{"id":64464,"date":"2019-09-13T16:09:52","date_gmt":"2019-09-13T20:09:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/?p=64464"},"modified":"2020-09-03T05:53:12","modified_gmt":"2020-09-03T09:53:12","slug":"how-three-social-media-queens-win-followers-and-influence-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/creativity-culture\/how-three-social-media-queens-win-followers-and-influence-people","title":{"rendered":"How three social media queens win followers and influence people"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cInfluencer\u201d: It\u2019s a job title that didn\u2019t even exist 15 years ago, and yet the art of engaging social media followers with aspirational curated content has evolved into a business that\u2019s not only legitimate but often lucrative and seriously in demand. And it\u2019s not just the pros who aim for online clout\u2014even casual users of social media platforms are often looking for ways to boost their following and generate more meaningful interactions with their online communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how do you actually gain\u2014and maintain\u2014influence? For the answers, we looked to three of the biggest names on the scene. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With over 5 million followers on Instagram alone, Aimee Song, a WeWork member in L.A., is one of the most well-known fashion influencers 11 years after starting her blog, Song of Style<\/a>, as a college freshman. Brazilian-born Camila Coelho<\/a> has parlayed her fashion and beauty know-how into a YouTube subscribership of over 4 million, a following of over 8 million on Instagram, and her latest venture, a clothing line<\/a> that launched this June in partnership with Revolve. L.A.\u2013based Chriselle Lim<\/a>, who boasts over a million Instagram followers, is the founder and CEO of creative agency CINC Studios<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below, get insight and advice gleaned from panel discussions with the three influencers, which took place during NYFW at WeWork Now<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chriselle Lim, founder and CEO of CINC Studios (middle) in conversation with brand strategist Idalia Salsamendi (right) at WWD Style Dimension. Photograph by Women’s Wear Daily<\/em>\/Patrick D. MacLeod <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

What you<\/em> like matters more than your ‘likes’<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the social media game, it\u2019s all about the likes. Your content is regarded as more significant\u2014and profitable\u2014if it generates impressive engagement. And there\u2019s a psychological aspect at play, too: Many studies have shown that receiving likes can boost dopamine levels to an addictive degree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it gets all too easy to confuse the euphoria of racking up likes with actual fulfillment, says Song. Though Instagram initially piqued her interest because she could share photos of her dog\u2019s antics, her Halloween costumes, and favorite meals, like-chasing quickly took over. \u201cIn the beginning, it was healthy because I was doing it for myself,\u201d she says of using social media. \u201cI just wanted to create a moment.\u201d After people responded positively to her photos and her follower count exploded, her motivation shifted. \u201cI started looking at the likes,\u201d she remembers. \u201c\u2018Oh my gosh, this only got X number of likes. When I went overboard on this other photo, I got much more likes.\u2019 I started doing it for the validation. That\u2019s where the problem arises. Your passion and hobby are no longer your passion and your hobby.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Align yourself with brands you truly believe in<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Spotlighting and recommending products through ads and collaborations is the bread and butter of many influencers\u2019 careers. It can be tempting to gravitate toward the most profitable partners and deals, but top influencers warn that your audience will quickly suss it out if you\u2019re pushing a product just for the payoff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I started working with brands, [I realized that] if I don\u2019t like something, it\u2019s going to sound awkward and fake,\u201d explains Coehlo. \u201cI made the decision that I would only advertise things I truly believe in.\u201d A quick profit wasn\u2019t worth the potential risk of alienating her supporters, she adds. \u201cEven when we weren\u2019t making any money, I said no. If I lose my followers\u2019 trust, it\u2019s forever.\u201d Lim contrasts \u201cthe more, the merrier\u201d mentality she had toward the beginning of her career with her current \u201cquality over quantity\u201d mindset. \u201cWith less but more thought-out content, brands are benefitting, followers are benefitting, and I am benefitting because it\u2019s less stress,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Song also noted how organic discovery and research of products you\u2019re truly interested in can lead to authentic, mutually beneficial collaboration. She pointed to a period when she had taken up juicing, and her followers suggested she use a slow juicer for higher nutritional value. She dove into online research to find the most suitable model, and after opting for one from a Korean brand, the company coincidentally reached out to her for partnership opportunities a week later. \u201cI always feel like I manifest it,\u201d she says of genuine partnerships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Be willing to adjust your POV<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, all three influencers explain, growing and maximizing your opportunities can require lowering your defenses. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to just listen to good comments, but I like reading the bad comments,\u201d said Coelho. \u201cSome are not just mean. Some people give good feedback.\u201d As a public figure, you have to distinguish unconstructive criticism, harmful attacks, and demands that sacrifice your integrity from suggestions that might benefit you or opportunities that could expand your platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lim spoke about the reversal many brands underwent in their attitude toward working with bloggers of color in recent years, as they realized how profitable and brand-beneficial embracing diversity could be. Suddenly, companies who had ignored her were clamoring to work with her. \u201cI was really offended by that at the beginning. You didn\u2019t want me before and now you do?<\/em>\u201d she says. Though her anger was valid, she\u2019s glad she considered the situation from a different vantage point. \u201cI had to put that into perspective\u2014it was my personal ego in the way. If they\u2019re using me and I like their aesthetic, I\u2019m going to do the same\u2014use them!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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YouTube beauty and fashion influencer Camila Coelho speaking at WWD Style Dimension. Photograph by Women’s Wear<\/em> Daily<\/em>\/Patrick D. MacLeod <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Take care of yourself<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the glossy landscape of social media, the ease of comparison, a breakneck pace, and a revolving-door mentality toward what\u2019s considered trendy, relevant, and, by extension, valuable all coalesce into a recipe for precarious mental health. Song credits therapy, which she started a year ago after a friend\u2019s recommendation, with helping her to prioritize her mental fitness. Despite an initial aversion to the concept (\u201cIf you\u2019re from an Asian household, you don\u2019t talk about how you feel,\u201d says Song, who is Korean-American), she\u2019s found that her therapy sessions have influenced every other aspect of her life. \u201cI became a better communicator,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other boons to her peace of mind are unplugging (she didn\u2019t use her phone at all during a two-week vacation this summer, and plans to do it again in the future) and one key realization about standing out from the crowd. \u201cSince I was very little, I always wanted to be somebody else. I always looked up to other people, like the popular girls in high school,\u201d she says. \u201cBut I realized that no matter how hard I worked, if I’m trying to be like somebody else, I’m always going to be second best. If I stay true to who I am, then I’m going to be the best version of myself.\u201d And that individualism is a true asset, she adds. \u201cNowadays, [being] different is so much cooler than being just like everybody else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rachel Mosely is a freelance writer and editor based in New York. She covers entertainment, culture, and travel, with work appearing in <\/em>Cosmopolitan, Town & Country, Elle, The Root, and more.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n