If you’ve ever taken the time to review my personal branding (Yes, I’m vain enough to assume some of you have done this. Who are we, if not folks doom-scrolling the web and sussing each other out?), you’ve likely noticed two sentences reiterated time and time again. My tagline: “Not an influencer — an editor with influence” and my elevator pitch: “Hannah Montana-style, Bella is an editor by day, influencer by night.”
I know the whole concept of a “personal brand” is one we’ve come to detest as lines continue to dangerously blur between online presence, individual identity and career emphasis, but hear me out. Knowing exactly the type of influencer you are (or want to be, or like to follow, or hope to work with) is important.
Last year, I had the privilege of speaking to a class at my alma mater, Georgetown University. I visited the School of Continuing Studies and chatted to social media students about how a content creator’s digital identity impacts their audience and engagement…and ultimately, lands them brand partnerships. On one slide, I mapped out what I believed to be the three main categories of fashion/beauty influencers. Since then, I’ve decided there are really four, and I’ve defined them in detail below.
Each of these is a valid approach to influencing — and each can be turned into a lucrative full-time career. I’m proof! Some of the people you follow may fit into multiple categories, but the bottom line is that none of the below are better than the others. Certain creators excel in different areas, and therefore move through this industry differently.
When I first began dabbling in the content world, I saw “influencer” as a dirty word. It seemed to imply a spoiled, ego-centric, vapid approach to the work. While I still prefer to be called a “content creator”, there’s no denying that the words can be largely interchangeable. For a long time, I thought only It Girls could be capital-I Influencers — and because I wasn’t striving for It Girl status (more on that below) I didn’t relate to the concept. Now, with these categories more clearly defined in my mind, I feel confident in my career, because I know where I stand, what I excel at and what I’m interested in.
I’m curious to know how you feel about the categories below, especially as they correlate back to the fashion and beauty content we consume on a daily basis. Do you think there’s a creator category I’ve missed? Do you prefer following or working with one type of influencer over the other? Are you a creator who started in one category, then shifted to another? Read on and let me know your thoughts.
If you’re not an influencer, the It Girl probably seems like the most glamorous kind of creator. Think Alix Earle or Meredith Duxbury. The It Girl is aspirationally cool and beautiful, and her appearance and/or personality are key in defining her personal brand. Followers want to be (or be like) the It Girls they subscribe to, which means these creators often have high engagement and loyal followings.
Being an It Girl
Some creators are long-term It Girls while others have a fun but fleeting moment, and it’s up to them to make the most of their time in the limelight (a great example would be Campbell Puckett, of Pookie & Jett fame, who popped off and capitalized perfectly on her temporary popularity, nabbing major brand deals and front row seats at every NYFW show).
It Girls are influencers that have the potential to shift into full-on celebrities, a la Addison Rae. The only real con here is that they are often more at risk of public scrutiny than other influencers, whose platforms are not so individual-focused. It Girls perks include great brand partnership opps, a supportive fan base, access to top-tier events and gifting, and the potential to influence the masses, whether by setting trends or speaking out in a meaningful way. When they post, people pay attention.
Following an It Girl
Following an It Girl is a great way to keep up with the culture — It Girls are always wearing the latest trends, attending the coolest events, and working with the hottest brands. However, It Girls may not necessarily be the best creators to turn to for recommendations and reviews, as their elevated popularity and status doesn’t necessarily imply a breadth of knowledge about the field they’re influencing in beyond a personal interest. (This isn’t always the case, but for the most part…it is.) Still, they’re some of the most fun follows on the Internet. Long live the It Girl!
Working With an It Girl
For brands, working with an It Girl can sometimes be worth blowing the entire budget on one small but impactful post. It Girls do numbers — their followers want to be like them, and they’re willing to pay the price — so the ROI (Return On Investment) is often well worth it. Despite a lack of industry experience, It Girls move products just by liking them. Their personal endorsement is enough to make followers blindly buy.
The polar opposite of the It Girl is the Everyman (or Everywoman, depending on the creator). Whereas the It Girl gains followers because of her aspirational, glamorous nature, the Everyman gains popularity by way of relatability. This is the creator that doesn’t look like she brought a photo of Madison Beer to a plastic surgeon and asked for a Copy + Paste.
What she lacks in Instagram Face, she makes up for with Target runs, Zara hauls and a thriving Amazon storefront. Think of her as your BFF, FaceTiming you to share everything she got at the mall. An Everyman’s engagement can be just as impressive as an It Girl’s, but their content is less about the influencer herself, and more about the subject of the video. This certainly doesn’t deter brands from working with them, though.
Being an Everyman
While the peak of Instagram’s influencer era promoted only It Girls, the Everyman has thrived since TikTok’s heyday first began. She offers an honest perspective — she isn’t trying to get famous, win over brands or attract followers. She just wants to know if you think she should keep or return her new Steve Madden boots. Everyman is the easiest kind of content to start making, but simply posting doesn’t guarantee a large platform. My take? The best Everyman influencers get popular because they’re genuine, accessible and unbiased.
