Each week I try to take an original approach on a subject being widely talked about in the world of sponsorship. Inspired by the recent ESA webinar on ‘how brands and rights holders are using digital to connect with their most valuable asset – their audience,’ this week, I’m going to delve under the skin of influencer marketing in the age of COVID-19.
As always, to do that with any confidence, I needed to enlist the help of some friends. I call them ‘friends’ not only because I follow them on Instagram and feel the honest, immediate connection they’re able to create with strangers through a social media platform, but also because I know them a little away from their online personas. Having met them all and chatted to them all, I can tell you they’re five very different people with one thing in common – a passion for inspiring, engaging and entertaining their communities. They do this in a way that’s relatable and genuine online because that’s how they are offline.
So who did I chat to, who are they in their own words and what did they have to say?
Charlie Martin @gocharliem, athlete. “Not your average. Creating change and inclusion. Aiming to make LGBT history @24heuresdumans. Be more you, less them #GoCharlie #BeTheChange.”
Charlotte de Carle @charlottedecarle, public figure. “DJ, Presenter & Professional Life Enjoyer.”
Mariah Idrissi @mariahidrissi, public figure. “Fashion. Film. #disneyprincess.”
Lee Chisholm @daddownload, digital creator. “A dad who likes to create and have fun!”
Tomi Adebayo @gadgetsboy, video creator. “Your favourite tech guy and content creator!”
(I don’t like to brag, but I’d also like to take this opportunity to point out that I’ve grown a strong ‘following’ of 315 friends and family on Instagram over the last four years. Praise where it’s due.)
Once I’d enlisted my victims, I asked them all three questions:
- How has lockdown changed the relationship between influencers and their communities?
- How have content creation opportunities in lockdown changed?
- What’s ‘appropriate’ content for influencers to share during a crisis?
Their answers reminded me that to be a good ‘influencer’ (as much as Lee says he winces at the label) is a craft, relentlessly demanding top quality content and the ability to connect with your community even in times of change beyond your control to your and their lives.
Mariah explained that even as we sit in lockdown, many of us are unlocking our more vulnerable sides online. Lee pointed out that we have to remember other people’s contexts because while one person may wish for a bigger garden, another may be wishing they had any garden at all.
Charlotte uses her creativity to create perspective for herself as well as her followers, seeing lockdown as a unique opportunity to relive her favourite parts of her childhood when most of us spent more time at home (and for many of us social media didn’t exist). She’s also proven that there are infinite ways to stage an eye-catching shot in your kitchen!
They all see themselves as much part of the community as a voice or inspiration for the community. They also all feel the sense of sharing, coming together and supporting one another has grown during lockdown. Charlie is intensely aware of the mental, physical and financial hardship people are suffering at the moment and has adapted her content to acknowledge those struggles. Tomi believes that communicating human-to-human is the only option when so much else is out of our control – he focuses on offering a window into his life and what he cares about.
Enough from me though. They’re loved, because they’re great at saying it in their own words, so let’s hear exactly what they had to say:
1. How has lockdown changed the relationship between influencers and their communities?
@gocharliem: Despite the relaxed pace of life (which I’ve enjoyed in many ways). I’ve tried to use the time productively. I’ve had time to comment and reply to my followers and felt even more connected. Patreon (and the income it generates) has been a lifeline when my other types of work have stopped, so I’ve been making content specifically for this channel for a smaller pool of people, bringing a closer, more personal relationship.
@charlottedecarle: I feel closer to my community. We have all been through so much, social media has brought us all together. Don’t get me wrong if I had low days, I took time for myself, but otherwise I keep trying to make fun, engaging, entertaining content not only to brighten other people’s days but also for me. Having something to do gave me a purpose and if even just one person comments or laughs it’s been a successful day.
@daddownload: We are as much a part of the community as any of our followers, so we are in the same boat. My niche is parenting. The community is very supportive, helpful and relatable. We can rely and count on each other, even though technically we are strangers. I am very conscious to empathise with my following. Little things like moaning about the size of your garden are a consideration – some may not even have a garden.
@mariahidrissi: I think lockdown has changed the relationship between influencers and communities by further breaking down barriers and allowing people more of an insight into their reality.
@gadgetsboy: There’s so much happening in the world, it’s the best time to be transparent with my community, whether it’s sharing content that shows I’m just like my community or showing the things I care about. This is the time my community will be spending more time online and anything to ease their minds is very useful.
