Posted on by Nathalie Tay
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Exclusive Interview with Joel Lim: “Being a creator myself means I understand the grind”
18 Apr
From content creator to industry leader, Joel Lim’s journey to becoming Partner and Director at MantaYaY was anything but ordinary. His TikTok persona, Bang Joel, skyrocketed to fame, garnering 1 million followers in just 64 days.
Rather than resting on personal success, Joel saw a bigger picture — one where creators and brands could thrive symbiotically. In 2023, he joined MantaYaY, one of Malaysia’s premier TikTok Multi-Channel Networks (MCNs), as a Partner and Director.
Since then, he has helped scale the company’s reach to over 3,000 content creators, cementing its role as a dominant force in Malaysia’s digital entertainment landscape.
In an exclusive interview with MARKETING Magazine, Joel Lim shares the story behind MantaYaY’s meteoric rise.
As a content creator turned industry leader, at what point did you realize your passion could evolve into a business opportunity?
I actually saw the business potential before I even posted my first video. It was the end of 2022 — I was on a trip to Chiang Mai with my good friend Pinn Yang (founder of Good Foodie Media), and we were talking about how TikTok was taking off not just in Malaysia, but globally.
I told him we needed to launch our own TikTok IP immediately. I didn’t expect I’d be part of a marketing agency or MCN rocketship — I just knew there wouldn’t be any problem monetizing, as long as we got the content and engagement right.
If we look at Douyin in China, we see brands — especially in gaming, apps, cosmetics — paying big money to creators who can drive exposure, engagement, or sales. I knew if our content hit any of those metrics, monetization would follow. That’s exactly how I built my own TikTok street-interview channel around gaming in early 2023.
The real turning point came when my Mobile Legends content delivered standout results and drove significant traction — enough to impress my now-partner Yubin, who at the time was leading user acquisition for the game. It became one of the key reasons he decided to leave his role and invite me to build MantaYaY together.
That was when I fully understood the scale and potential of creator-driven marketing — not just as a content play, but as a business model.
How has your firsthand experience as a creator informed your leadership style and management strategies at MantaYaY?
It’s a massive edge. Being a creator myself means I deeply understand the grind — from brainstorming hooks, editing for virality, to managing burnout. I speak the same language as the talents we manage, which makes it easier to guide them and earn their trust.
In fact, I’m now one of the top gaming creators in Malaysia — my TikTok channel has grown to over 2 million followers, with 1 million of them gained in just 64 days. That growth gives me not only creator credibility but also firsthand insight into what works in this space.
At the same time, I’ve personally handled many of our key clients, so I know exactly what brands are looking for — whether it’s CPM, conversions, or high-performing narratives.
That dual perspective gives me credibility across all departments at MantaYaY, from BD to content to MCN. I’m not just managing — I’ve been in the trenches. My team knows I’ve done the work, and that earns respect.
How do you approach scaling a company that relies heavily on personal brands and creator individuality?
We scale by diversifying — not just across creators, but across services and markets. At MantaYaY, our growth is driven by four core pillars: short drama production, live e-commerce, influencer management (covering both KOLs and livestreamers), and integrated marketing campaigns.
A large portion of our campaigns are in the gaming industry, but we’re seeing fast-growing demand from FMCG and other sectors as well. This multi-pronged structure gives us flexibility and resilience.
We don’t depend on just one platform, creator, or client category — we’re always building and adapting. We also continuously onboard new talent and expand into fresh verticals so we’re ready for the next wave of attention and engagement. It’s about staying relevant without being dependent on any single trend.
You often speak about authenticity. How do you maintain that in a highly commercialized digital space?
I spend a huge part of my day consuming content — on TikTok, IG, YouTube, everything. I keep up with global trends, analyze what’s working and why, and share up to 20 creative ad examples with my team and clients daily.
But authenticity isn’t just about being real — it’s about knowing how to integrate your realness with what’s currently working. Creators should localize or adapt trends to suit their tone and audience. Blindly copying viral formats won’t build lasting trust. People remember you for how you show up — not just that you showed up.
What do you see as the future of influencer marketing in Southeast Asia?
It’s only going to grow at a tremendous pace — at least over the next three years. We started with Malaysia-only campaigns, and within two years, we’ve expanded to Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore, each with local teams and dedicated ops. These new markets are already generating multimillion-dollar revenues for us.
Clients who’ve seen our work in Malaysia naturally trust us to deliver in other countries — and that creates a snowball effect. Southeast Asia is still a blue ocean for influencer commerce, and the demand is exploding, especially in gaming, apps, and e-commerce verticals.
What lessons from Malaysia’s market are you taking into your international strategy — and what will you do differently?
Malaysia taught us one key lesson: localization is everything. What works here won’t necessarily work in Jakarta or Manila — and that’s okay. We study what’s trending in China, interpret the core insight, then customize for local markets. That’s the same approach we bring across Southeast Asia.
To do this right, we hire locals who share our creative DNA and hustle culture. They know the audience, the humor, the sensitivities — and that’s how we ensure the content lands.