Following an Everyman
The Everyman is a welcome respite from the Internet’s usual feigned perfection — she’s real, relatable, and she’s shopping at stores you probably shop at, too. It’s likely you’ve never heard of this influencer before, but all it takes is one Target haul or Amazon dupe that you would actually consider purchasing for you to find yourself scrolling her page for more relatable recs. What’s more, while only a select few can hold the It Girl title at one time, folks are inclined to follow lots of different Everyman creators. Maybe one creator is your exact size in jeans and she’s your denim review go-to, but another has a similar hair type to your own, so you trust her dry shampoo recommendations. It’s a “the more, the merrier” situation.
Working With an Everyman
Brands love a glitzy It Girl, but tapping Everyman influencers (especially multiple micro- or nanoinfluencers at once) is a great option when their product is a genuine fit for the creator. In fact, you’ll often see not-sponsored videos by Everyman creators turned into paid and boosted content because a brand noticed a video gaining traction and wanted to capitalize on it. The Everyman can and does participate in brand deals (although almost never with luxury or high-end brands), and their following can often see through anything that feels too “sponsored,” as honesty is a core element of their platform. If it makes sense for their personal brand, the ROI can be major.
And now, my favorite category, and the one I’m humbled to be a part of. The Expert is a content creator with real-life experience in the field or industry they create content about. Think editors, stylists, makeup artists, and other creatives who now split their time between their day jobs and, well, talking about their day jobs on the Internet. Or perhaps they’ve quit said jobs and only do the latter!
While I’m most interested in fashion and beauty experts for the sake of today’s musings, any expert can use their industry experience to create content online. Think of Erika Kullberg, a lawyer whose content revolves around reading the fine print, or the many former finance folks making videos on handling taxes, navigating the stock market, or gamifying the credit card rewards points system.
Here on Substack, so many of us are passionate past-life experts in our respective fields, now choosing to share our knowledge in our own voices via our own digital publications. It’s part of the reason I’ve become so madly in love with the platform.
Being an Expert
Unlike Everyman content, expert content requires a background working in a particular industry, so not everyone can do it. (There are tons of folks who try to appear as though they’re in the biz, branding themselves as trend forecasters after a single trip to Zara, but believe it or not, this type of content requires knowledge beyond basic market research.)
While their career path is what draws followers to them, the Experts that really succeed use their platform to not only flex their industry perspective, but expand beyond it and build a connection with their audience, in hopes of pivoting from industry professional/content creator to full-blown influencer. Some of my content is industry perspective, and a lot is showing the daily life of an editor in New York, but I have other interests, too, and highlighting them allows me to present a fuller picture of myself online and strengthen the bond I share with my audience.
Following an Expert
I’m biased, naturally, but I’m of the belief that Experts should be the most influential influencers you follow. Editors like myself have journalistic integrity — meaning we won’t hype up any old thing, because we know the value of our stamp of approval. We’re loyal to the reader, the follower, the buyer. Not the potential brand partner! Same goes for other industry pros, who also value their reputation over staying in brands’ good graces.
Working With an Expert
An expert may not always be able to offer as much ROI as an It Girl (of course, there are creators that fit into two of these categories at once, but I’m generalizing here), but their stamp of approval goes a long way. When I’m hired as talent by a brand, I know they’ve chosen me not necessarily for my engagement, but because my perspective is valuable to the audience they’re trying to attract. For example: any creator can influence viewers to buy a serum based on their personal experience and opinions, but an industry professional is more likely to speak to ingredients, clinical trials, and facts. If you want to partner with an Expert, make sure your product is the real deal — otherwise, you risk the creator passing or delivering a lackluster review.
I used to conflate this category with the Everyman, but the truth is, not all Everymen are Content Wizards. In fact, the former thrives on colloquial language and minimal edits, while a Content Wizard is meticulous and specific. Content Wizards are creators, but not always influencers — UGC, or User Generated Content, is where they shine. It’s not about the creator being influential, but the content being compelling.
Being a Content Wizard
UGC is a type of content creators make for brands to post on a brand’s own social media account. It’s not about the creator having a loyal following, strong engagement or direct ROI. Some Content Wizards are also true influencers (For example, I do UGC for Macy’s, like this video, which gets posted on their social media, but not my own), but others never even show their faces, and specialize in content that is purely product-focused.
Following a Content Wizard
You may be following Content Wizards without even realizing it! Lots of your favorite influencers dabble in UGC, but there are so many talented content creators with no large social media presence of their own. There are also Experts and It Girls who double as Content Wizards, and really go above and beyond putting time and effort into aesthetically pleasing content that goes beyond basic photo concepts or video formulas.
Working With a Content Wizard
These days, brands rely heavily on Content Wizards, whether they hire them as in-house creators or work with them on paid partnerships. In terms of UGC rates, Content Wizards charge for video creation and usage, but because they don’t post the content themselves, it’s a little different than negotiating the standard influencer brand deal. Nevertheless, skilled Content Wizards are a major get for brands that need help promoting their products online in ways that speak to social media users without coming off too infomercial-y.
x BG