Is IGTV the End for YouTube?

The concept of vlogging, which I discussed in my previous post, is becoming increasingly more popular for influencers. YouTube has served as the primary platform for vlogs since their rise to fame, but that may no longer be the case.

Last week, Instagram introduced "IGTV," a new feature that allows users to post up to one-hour long videos (as opposed to the former ceiling of one single minute). IGTV has sparked many conversations, and even a bit of controversy, since it was released on June 20th. However, the influencer community has seemed to come to the general consensus that this is the next big thing.

Since the IGTV announcement, the New York Times published an article, "Instagram Goes Long. Will You Follow?," hypothesizing the pros and cons of utilizing this new feature. Jonah Engel Bromwich opened the article by expressing that, "Those who make a living through Instagram... are thrilled about the company's new feature." He goes on to explain that the element of convenience, both for producers and consumers, has proven to be highly successful in terms of social media. And, well, I have to agree...

Almost two years ago, Instagram introduced "stories," a feature that formerly existed exclusively on Snapchat. At the time, people didn't seem too fazed by this. In fact, most people, myself included, had every intention to continue their regular use of Snapchat stories. That, of course, isn't what ended up happening. In the last two years, the use of Snapchat, especially for the purpose of stories, has been on a rapid decline. A lot of the articles and statistics surrounding the company's drop in growth cannot correlate it to Instagram, but it's fair to say that all signs still point in that direction.

With Snapchat as an example of a real-life Instagram takeover, things are looking a little ominous for even a company as wildly popular as YouTube. Will you now be watching your favorite influencers on IGTV? Let me know in the comments below!

Adding a New Element: Vlogging

Now that I have covered most of the bases when it comes to Instagram content, I want to acknowledge another major platform for influencers and bloggers: YouTube! As of recently, I have noticed that more and more influencers who use Instagram as their primary channel have turned to YouTube for "vlogging." Vlogging is essentially the same thing as blogging, but the posts are in video form. This allows influencers to give more thorough elaborations and visuals for basically anything they presenting their audience. Let's take a look at how Sivan Ayla, an LA-based fashion and beauty influencer, uses her YouTube channel to add a whole other dimension to a brand.

Beauty-based content is one of, if not the, most popular content that Ayla produces. In the video above, we can see that Ayla uses vlogging as a way to create tutorials for her users. On top of showing you the process to getting her makeup look, she's also able to explain the reason behind using the products that she has chosen. This is another platform that some companies absolutely love to see bloggers on, because it's a very simply way for product promotion. Ayla has also used vlogging to expand her horizons as an influencer. She now uses YouTube to give tours of her house remodel or to answer Q&As on her pregnancy. Again, this is how vlogging adds that new dimension to her brand. 

I do also want to discuss the video itself. While Ayla has a distinct collection of cohesive and well-curated content on Instagram, she is able to have a bit more free rein here. In other words, she does not have to worry about visual cohesion between her vlogs because they are not displayed on a feed the same way that they would be on Instagram. However, she still maintains a consistent style throughout her videos by using simple backdrops, neutral color schemes, naturally bright light, etc. 

Vlogging is rapidly growing in popularity, and honestly, I can understand why. Ayla has successfully  incorporated a whole new platform into her "influencing" and now I can't stop watching!

The Feed of an Influencer

In one of my previous posts, I gave a step by step rundown on how to achieve a better Instagram feed, especially for those dabbling in the influencer game. For some people though, this is better explained through visuals. So, now that I've explained the process in words, I thought I'd show you what it looks like in action!

Before I give you any context, I just want you to look at the image and make some mental notes. What is the first thing that catches your eye? What colors are you seeing? Is this something you enjoy looking at? Can you figure out the sub-industry that this influencer fits into? These are some of the questions that viewers will be subconsciously asking themselves when visiting your profile, so they're important questions to be asking yourself, especially when you are looking for inspiration or analyzing a competitor's feed.

This profile belongs to Mary Lawless Lee, also known as @happilygrey on Instagram. She is a fashion influencer and blogger based in Nashville, TN. I chose Lee's profile as my example because throughout all of the years that I have followed her, I have noticed two major themes: variety and consistency. Now, I know those two elements may sound contradictory, but both are key when it comes to curating cohesive visual content.