2. How have content creation opportunities in lockdown changed?
@gocharliem: Influencers and vloggers are seeing a real opportunity to grow their brands and their following while there’s a captive audience glued to their phones. With global Pride celebrations cancelled there’s been a rallying within the LGBT community to come together. There’s a real feeling of uniting to get through this, which has felt more honest and open than purely commercial, which I like. I hope the lessons we’re learning are carried forwards. Of course, there are people making content which is purely ‘look at me’ (I can’t stand TikTok for this very reason!), but a lot of content feels altruistic and like there is a genuine message and thoughtfulness behind it.
@charlottedecarle: I’ve been able to redo all the things I did as a kid. Nostalgia is always a great thing to bring people together. During times when we can’t be with loved ones it’s always nice to reminisce. I’ve been limited in some ways by lockdown, but those limits allowed me to be more creative in other ways. Like how many times can you take a different picture in your kitchen. That’s fun. I think I’ve used every part of my flat now.
@daddownload: More people are spending more time in front of their phone screens, so it’s no surprise that the opportunities have picked up. The thing that is different is the briefs. They are conscious of the scenario we find ourselves in and have been moulded in such a way. I personally have put off jobs and rejected jobs because they do not fit with the situation we find ourselves in. I have seen posts that have bombed because they were insensitive to being locked down, but on the whole, if the agency or brand are aware of the situation, generally the campaigns they’ve sent across have been relevant. Brands and agencies aren’t stupid.
@mariahidrissi: Content creation opportunities are always going to be endless in my opinion. Yes, there is a hinderance in some ways (naturally), but I believe in working with what you have in front of you. If all I have is the four walls of my home and my car, I try to put more emphasis into my captions or the message rather than the visual.
@gadgetsboy: At the start, it meant shooting all content at home. It didn’t really affect me much as I usually film my content from home anyway, but the photography side was limited.
3. What’s ‘appropriate’ content for influencers to share during a crisis?
@gocharliem: Good question! Obligations to sponsors mean I’m trying to give them exposure while I’m not racing on track. I quickly felt at odds with posting photos of my helmet or race car from previous years continually. I try to put some meaning or positivity behind the content I produce. While I’ve made sure I get branding into visuals as much as possible, I’ve been conscious that we are all experiencing hardship right now – mental, financial, and physical. I check before I post that I’m not doing something I’ll later look back on and cringe at… I think it’s about being self-aware.
@charlottedecarle: You have to be sensitive because everybody is dealing with lockdown in different ways. It’s very tough on mental health. Highs and lows are normal, you don’t have to be happy all the time. I think it’s also important to be entertaining. It’s good to find some light during those dark times. It’s ok to want to forget the situation we are all in for a brief moment. Life is too short to be serious all the time. The main point is to remind everyone that we are in this together. J
@daddownload: I am as much a part of the community as anyone who likes, comments or engages with my page so I find it relatively easy to distinguish what is appropriate or not. Campaigns that I’ve accepted have been activities that can be performed in lockdown, without impacting financially, or restricted by location or mobility. Things such as TV Shows, cooking, activities with your kids, or campaigns around awareness to the environment. Campaigns to be avoided would be travelling, or unnecessary expenses such as cars, holidays or extravagances like posh watches. Common sense needs to be applied and that word again – empathy.
@mariahidrissi: Appropriate content is tricky, because what’s appropriate to me may not be to someone else and vice versa. I think a global crisis such as this is something we can’t ignore so naturally there’s a higher level of consciousness about being sensitive with content. At the same time, life needs balance. Hope and laughter are essential.
@gadgetsboy: The best thing is to never voice an opinion unless you’re fully sure and have expert backing. Otherwise, like I said before, we are all in it together and just listening, observing, and adhering to the guidelines is very important.
I’ve noticed during the pandemic that community has become more important than ever. We’re all finding the ways that work best for us to connect with our colleagues and our loved ones. For me, there’s a happy rhythm setting in which is reassuring and enjoyable even though it’s different to what I’m used to.
For influencers, there’s a responsibility to stay connected with and motivate much larger communities. My friends showed me that being down-to-earth, putting ourselves in each other’s shoes and embracing our differences unites us. It doesn’t matter who we are or what our views are, we’re facing a common enemy in the form of the pandemic. If we fight it with empathy and understanding, we can come out stronger.
Most importantly, we mustn’t forget Mariah’s words: hope and laughter are essential.
Katie Traxton is an ESA Board Director and Chief Communications Officer at Formula E. She was previously Managing Partner at WeAreFearless, ESA’s Pan-Europe Sponsorship Agency of the Year.