Entrepreneur: Melody Alisa

Tilt: South Korea-based English-as-a-second-language teacher turned faith-based YouTuber

Scene: YouTube (183K),  Instagram (15.3K), Facebook (11.4K), newsletter 

Snack Bites: 

  • For five years, Melody Alisa’s YouTube was a hub for aspiring South Korean-based English-as-a-second-language teachers. 
  • In 2020, her YouTube and Instagram changed to become a safe space to express her faith and connect with other Christians walking with God.
  • After sharing her beliefs with viewers, she rebranded social media to reflect her faith, later creating newsletters and public and private Facebook groups.

Why We’re a Stan: At the start of her YouTube career, Melody Alisa had an active travel and teaching page, posting images of her daily life in South Korea. But after connecting with her religious beliefs, Melody pivoted her content, too. The result is a thriving tilt centered on her faith.

The Story

Once a go-to account for teaching English in South Korea, Melody Alisa’s YouTube channel was titled Melody on the Move. Now, it’s Melody Alisa: For His Glory as she unpacks her faith journey, strengthening her walk with God.

But in 2015, she uploaded her first vlog about Andong, South Korea. About 5K viewers watched. The Floridian shared why she moved, personal quirky Korean stories, the country’s best snacks, and more to thousands online. As years passed, she continued to post videos and clips about her life as an English teacher in South Korea.

A half-decade later, her channel and content tilt pivoted as she explained in a video titled, From New Age To Jesus: My Testimony.

Melody details her experience with new-age practices and her eventual shift toward practicing the Christian faith. Unveiling her views created a safe space for followers to share their experiences in the comments section. One viewer wrote, “All this ‘thank the universe’ and horoscope stuff and crystals have become so popular lately. And, I’m glad another Christian is talking about this.” Another jumped in, adding, “​​I love that you mentioned that it’s ‘not about religion,’ it’s about ‘relationship.”’ The video garnered the most views she’d had to date. 

YouTuber @MelodyAlisa_ successfully pivoted her #ContentTilt. It went from teaching English in South Korea to following her journey with Christianity, via @xoxovivianna. #Stan #CreatorEconomy Click To Tweet

The following week, Melody posted a follow-up video explaining the new direction of her channel. “Whether it’s overtly by videos specifically about my walk with God, or more subliminally through how I live through sharing it with you guys in vlogs [my faith] is going to be the foundation of my channel. My channel is here for His Glory,” the wife and mother of one revealed to 16K online viewers. As months passed, she uploaded Christ-centered videos about her husband and chronicled their lives as they bought a house and started their family in Atlanta. Week after week, she gave viewers details on the Daniel Fast, her Top 10 Christian Songs, and must-haves for Bible study

Melody Alisa takes new content to new platforms

Melody also found other avenues to reach her audience outside YouTube. She started the Facebook page For His Glory Sisterhood, where Christian women can meet and share their stories about God. She announced a paid membership spin-off called For This Collective Membership Club. The club is designed to be a smaller, more personal faith group for those new to building a relationship with God. 

@MelodyAlisa_ expanded her content offerings, adding a paid membership club designed as a smaller, more personal group for those new to building a relationship with God, via @xoxovivianna. #Stan #ContentBusiness Click To Tweet

Once subscribed, followers receive monthly faith-based encouragement in their inboxes. Every seven days, she also sends a curated list of her favorite Jesus-related books and podcasts and previews new and upcoming content by other Christians. Shortly after creating her newsletter, Melody launched a free For His Glory Seven-Day Devotional, helping readers follow the book of Romans in the Bible, learn about God’s character, and more. 

Sponsorship links in bio

Melody partners with faith-based organizations like Faith Counseling and non-religious companies, such as Better Help and Dime Beauty. Her Amazon wishlist has become her longest-running sponsorship, which mixes pieces every Bible reader needs and her personal loves. It’s one of the many links in her YouTube and Instagram bio.

About the author

Shameyka McCalman is a wordsmith whose work often centers around fashion, art, and other creatives of color. She earned her communications degree from the University of Massachusetts Boston and enjoys sifting through clothes in local vintage shops, frequenting nearby plays, and gazing at exhibitions on view in museums.