderstood — that really bothered me.
What was your first viral video or post, and how did it change your approach to content creation?
I’m going to answer this a bit differently than most creators might, because I think we get hung up on numbers these days more than on the quality of those numbers. You can have hundreds of thousands or millions of views on something, and it can feel somewhat empty, or you can have 1/10th of that and actually see a much larger connection. I've experienced both.
My definition of "viral" is what truly resonates with people, whether it's 100 people or 100 million. Virality these days is so broad — sometimes it can be a total fluke, like a selfie video in sweatpants with terrible lighting that's only five seconds long and has no intention, yet the algorithm picks it up.
Alternatively, it can be initiated through a combination of paid ads, paid influencers, or knowing the right person who can get the video featured on the platform. Of course, you can also have an organic video of something just incredibly resonating pop off too, but there are so many factors at play for why something might have gone "viral."
When it comes to a video that doesn't necessarily have the highest views compared to some of my videos, but I’d venture to say maybe has had the most impact on people’s lives, it was for my song "Ready." It was inspired by my leap of faith after I'd been told I wasn't ready for the next step of my career. I realized only I could decide if I was ready, but I’d also been blocking myself and gripping way too tight in some areas of my life in a state of maintenance for fears of losing others if I let go. I decided to leave the safety net of Nashville, where I’d gone to college and started my career, and move back to LA, where I’m from, for the first time as an adult.
During COVID, I shared the inspo behind it and launched a "Trust Fall" challenge on social media where I had people say what they were ready for out loud and trust fall back into someone’s arms along with the music video.
I started receiving DMs from people telling me how much they related to it, and it inspired them not only to think deeply about what they wanted to achieve but also to take those steps, however small. One person in particular was an incredibly talented man who did a moving violin cover of my song — I sobbed — and told me it encouraged him to move and make a career change, beginning the process of becoming a pilot. This year, he just got a position as a pilot for a commercial airline, and I finally met him in person.
How do you make money from your content, and what monetization methods do you use?
There are definitely a few different ways, as both a singer-songwriter and influencer. On the music side, I earn royalties through the music libraries of Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for the use of my released music. I'll also make money from my YouTube/VEVO music video views and my music used in them. Another source is through MusicBed, a platform that allows creators, videographers, ad agencies, and brands to use my music, and I receive royalties through micro-licensing.
On the more general social media and influencer side, IG is my biggest platform, so I monetize a little bit from IG subscriptions and bonuses, but I'd say the majority comes from my brand partnerships.
At this point, I’ve worked with over 90 brands — from smaller entrepreneurial businesses to huge brands like Stella Rosa Wines and Meta — so it really just depends on who and what opportunities feel aligned. The majority of my partnership income is flat-fee based, or if it’s a consistent sponsored partnership, then a monthly stipend for a specified number of pieces of content, often plus an affiliate commission, and potential whitelisting of that content as well.
Some creators make tons of money from TikTok Shop or strictly affiliate partnerships as their main focus, where they often post brand content daily or multiple times a day to generate sales, but I have to be really strategic about a good balance of brand-related content and music content to keep my audience trusting of what I represent.
They intersect frequently, as I believe being a singer-songwriter brings fresh opportunities to brands and is obviously authentic, even in simple ways — but, of course, sometimes it's completely separate content.
Can you walk us through your workflow from ideation to publishing a post?
For brand content: Genuinely, every brand partnership is different. I've been really blessed to work with brands that have been open-minded to my ideas and what I think will align best with my audience while supporting the goals for the campaign. It's a partnership, so I love a good brainstorming session and phone call to ensure I set up the communication flow between us, and that they really know who I am.
Sometimes I'm asked to be part of a well-developed campaign, which is also super fun (and can be easier), but I love thinking up campaign and content ideas — so if I have the freedom to do that, I pitch them.
I get a ton of my ideas from my daily walks by the beach and from researching the brand's mission (this is huge). Once I get the OK to start, I’d like to say I’ve got every single scene planned out perfectly or scripted, but that’s not really my vibe. I love some basic talking points too, but I want it to feel natural, so I usually take the blueprint of the idea I have and hit record — even if it means I have more footage of me rambling than I want to edit.
For music and lifestyle content, I aim to create a mix of spontaneous "in the moment" content, storytelling, singing on my way to the studio, live show recaps, and high-quality music video promos. The lead-up to a music release is pretty intentional with what my main, bigger pieces of content will be, and it's so much fun to collaborate on.
I have ADD, so generally I get inspired most from either being in nature and moving my body or cooking, so my mind can just run wild. I’m also heavily inspired by seeing other art and artists of all kinds. I use CapCut Pro and Tezza the most to edit!
What advice would you give to someone starting out in content creation today, looking to build a career and grow their following?
Begin. Don't wait until you have the perfect setup or X amount of dollars or whatever other reason we tell ourselves we’re not ready or qualified for yet. There are many incredible people who are also very willing to collaborate, provided we’re open to putting ourselves out there and remain open-minded to all forms of creativity. Slide into the DMs, send the email, and of course, practice your craft.