The first thing about Lee's profile that I want to point out is her color palette. While most of the images contain different colors, the images are not overly contrasted to one another. Lee achieves a "clean feed" by using primarily grey backgrounds, including other neutral elements, and applying the same filter to her images. This color consistency is also helpful in identifying her style and taste.

While her colors are consistent, her feed appears anything but dull. She brings in a pop of color, creates a sense of depth, and emphasizes the subject of her images by utilizing the small details in her content. Attention to detail is required when creating (in this case, shooting) content, but it's even more important to be thorough in your editing and organization process. Although we cannot see the raw images, we can still tell that Lee isn't afraid to shoot with brighter colors. Thanks to her editing style, those colors never appear overwhelming. (Note: Editing, especially with a lot of colors, is one of the more challenging aspects of this process and it requires practice, so if you're just starting out, I would keep it simple for now.)

The screenshot above is also from Lee's feed, but it contains some of her older content. While her feed still looks good here, her colors are quite a bit more contrasted and edited differently. By comparing her older content to her new content, you can see that her feed has become even more cohesive as she has gained more experience and as her brand has grown. This should encourage you to stick with a plan, but be open-minded. In other words, you will learn a lot as you go!

The last thing that I want to point out is Lee's use of a "content cycle." The second screenshot of Lee's older feed includes four distinct types of visual content: solo content, product content, filler content, and personal content. A variety of content keeps viewers intrigued and, ironically, helps create cohesion.

Lee's feed exhibits her minimalist style but includes elements of liveliness throughout, showing that she, or rather her brand, is far from boring. Feel free to refer back to my previous post, Five Steps to a Better Feed, to learn more about some of these tools seen on Lee's profile!

Navigating Instagram's Insights

The Instagram feature that allows you to switch from a personal profile to a business profile may have existed for a while now, but it's becoming increasingly more popular. For those of you who are unfamiliar, a business profile allows users to access the analytics of their content, amongst a handful of other tools. This feature can be incredibly useful, especially for influencers using the application, but only if you know how to navigate it and what to do with the data that it provides.

Unfortunately, there's no way to play around with the business feature without changing your settings. Furthermore, it's only really beneficial if you keep this feature on long-term. So, once you have changed your settings, you'll have to give the app about a week, maybe two before it can provide you with proper insights from your content (Note: people often use fake titles, such as "Movie Character," when switching their accounts. There's nothing wrong with doing so, but just remember that choosing your title is part of the brand that you are building).

Anything that you post after switching your accounts will provide you with analytics of that individual post. To access this, go to your desired post → click "View Insights" → scroll up on the white section that just appeared at the bottom of your screen. Your entire screen should now provide your analytics. You can play around with this as you please, but for now, shift your focus to "Reach," toward the bottom of the page. Take the reached number of people → then take the number of likes at the top of the page → calculate the percentage of people who liked the post out of the total number of people who saw the post. Your reach number is perhaps the most valuable of an individual post's analytics because it puts an emphasis on engagement, rather than quantity of likes.

Once you go back to your profile page → click the bar at the top (it should read, "X number of profile visits in the last 7 days"). This will take you to your more general insights. Make a note of your highest days and times of interaction, but be sure to dig a little deeper. If you had a significantly higher number of interactions on Monday than you did on Tuesday, but you posted on Monday and you did not post on Tuesday, it is illogical to conclude that your followers are not as interactive on Tuesday. A more helpful set of insights for user interaction can be found by clicking "Audience" on the far right of your screen → then scrolling all the way to bottom to "Followers" → then clicking the light grey "Days" to the right of that. Here, you will actually be able to see if there's a consistent difference in engagement on certain days.

The issue here is that a lot of people are receiving these insights, but they're not sure which is most important to focus on, especially when some are more difficult to access than others. Furthermore, this feature is only beneficial if you know how to interpret Instagram's analytics and what to do with them. There are plenty of other tools that come with the business feature on Instagram, so I encourage you to further explore! That being said, try to focus on the specific insights that I have noted to best figure out what is simply working and what is not.

