Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.
Bethany Mota
Mota is one of the most popular YouTube celebrities. Mota’s first haul video was in June 2009. She began her YouTube channel in order to escape the stress of bullying and rapidly gained followers, which now number over six million. Business Insider describes her as “relentlessly upbeat and bouncy” and “a virtuoso of positivity”. As hauling became more popular on YouTube, retailers began to use it for marketing, and Mota was offered free cosmetics and gift cards. Mota is ambivalent about promotional videos, but when she does feature free products, she clearly identifies the products that she has not purchased. In January 2014, Business Insider estimated that she made $40,000 a month on her videos. In order to cultivate her fan following, she purchases prizes and awards them to fans who promote her videos. Her fans are called “Mota-vators”. Besides her fashion-related videos, she also maintains a more personal account, which she uses to discuss whatever interests her. In 2014, she was selected to be among the content creators in YouTube’s first advertising campaign. Mota has also appeared on YouTube’s web show IMO, an opinion show aimed at teenagers.