Meet the Brazilian influencer turned digital marketing student in Berlin

digital marketing degree
Mi Alves is a Brazilian influencer based in Berlin, Germany. Source: Felipe Minnicelli

A digital marketing degree is more than important ever — even for influencers with a legion of loyal followers. 

In many ways, knowledge of this craft is essential today across both professional and personal channels — especially with our growing reliance on social media. YouTuber Mi Alves understands this perfectly — which is what prompted her to pursue an advanced digital marketing degree.

The content creator and influencer is from Blumenau, a city in the southern region of Brazil. She graduated in advertising in 2017 and quickly discovered her true passion as a digital content creator. In fact, it was her international experience — during an Au Pair exchange in the US — that prompted her interest in creating content. 

“Since 2017, I’ve been working on my digital project to inspire women to study abroad, travel, and discover more about themselves,” she tells Study International. “My goal was to share my experience and inspire other women to do the same.”

Alves has travelled to 23 countries, where she documents and shares her experiences with the world. Today, she’s pursuing a digital marketing degree in Germany. Source: Mi Alves

The importance of a digital marketing degree

In this, Alves has managed to do what most struggle to: create a professional career out of her personal passions. Her online presence has grown exponentially in a matter of a few years — on YouTube, she has over 300,000 subscribers. Her Instagram account has similarly seen large growth, with over 126,000 followers. 

Still, the Brazilian influencer is constantly working on improving herself. She’s chosen to pursue a digital marketing degree in one of Europe’s hottest startup hubs — specifically, an MSc in Digital Marketing at the Berlin School of Business and Innovation (BSBI). 

Alves is a clear example of how international experiences and exposure can prompt growth, both personally and professionally. We speak to her to discover her motivations, how her experiences have shaped her career, and more. 

How did you first start out as an influencer? 

I created my YouTube channel during an Au Pair exchange in the USA. My goal was to share my experience and inspire other women to do the same, and since then I have never stopped travelling, recording my experiences, and publishing them on the internet. 

It’s really amazing the reach my content can have, and the difference it can make in people’s lives. The biggest challenge, I think, is the work that goes into creating content: behind the trips and beautiful photos, there is a lot of planning, research, and commitment, which takes a lot of time. People tend to underestimate that.

What is your favourite part about creating content? 

It is certainly receiving messages of thanks and gratitude from my followers who somehow felt inspired and decided to book the same trip I did, went to the same restaurant, moved to another country, started studying abroad, etc. 

My audience is the main pillar of all my work. Without them, the channel and all the Mi Alves works would not exist. 

Why did you choose to study for a digital marketing degree?

During my professional life, I had the opportunity to work in a Marketing team in two companies and I fell in love with it. When I saw that I could mix marketing with digital — which I already loved — I decided to get a digital marketing degree. BSBI has the perfect course that combines these two universes and helps me better understand new trends and the market.

Tell us about your educational journey. What led you to BSBI? 

In college, I created my YouTube channel to document and share my experiences with women around the world. Since then, I’ve visited 23 different countries and in most of them, documented every day of the trip. On one of those trips, I went to Berlin and fell in love with the city.

I initially thought I would have to learn German to study and live there, but eventually found that I could take a programme in English. I chose BSBI for being a perfect combo between quality and good value for money.

What sets Alves’s content apart from the rest is her desire to truly help shape the decisions and lives of aspiring international students and travellers. Source: Mi Alves

Describe your experience at the BSBI. 

My experience studying at BSBI has been very positive. Some teachers were very important to my learning, but above that, I highly value the connections I made with classmates. Understanding and respecting differences, learning more about different cultures, and debating different topics make the class richer and more interesting. 

What was your experience like as an international student in Germany? 

I usually say that I live in Berlin and not in Germany. The rest of the country is very different from its capital, so I don’t feel bad about not being able to speak German yet, or not following German traditions. 

Berlin is so diverse and multicultural that, depending on where I am, I feel like I’m in a completely different country. Here I feel at home because everyone around me is also a foreigner! 

What advice would you give to aspiring content creators who wish to follow in your footsteps?

My advice is: do it because you want to do it, not for fame, partnerships, or free stuff. This all comes with time, but you only get it if you maintain the passion, commitment and truth in the content you create. 

First, dedicate yourself to creating content, finding your niche, adding something positive to people’s lives, and then reap the fruits of this profession!