Check Out Helen Bezikyan’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Helen Bezikyan

Hi Helen , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My interest in social media and creating content started as early as my undergrad career. I majored in Journalism and I was fascinated with how people were using social media as a portfolio to share their talents or hobbies. I have always loved makeup and I decided to just post my own beauty looks on Instagram. But as I focused more on my academic career, I had less and less time to devote to create content for Instagram. After about a year and a half I stopped to direct all my time to my studies while also juggling a full time job. However, I always kept an eye on trends and what techniques content creators used when publishing their posts..
A couple years ago, after graduating with my MA in Humanities I thought I would give it another shot. I had changed so much over the years that I was bursting with ideas. I don’t focus on just one “niche”. I don’t believe that’s human or real to only dedicate yourself to one “niche” and be happy. I have tried that at first and I would get bored and feel like it was repetitive . I no longer focus my posts solely on makeup, but it’s more of a blend of a few different things. I learned that so much more effort goes into creating content now than when it did before, but seeing the end result of something you create is exciting.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As I mentioned before, it hasn’t been the smoothest road. Sometimes it’s technical issues when an app crashes while editing or it’s an issue with trying to catch the best natural lighting when I haven’t gotten the right shot yet and time is running out. But the real struggles have been trying to get creative with my content and how to attract an audience. I could have similar content to someone else with a similar context shared within the reel but the other person will get the larger amount of engagement and views. The social media algorithm can be tricky not matter how much I use trending audio and post at the time of day when I normally receive high rates of engagement. For many people, including myself, it can be a struggle to get that equal recognition.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have a background in Journalism and one of my greatest accomplishments is writing a huge piece for the centennial of the Armenian Genocide. Soon after, I was nominated for the Associated Collegiate Press under the category of Diversity Story of the Year. I won the award for third place. My family and friends felt like they also won because of the representation of that article. It will always be so special to me.

I think that’s where my ability to story tell comes from. I have intertwined my studies from journalism and humanities together and use it as a major tool with creating content. From the captions I write to the text I share within the reels, I like to make sure what I post is informative, helpful, or entertaining.
I think what sets me apart from others is all this that I have to offer. I am an Armenian American woman born and raised in LA that has grown up in a patriarchal culture that I refuse to abide by. I want to be some sort of representation for Armenians, specifically Armenian women, be it through social media, brand partnerships or collaborations as well as guest speaking on podcasts. I, not only have my own experiences, but I have my academic studies and findings that I possess for that further knowledge. I have yet to see more Armenian women similar to me and where I come from that provide this representation.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Personally, I don’t see myself as much of risk taker. I think posting on social media the content that I create is probably a big risk in itself. Opening myself up to people and sharing my experiences is something I had to be less nervous about. I still haven’t really spoken on Instagram stories, reels or on TikTok simply because I don’t like to hear my own voice. It makes me cringe. As a substitute I have used the silly trickster voice effect that TikTok has, just so that I can slowly get comfortable with sharing my real voice. One way or another, creating content on social media will have people taking risks.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helenbezikyan?igsh=YTQwZjQ0NmI0OA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@theehelenb?_t=8oRP3G2GbmN&_r=1

Image Credits
All the photos were taken by Helen Bezikyan on iPhone. One of the photos is a screenshot of Instagram shop post she was featured in for IceLink.