In this age of constant connection, it’s no wonder we’re wanting to be closer to celebrities than ever before. Cue the rise of influencers -- they’re just like us but happen to have a couple hundred thousand followers across social. Of course, their success is no accident, rather a carefully constructed strategy that’s making it harder to draw a line between celebrity and influencer.
Sarah Boyd, the founder of
SIMPLY, had become an expert on the influencer ecosphere through her time in fashion PR, and her current work with Nylon. She deals with brands and influencers to create effective partnerships, as well as organizes
SIMPLY LA, a comprehensive conference on influencers and their place in digital marketing. “Influencer is such a broad word nowadays, but I see it as someone that influences another person's way of thinking, purchases or impacts their decision making in some way,” Sarah told Citizine. “Celebrities are people who are well-known in the public sphere, but an influencer is someone who actually can encourage the public to buy a product, visit a restaurant or city, try a new trend, etc. The lines are definitely becoming blurred recently, though, as some of the big bloggers are becoming celebrities and walking the red carpets and celebrities are moving into the influencer/blogging space.”
Brands are finally catching onto the power of these influencers and the sense of authenticity their followers buy into. “Many brands are foregoing traditional advertising in favor of influencer marketing campaigns these days," Boyd said. "This can range from gifting influencers product in hopes that they’ll share with their following, to paid social media campaigns." She continued, "I do think the influencer market as it exists right now is approaching a bit of a bubble. Already, brands are moving away from one-off partnerships with influencers and focusing on long-term partnerships and campaigns. Brands are recognizing that while a one-off sponsored post may not move the needle that much on sales or brand recognition, having an influencer repeatedly mention a brand over weeks or months makes the partnership feel more organic and authentic.”
So how do you become an influencer? It all comes down to finding an audience to engage. “Authenticity is so important if you are trying to grow your audience," Boyd offered. “Followers are getting savvy and know that social media is a heavily filtered view of someone’s life—literally and figuratively!—so getting real with your audience will really help set you apart. ”
“A consistent posting schedule will establish familiarity and reliability with your audience, and determine a theme for your feed,” Boyd added. “Whether that’s a certain filter you use, the types of photos you feature, the colors you feature, etc.—[it] will help make your creative vision and style immediately clear to potential new followers.”
Luckily LA has no shortage of photogenic spots. Melrose Avenue has turned into an influencer hotspot with its bright walls and stunning coffee shops. “Some of my favorite spots are Alfred Tea Room, Carrera Cafe, Paul Smith Los Angeles (as 'basic' as that pink wall is, it looks great in pics), and the Melrose Trading Post on Sundays,” Sarah concluded.
Header image courtesy of @lukash199