Five Steps to a Better Feed

In the digital world, our feeds (or in other words, our individual profiles) serve as our first impressions of one another. It is the first place that we can go to learn about another user and it is the first place other users can go to learn about us. That being said, our feeds are a great tool for building a brand because we have the control to portray ourselves or our product/service however we want, even if it's an illusion. However, people new to the influencer industry often fail to recognize the work that goes into achieving a feed that best represents your brand, not just you. My previous post gave tips on entering the influencer arena, but the following five steps can help you specifically tackle the visual challenges of building your influencer brand:

1. Decide on a Starting Point: As I mentioned in my previous post, you have a decision to either build your brand from scratch (a.k.a. a brand new social media presence) or work off your pre-existing profiles. First off, you will only make this process harder if you are focusing too much on working with old content, a reason why some people are drawn to a blank canvas. On the flip side, working with your original profile(s) typically allows for a stronger initial audience because you get to keep all of your original followers. But, again, if you continue to work on these platforms, you must be aware of any and all past content that you are associated with. This is an entirely personal choice but it is important to consider this thoroughly before moving forward any further, as your decision cannot really be altered. 
2. Initiate a Plan: Once you have either decided to start with an entirely clean slate or gone in and cleaned up your original feeds, you can start planning ahead. Your plan will develop and maybe even change a bit as you follow the next few steps, but for now, you should create what is known as your content cycle. This content pattern will ensure a middle ground between variety and consistency of content. For example, a fashion influencer who primarily uses Instagram would have a cycle that looks something like this: individual shot, product shot, filler image, group shot, personal content, etc. This is just an example, but it shows the most suitable series of content, which you must identify for yourself based on your sub-industry and content, as well as an order that should be followed consistently. All of that being said, remember that cohesive content is the top visual priority, so feel free to make small adjustments to your cycle if necessary. 
3. Choose a Color Palette: Now that we have established the beginning of the planning process, we can move onto the next step. If you chose to work with your pre-existing feed(s), go look at any of your content that is already posted. Is there a pattern with colors? If not, or if you are starting from scratch, think about the style and colors that you often use, wear, see, capture, etc.  This will help you identify the colors in your specific palette. For example, if you are a minimalist, then you should have a primarily white feed. Similarly, if you like more rustic themes and settings, then you should incorporate different shades of brown.
4. Create an Editing Strategy: Your raw content should fall into the color palette that you have chosen, but the real key is in your editing. You should have at least one editing applications where you can adjust lighting and other details to enhance visual quality. Then, you should have only one editing application that you use to adjust colors. You should choose only one colored filter from your options, similar to the presets that Instagram offers you, but you can always change the strength of the effect to fit your specific image. This is one area where content creators either really thrive or tend to struggle, but as you become more familiar with your own process, I promise that it will get easier. Practice makes perfect, especially here.
5. Follow Your Plan: With a definitive starting point, a content cycle specific to you, and an identified visual style, your have successfully started creating a plan for your influencer brand. However, continuing to plan ahead is imperative. Going forward, you will need to stock up on content. Remember, you're creating a brand here, not displaying your most personal self. You are no longer just posting when you feel like it, but rather following things like a specific schedule (i.e. every other day at 5 pm PST) and your specific content cycle. You are not going to produce the highest quality content, or even most relevant content for that matter, unless you give yourself enough time to collect and curate it. Take advantage of applications, such as Planoly, to help you with this. Additionally, pay attention to the responses from your different posts, understand the analytics behind them, and make any necessary adjustments to your plan.

The last step says it all, as sticking to your plan is key! Like anything else, you must not get discouraged. With an influx of people trying to dabble in this new industry, that may been difficult, but it is essential. 

How to Become an Influencer

I recently realized that one of the most debated questions about influencers is how to become one. Sure, there are some people who are merely curious, but in this day in age, it seems more and more people are wondering for themselves. I've briefly touched on this in a previous post, when I explained that there are a lot of bloggers-turned-influencers out there, but what about entering the industry with no prior experience in the field? For those trying to create their own influencer brand or even just wanting to dabble in the newfound industry, here's where to start:

• Start From a Clean Slate: First impressions are everything, so before you start branding yourself as an influencer, make sure that any pre-existing content on your channels coincides with the brand that you are trying to create. Some people go as far as creating new profiles, but keep in mind that your original followers can be helpful in gaining traction and exposure.
• Narrow Your Focus: Although you may have many interests, a key element to branding yourself, especially as an influencer, is to hone in on your most important and relevant passion. Similar to blogging, you should be focusing on one thing, usually something specific enough to be personal but broad enough to always generate new content. For example, if your niche is food, then narrow that down further to cooking or restaurant reviews.
• Differentiate Yourself: Taking the previous tip one step further, try to be aware of pre-existing influencers with similar interests and differentiate yourself. 
• Create Cohesive Content: Given that you are working on a predominantly visual channel, such as Instagram, your content needs to be especially cohesive. Not only should your posts be relevant to your other posts in terms of subject, but they should also be visually appealing next to one another. Pick your color palette and stick with that by using similar backgrounds and edits for your photos. The goal is for someone to visit your profile page and immediately be able to identify your style.
• Plan Ahead: Build up enough content for at least a month's worth of posting. This will help you with cohesive content and also with staying consistent. By using apps like Planoly, you can see what content works well together, which can also help you plan the order in which to post.
• Be a Good User: The best way to keep others engaged is by being an active user yourself. Engage in others' posts, but also be sure to respond to those who are engaging in your content. This will help you boost exposure and recognize your most popular content (so that you can produce more). On top of everything else, it can help you beat the new Instagram algorithm too! (You know, the one that now takes posts out of chronological order and spits them out in what seems to be, but actually isn't, a random order.)

While there may not be a cookie cutter way for all of us to become successful influencers, these tips  cover the basics on how to properly dabble in this new, quickly-growing industry.

Where to Start Learning About Influencer Marketing?

For all my high school English teachers, I have a confession: I am an avid Wikipedia user. Now, before I put anyone in a state of shock, let me explain why I find Wikipedia to be helpful. 

Given that the world of influencers is still fairly new and also constantly evolving, it’s often hard to get a full understanding of that industry. I try to stay up to date on new marketing techniques, social platforms, technological advancements, etc. (really anything that could potentially affect the market), but, yes, I am guilty of turning to Wikipedia for basic assistance in my research. While I never rely solely on Wikipedia, I have found it to be a valuable tool to gather new information or narrow my focus and then do further research on anything I find (especially to ensure it’s true). I also believe that we are responsible for helping each other learn, so I’m one of those people who actually adds to Wikipedia pages when I feel it is necessary to. That being said, when I was looking through Wikipedia just the other day, I couldn’t help but notice the vagueness of the content under, "Influencer Marketing” particularly the sub-section titled, “Why on social networks?”. The original explanation read as follows:

Brands are evolving in terms of marketing. While putting an ad on television has a high cost, working with an influencer has a negligible cost in relation to the possible benefits it can receive. For example, if an influencer has 200,000 followers on Instagram and a company gives them a product on the condition that he exposes it to his audience, this company would be making an investment of the cost of a product in exchange for reaching at least the large most followers of the public figure. More and more people areusing the Internet and more importantly speaking in terms of marketing, more and more people are using online platforms to make purchases. This increase in the number of online purchases forces some companies to invest more resources in their general advertising on the Internet and in particular on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter or those already named Instagram and YouTube among others.

This information is all incredibly valuable to someone learning about the field of influencer marketing, but it only scratches the surface for a fully loaded question. I wanted to share this Wikipedia page to help others grasp the basics of influencer marketing, but before doing so, I took it upon myself to add further explanation at the end of the section:

In addition, marketing through social networks allows for an instantaneous purchase process, as a person can see the item and typically be connected to an online retailer immediately. This creates less lag time between seeing the advertisement and being redirected to the product, which is more effective for spontaneous purchases.

This information is important to include because the original author(s) gave reasons without any elaboration. While the initial version of this section acknowledged that internet promotion is more valuable than modern television advertisements, the explanation was limited to two reasons: the number of people being reached and the difference in marketing costs. This section failed to identify the third key benefit to social media marketing. Although I only edited this one section, the lack of depth existed in most of the article. This section serves as a very clear example of how the article could have benefited from more elaborations and further detail, but, overall, I will say that this page successfully gives a good framework for the topic. I will also admit that the lapse in certain detail probably exists due to the constant changing and evolving analytics in this field. Feel free to check it out yourself (and even add anything of value, if you dare).

Entertainment Influencers

I recently finished watching the first season of Netflix's 13 Reasons Why, and, truth be told, I probably wouldn't have committed if it weren't for Selena Gomez's involvement in the series.