There’s not just one route, even when we feel like it, so use that to your advantage. Just because you don’t have a million dollars or a record deal doesn’t make you less important or valuable. Find your why — why do you want to create content and why do you want to grow your following? Don’t let the numbers define you. Root from your truth and authenticity.
What brings you joy very well might be the answer. And lastly, manifest it. Say it out loud, even though you will feel nuts. Believe it’s already happened and walk out the door with that energy. I’ve been trying to move and create from this thought more than ever: “What would your boldest self do?”
How long did it take before you saw significant growth in followers, and what strategies helped you get there?
Across socials, I have over 300,000 followers, and it's been a 10-year journey. I started building my fanbase in 2014/2015 after I’d moved to Nashville for Belmont University and released my first EP. I had an Instagram I’d post on occasionally, but I got approached to post on an app called PicCollage — a collage-making app that operated like a social platform. The demographic was preteen and teenage girls.
When I posted, I could include my YouTube videos directly in the collage, so people could watch them. I’m pretty positive I was the only musician on it at the time, and they really responded to me being real — involving them in Q&As, creating exclusive hand-drawn “sticker” packs for them to use, and taking the time to respond to every single message and comment. Suddenly, I realized how much they wanted to be seen and heard. Within six months, I had 300,000 followers.
Slowly, I started doing the same on Instagram. I’d find similar artists or brands that felt like me and reach out to their followers to see if they’d listen to a song. I also reply to every comment I can and offer ways to support them, too. I’ve even collaborated with them creatively — from jewelry to single artwork.
When I got my music on Disney Channel/Radio Disney in 2016 and co-starred and performed the soundtrack for in Hallmark Channel's Love, Of Course, people began to discover me more. I started using a fan number so I could personally text fans individually and send mass messages when I had releases, which has been really great for my dedicated listener base.
Consistency is key, so I’ve always been proactive about mixing music, lifestyle, and brand content. Telling the stories behind my songs has been incredibly important and is my favorite part of performing live. I want people to leave or close their phone feeling understood or inspired. I actually wrote the bridge of my song "Another Best Friend" using a comment I saw on TikTok that I related to heavily during a breakup.
One of my favorite things to do is my series "Sending Sunshine." On Sundays, I have people answer a question sticker with the name of the person they are sending “sunshine” to that week and share their handle so I can give them a shoutout on "Magic Monday." It’s a little reminder that someone is thinking of them.
How did you get your first brand deal? How did that differ from how you come by brand deals today?
Oh, man, this is kind of hard to remember, since I think it was somewhere between 2016 and 2018. Initially, I collaborated with gifted campaigns to build experience, but I think my first one might have been with a company called Splendid Spoon. They sent me ready-to-eat healthy meals and smoothies for on-the-go, which I loved because I’m always running around or have long songwriting sessions.
One of my first paid campaigns was for Ava Grace Vineyards, a wine company, and I created a series of content for them over a period of 3–6 months. I remember involving my friends for a few of them by shooting a beach picnic and sharing my nighttime "Wine-down," where I filmed how I show self-love, which included singing a song I’d written while cozied up by the fire.
Honestly, not much has changed in how I secure brand deals. A good bulk is still initiated through Instagram DM — even bigger opportunities like Stella Rosa Wines, which became a national commercial and holiday campaign. I got a DM from the director saying the Stella girls were fans of my music and asked if I was interested in partnering, singing, and starring in the commercial. After a certain point, I began to receive emails from agencies and brands as well, and I’ve since discovered websites where I can be discovered by brands and apply for campaigns. I recently partnered with a home-swapping app called Kindred through a site called Later, and they helped sponsor my trip to Toronto to attend the Departure Festival.
These days, it’s less of a slow burn to get something paid. I’m consistently working with an incredible brand now — Thursday Boots — that started from me wearing their shoes in music videos simply because I loved them. I really love working with brands of all sizes, as long as they feel aligned. Some of my favorite partnerships have been with other passionate entrepreneurs and mid-sized brands, as I love helping to highlight their stories.
I co-designed a jewelry collection with Moonglow Jewelry inspired by songs on my EP The Awakening Vol 1, and I’m really proud of that. Those songs and The Awakening Vol 2: The Prequel were born from a profound spiritual awakening I had, and I loved the cosmic alignment (plus I have an obsession with jewelry)! My music video "Manifest" was also sponsored by a very cosmic jewelry company run by a female entrepreneur, which was so cool.
I also love working with brands that have a product or mission that can elevate someone’s life in some way, and California-based brands are especially fun since I’m an LA beach baby born and raised. Most people assume my partnerships are music-based, but most of them aren’t — even if the content ties in with my music or career.
I’m pretty excited, though, as this year I had the opportunity to work with Splice, a company that offers a huge music sampling library used regularly by producers and songwriters, as well as JLab Audio, with whom I’ve been working consistently and have access to amazing, high-quality headphones and speakers at an affordable price. It's hard work, but it's a lot of fun. I have so many ideas for the next several months, and I can’t wait to see what unfolds and who I grow with.
Chloé Caroline is a paid contributor to Mashable.
