Adley Kinsman is best known for her hilarious viral videos and creative pranks. The 26-year-old first gained attention after appearing on The Voice, but it was her humor and ability to generate millions of views that made her an overnight sensation. Adley’s comedy is often self-deprecating and relatable, which has helped her to amass a huge following on social media. These days, Adley is one of the most sought-after experts on viral content, and her videos regularly rack up millions of views. From Facebook Live streams to short skits, Adley knows how to keep her audience entertained. And with over 19 million followers across all platforms, it’s clear that she’s one of the most popular creators in the world.
Were you funny as a child?
“I definitely think people are born with a sense of humor, but I also know that it’s something that can be developed over time. Our upbringing and the things we expose ourselves to play a big role in shaping our sense of humor. For me, growing up watching Lucille Ball was a huge influence. My mom is also hilarious, so I had a naturally light-hearted and witty childhood. I realized early on that making people laugh made them feel good, and so I started leaning into my talents. I began to find the extraordinary in ordinary moments, and I think that’s reflected in much of our content. Over time, I developed a deeper sense of humor and more creativity by surrounding myself with things that exposed me to comedy and quick wit.”
How do you decide what type of content to make?
”As an influencer, one of the most important things is to know your audience and what type of content they will find funny. For me, I start with moments that I think are funny and then see what is relatable about them. I then exaggerate the feelings and emotions in the scene to create a video that evokes the desired emotion from the audience. Whether we are trying to make them laugh, shock them, or inspire them, starting from the desired emotion helps to create a video that resonates with the audience. Knowing your audience is key to creating content that they will enjoy and continue to come back for more.”
You recently let the Internet plan your wedding! How was that experience?
“I never dreamed that my wedding day would be such a big, glamorous event. I wanted to spend my engagement period focused on preparing for marriage, not just a party. And I wanted to document that process. So we let the internet plan the wedding! We let people from all different belief systems and walks of life weigh in on big decisions, and they agreed on one thing: love should be kept at the center of the story. Through their own wisdom and experiences, people joined forces to create a beautiful, unique wedding that was truly about marriage, not just a party. It was special to me because it showed that even during the battles of COVID-19, people can come together and focus on what matters most: love.”
How do you and your husband Blake seem to function so well in marriage and running the company together?
”Blake and I are so different yet so much alike! We’re both Type Three on the Enneagram (laughs) but he’s an engineer, and I am a creative. But what keeps us great partners is operating with lots of mutual respect. I know when it is time for him to lead, and he knows when it’s time to let me lead. We know each other’s strengths and lean on them well. Respect is SO important, especially when you’re working together non-stop and are marriage partners just as much as you are business partners. Being able to laugh at ourselves when we butt heads also goes a long way – we can banter back and fourth without taking things too seriously because at the end of the day, we know that our relationship comes first. Plus, being able to make each other laugh is key in any partnership!
What does Blake’s background bring to the table being in such a creative field?
Really, having his engineering background marry my creative strengths, it feels like a perfect blend. We are in the business of understanding and implementing the science of the art we create.
For example, a lot of TikTokers will have one video go viral, and they can never do it again. They don’t know what they did right and how to repeat it to get compounding results. When we were able to do it so consistently, we knew we needed to break down the psychology and figure out WHY it was working, and how we could repeat it at scale. Blake often jokes that he went from becoming a civil engineer to a viral video engineer. And I’d say that’s pretty accurate!”
You recently started ANOTHER company. Tell us about Viralish.
Viralish take a very different approach to influencer marketing. Rather than trying to sell products to an influencer’s followers, Viralish focuses on creating content that will be widely shared across social media platforms. This approach has proved to be extremely effective, with the company generating 95% of its revenue from the content itself. Thanks to the algorithm-based recommendations of Facebook and Snapchat, Viralish’s content is seen by millions of people every day, regardless of whether they follow the company’s 19 million followers. This makes Viralish uniquely positioned to take advantage of the growing trend of social media advertising. While brand deals are still important, they are small potatoes in comparison to the potential payout from platforms like Facebook and Snapchat.
You also have a Content House. How it Viralish House different than other content creator houses?
Viralish House is different because we’re not “always on.” We’re not teenagers living in a house together, vlogging every moment. We’re more of a media house where our friends come over and create content for these widely consumed shows and pages.
For example, an “influencer” sitting next to me right now who is here today has a million followers. But he isn’t widely known. He is going to play six different roles today in his videos. He’s may play a husband in a gender reveal, an Amazon delivery driver that’s getting a present left on the porch for him, a patient in the doctors office getting ticks removed from his thigh, and then he might be an evicted homeowner in the bit after that. These are all scenes we would find entertaining in the sense of traditional TV. The beauty of it is that he can be whomever you want him to be, because he isn’t playing to a specific fan base. He’s just a character in these situations that we’ve set up and that we film.
Where does the future of Viralish have in store?
We are now used to seeing people’s lives play out in real-time on platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat. But you may have noticed there is a new trend emerging on social media: scripted content. We really had a large hand in shaping that culture, beginning on Facebook. Many of your favorite influencers are now filming staged scenes and while some people are skeptical of this new trend, many realize that scripted content can be just as entertaining as traditional reality TV. And it opens up a whole new world. People like watching scripted reality such as Love Island and WWE… but there is push back on social media just because we aren’t used to seeing it becoming the norm. Yet.
What has been your major takeaway from this journey from a high-profile influencer to the founder of a successful viral content distribution company?
I’ve learned that success comes when you overcome yourself. And that income will seldom exceed your personal development. The road of entrepreneurship is full of hills and valleys. Some days I feel like I’m on top of the tallest mountain! I am filled with joy and ambition and immense gratitude. But as they say: “The top of every mountain is just the bottom of another.” And the tools that got me to the top of this one are not the same set of tools that will help me climb the next. So I’m encouraged by that. Any time it gets tough, I know I’m going through this season to pick up new tools. And that the next mountain is right around the corner.
If I want this company to continue to grow, I need to grow first. And that’s a challenge I will gladly continue to accept! Because every time I push myself past my comfort zone, I come out stronger on the other side. Even if it’s extremely painful. And I know that my company will benefit from my continued growth as well. So, even though it’s not always easy, I am grateful for the challenges that come with being an entrepreneur. They remind me that there is always room for improvement and they help me become a better business owner and leader.