For some context, I am not some huge Selena Gomez fan. However, I tend to agree with her beliefs and opinions (well, those that she voices publicly), I follow her on social media, and I saw her creating lots of hype for the show. Additionally, I was both more hesitant and more intrigued to watch the show because of its main topic: suicide. When I was young, my father committed suicide and I've spent the majority of my life raising awareness to mental illness. That being said, it makes me excited about others doing the same, but also makes me nervous to see such a fragile topic in an entertainment setting. So, anyway, I ultimately fell into Gomez's marketing trap, watched the show, and, man do I have a lot of feelings.

First off, I think that the correlation between bullying and depression (as well as other mental disorders and suicide) that the show highlighted was a strong element. This is an arena that few television and movie creators dabble in, as it has high risk for controversy. Here, the producers established a realistic portrayal of bullying and identified the short and long-term effects that it could have on someone, especially at the vulnerable age of 16.

The series was also very well casted, which I felt contributed to the effectiveness of the show's message. The creators did not choose a high-profile cast, but rather a group of relatable yet quirky, seemingly ordinary yet unique, and diverse high school students. By doing this, the creators did not place much emphasis on the people playing these roles, but rather the characters themselves.

The show also used an excellent marketing tool: their executive producer, Selena Gomez. I already touched on this above, but, to be clear, I do respect this strategy from a business perspective. This is where the use of influencers to represent one's brand can be very effective. However, from a personal perspective, this seemed insensitive. Gomez reached millions of people through her social network when advocating for the show. While this may seem harmless, the concern is that of those millions of people who follow her, a significant percentage have been or could be affected by mental illness, suicide, bullying, sexual misconduct, etc. Many of these followers, especially the younger ones, still may have an inclination to watch the series despite the potential triggers it could evoke. My take on Gomez's advocacy for the show is, again, mainly personal, so I could understand how others may not see the need for concern here, but this raises my next point.

Perhaps my biggest critique of the series is the plot itself. I know that that may seem a bit drastic, but the mere idea of blaming others for a suicide is NOT spreading proper awareness. In regards to Gomez as the influencer behind the series, this kind of storyline strikes me as dangerous given how many young, easily impressionable people are watching based on her suggestions. Furthermore, the pain of people struggling with any kind of mental disorder or trauma is not to be diminished, but the circular concept that projecting such pain onto those who once hurt you is completely ineffective and practically barbaric. Seeking some sort of revenge does not relieve pain, nor does taking your life. However, supporting one another and forgiveness does.

As I have started the second season of 13 Reasons Why, I have found a few redeeming qualities within the show. Overall, I think that the series has potential to use its platform to spread more appropriate awareness, but as far as the first season goes, the creators were a bit too desensitized for my liking. My review stems from my honest opinion, as well as my emotional connection to the subjects covered in this show, so I hope this unique perspective allows other viewers to consider some of what I have covered today.

If you or anyone you know if ever suffering from addiction, depression, or suicidal thoughts, please call this number: 1-800-273-8255.

"Things Are Not Always As They Seem"

While influencers have provided new and effective methods for brands to market themselves, the impact on our personal lives appears concerning. At this point, social media, as a whole, have existed long enough for people to recognize the dangers that it poses to our mental health. There are plenty of studies and statistics out there to build an argument about the risks associated to social media, but I want to focus on perhaps the biggest potential risks that I see stemming from the influencer industry specifically.

Influencers' ability to directly impact and persuade others is what makes them such an effective marketing and business tool. People see someone like Kim Kardashian wearing Diff Eyewear sunglasses and, all of a sudden, the whole world feels like they need a pair. I would be lying if I said that I, myself, have never been tempted to purchase these glasses and, honestly, I don't even like the style of them! Again, this is what makes influencers so beneficial for brands. But, on the flip side, having so much influence over others seems disconcerting to me.

Let me ask this: Who is the biggest influence in your life? When I think of the biggest influence in my life, I think of my grandfather. After my dad passed away when I was only six months old, my grandfather voluntarily took on the role of my father figure. Throughout all the years of my life, he has exhibited resilience, selflessness, humility, and love. He exhibits the true qualities of a role model, qualities that I now aspire to have myself.

