Story #4 Influencers

PLJ STORY #4: Influencers

After watching John Comonitski’s talk I learned about influences and the impact they have on social media. Some influencers have a negative impact on the industry depending on what message they are trying to convey. Yet, according to the documentary, “New Kings: The Power of Online Influencers, “Social media influencers are treated as the new royalty.”  It is very interesting how the main influence used to just be media which related to magazine covers and wow it is social media which refers to the online platforms of influencers, which is on mainly Instagram. Coming from generation Z, I am very into online platforms, specifically Instagram and it is for the reason I follow many influencers on this platform. It is very interesting to follow several of influencers and to see the difference in each of their marketing strategies. My favorite online influencer is currently, Danielle Bernstein. She started a blog in 2010, which was her sophomore year of college and within a few years she has transformed into an icon. She is now 27 years old and is known for her clothing company called, WeWoreWhat. She has turned what once was a fashion blog into a brand all from promoting on Instagram and has dropped several of clothing lines that have been and are currently very successful. Her clothing is sold on her own website called WeWoreWhat.com as well as other very popular online shopping platforms, such as, Revolve, Shop-bop, Nordstrom, and many more. She uses Instagram as her major marketing platform because she is constantly promoting her clothing as well as what she wears on a day to day basis which gives many of her follower’s inspiration. According to the article, “The Paradoxical, Pressure-Filled Quest to Build a ‘Personal Brand’”, “You, everything you do—and everything you choose not to do—communicates the value and character of the brand.” (Friedman) It is crucial to have a very good marketing strategy and plan so your brand and the message you are trying to convey stands out. Danielle has a very classy yet unique sense of style that has interested many of her fans as well as given me a lot of inspiration with my clothing choices. Her Instagram account is verified which means she is a very authentic public figure. Her account called WeWoreWhat has 2.3 million followers which says a lot about herself and her brand. Another marketing strategy she uses is by posting Instagram videos of affordable clothing as her brand is on the more expensive side, she wants all of her followers to feel included. Another thing she does is post workout videos with very influential workout figures to allow us to follow the workout with her and support another influencer. Danielle was places on Forbes “30 under 30” for having such a successful brand and being a very important and iconic entrepreneur under the age of 30. She went from being a sophomore in college to seven figured in under six years. Being an influencer is a very hard and competitive industry and according to the article, “The Paradoxical, Pressure-Filled Quest to Build a ‘Personal Brand’”, “Anyone can have a platform now, whether you’re a janitor or a CEO.” (Friedman) Danielle used her unique marketing strategies to get where she is today. All in all, it is very inspiring how Danielle Bernstein also known as WeWoreWhat started out as a normal college girl and is currently one of the most influential figures. She is so inspiring for many young women like myself and I cannot wait to see to see her next post!