Jason Magbanua shares his journey to becoming an influencer

MANILA, Philippines — In his own way, videographer Jason Magbanua revolutionized the wedding industry.

Due to such accomplishments in his field of expertise, Magbanua slowly but surely became an influencer without him even lifting a finger to make it happen. He started getting invites to grace events and talk before crowds.

Just recently, he had a talk at the 2023 Ad Expo organized by the Ateneo Collegiate Society of Advertising, where he shared what a journey it had been for him to get to where he is now.

“It’s amazing,” Magbanua started. “From being a wedding videographer who started billing at P5,000, now I charge around P200,000. But don’t look at the destination or where I am now. Look at all the pain and struggles, everything that I’ve been through. At the end of the day, it’s all about the hustle.”

Armed with a teaching background, Magbanua has no qualms sharing tips and life hacks as an industry leader.

For starting videographers, for instance, he advised, “Dress well because you want to be recognized as a professional who charges a significant amount of money. You have to look the part.” As his way of paying it forward, he goes out of his way to help aspiring videographers with his knowledge of camera brands, editing platforms, and even lighting setups and tricks.

As his influence grew, so did the surge of inquiries from brands and partners. Feeling that it was outside his expertise because he did not consider himself as an influencer, he entered into a partnership with marketing agency Gushcloud Philippines.

“I got a call from Gushcloud, who pitched to represent me. I'm a wedding videographer so to be able to get guidance in the content creator industry like, ‘Here are our plans for you; the reasons we believe in your brand; and here’s what's lined up for you — all you have to do is sign.’ It took me a while and I had to ask, 'Is this what I want? Is this a great fit?' Thankfully, signing with Gushcloud was just the perfect pairing. I feel taken care of. I know that I'm partnering with brands that are aligned with my values and what I represent," said Magbanua.

The marketing agency handles him and its other talents — from representation, management, finalizing brand deals, to pricing and billing.

“Our talents are the focus of what we do. They are the underpinning of our business. So, as much as we want to be very brand-driven, we are very much talent-driven as well. Gushcloud’s vision is to ‘Create Tomorrow’s Positive Influence.’ As a partner, we want to be able to create a stronghold for content creators and talents. In Jason’s case, we ensure that from a business standpoint, he's getting paid the right amount. Similarly, we make sure that the brands that we affiliate with are those that he truly patronizes, so the partnership is more authentic and mutually beneficial,” said Jamie Paraso, Gushcloud Philippines Country Director.

From wedding videographer to influencer, Magbanua has certainly come a long way.