Most people would probably still answer my original question with someone who is a part of their personal lives (whether that be a friend, family member, etc.). However, now that digital technology is finding ways for us to have such personal relationships with people that we don't even know, I fear that the people on our Instagram feeds are soon going to be the biggest influences in our lives, whether we realize it or not.

Not only are more and more people starting to desire the material things and lifestyles of certain influencers, but some of them are failing to recognize the value of what they already have. The quote, "things are not always as they seem," is easily applicable here. One might call it a bit cliché, but the reality is that the way that people present their lives online is almost always glorified. We already know this though... or do we? For something that seems to be so evident and even commonly discussed (at least within my groups of friends), we seem to be giving into the fantasy lives that we see online. As a result, I feel as though there's a constant subconscious pressure, especially for the people in my age group (a.k.a. college students and young adults), to present our own lives in a certain way.

Although I could gather statistics or articles about the growing dangers of social media, I wanted to take this opportunity to explain the concerns, especially with influencers, that I see from my unique perspective of an avid social media user and a regular 21-year old girl. I may not be able to offer a grand solution to the points I have raised, but by opening this discussion from a raw and honest standpoint, I hope others feel more comfortable doing the same.

From Newspaper Clippings to $500,000 per Instagram Post

Marketing is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as, "the action, business, or process of promoting and selling a product, etc., including market research, advertising, and distribution." Social media have given brands the ability to accomplish almost all aspects of marketing through one platform (which can be shared on different social media channels), but my focus throughout this blog is mainly on the advertising and exposure side of marketing.

Before social media played such a big role, brands relied on traditional advertising for exposure. By traditional advertising, I'm referring to classified ads, commercials, endorsements, posters, billboards, etc. When blogging was first created in 1994, marketing teams recognized this as a new way for their brand to gain exposure. People from all over the world quickly started blogging about everything from travel, to food, to fashion - the list goes on. This, in turn, meant that almost any brand could find a blogger that wrote about or provided content for products or services in that same industry.

While blogging has proven to be a successful marketing tool, something "bigger and better" has since entered into the arena. Social media originally did not pose a threat to blogging. Given that most bloggers already had a strong digital presence, they could easily use social media as their own marketing tool to bring their readers together and advertise their own content. However, most of the people who were once bloggers have now transformed into what we call "influencers." Another term for influencers is "content creators." Now that social media channels, such as Instagram, allow people to publish and access content more easily than ever before, the efforts that go into blogging seem impractical, resulting in most people generating content solely for their social media channels. In addition, this is also the result of a shift in demand for certain content. Although Instagram is not solely responsible, this specific social media channel has definitely impacted the demand for visual content. We have seen a drastic increase in photos and videos, as opposed to written content, since Instagram was created in 2010.

Influencers, some of which have no relationship to blogging, are now in the forefront of marketing. These content creators have generated a significant enough following that brands now look to them for exposure. From newspaper advertisements, to blog posts, to now booming Instagram profiles, the world of marketing has inarguably changed and will continue to do so as society and technology evolves.

What Exactly Is An Influencer?

Analyzing the ways in which social media is restructuring the framework for the marketing and advertising industries is difficult to say the least. However, identifying and conforming to these changes in a time-efficient way is essential to one's survival as a brand or influencer on social media. While my central focus is specifically on the current role that "influencers" play in marketing, this focus may shift as the modern-day relationship between social media and marketing continues to evolve.

First off, we must understand where exactly social media meets marketing as of right now. Most successful businesses in this day in age have an online presence via different social media platforms. These social media channels serve as a place for a business to create and distribute content that best represents its service, product, inspirations, culture, etc. This helps a person or company build their "brand," as does the presence of a service or product on outside social media channels. This is where the term "influencers" comes in. Influencers are people with (typically) large followings, who promote a business through posts on their own personal social media channels (and are often paid to do so). Now, people can see what kinds of people use a product or service, which helps to further understand the brand as a whole. In addition, businesses use influencers to gain exposure, which, in turn, should result in new/more consumers.

What companies would once spend to get their product on a billboard is now being used toward promoting their business online, more specifically, through influencers. Is this new marketing technique here to stay? Will social media continue to take marketing into uncharted territories? How must we adapt, both as consumers and producers? Times have clearly changed and I am here to discuss and explore these changes.