Remember when the internet freaked out when Instagram shut down for an afternoon? The world caught a small glimpse of what could happen to full-time influencers—and their partners—if Instagram were to disappear completely, and it wasn’t pretty.
Everyone we’ve spotlighted so far in our ‘Influencers Uncovered’ series have expanded in tangible ways that make sense for their audiences and the content they create. Since the future of the app is frankly unpredictable, it’s important for brands to work with influencers that are more “evolved” and go beyond the platform—and we aren’t just talking social.
More and more, we’re seeing fashion bloggers introducing their own clothing lines, foodies publishing their own cookbooks, and travel influencers launching their own downloadable travel guides and products.
For our third and final installment of the series, we are spotlighting some social media personalities who are masterfully taking their talents beyond the Gram to evolve and offer strong alternatives for brands to connect with their followers.
1. @TheFatJewish
Josh Ostrovsky has amassed a following of more than 10 million by sharing his relatable, funny and often inappropriate memes with the world. While Insta-fame alone would have been more than enough to keep him in the limelight, Josh decided to parlay his star power into the retail space by launching his own beverage company called Drink Babe.
Staying true to his personal brand, Josh adopts the same humorous tone that he uses on the ‘gram when it comes to his products – for example, his now infamous White Girl Rosé or his Pinot Grigio that reads, “Family Time is Hard” on the label. Josh clearly knows his audience and continues to serve up memes AND beverages that leave his followers thirsty for more.
2. @girlwithnojob
Claudia Oshry is another meme guru taking her talents beyond the ‘gram. She and her sister Jackie Oshry host a wildly popular morning show called The Morning Toast. Not only does she have a cult-like following of over 3 million Instagram followers, they’ve amassed hundreds of thousands of listeners who tune in daily to their podcast/live YouTube show.
The show also sells merchandise, has a very popular Facebook group where listeners can interact with the Oshry sisters directly, and hosts a three-day event for fans every summer called “Camp Toast” where fans participate in traditional summer camp activities. It’s evident through these unique activations that going off the ‘gram allows them to connect with their audience on a completely new level.
3. @ohjoy
Another influencer who slays the game both on and off Instagram is Joy Cho. What started as a visual platform to showcase Joy’s eye for design and all things DIY has since turned into so much more – Joy has published three books and recently launched Oh Joy! Academy to share her expertise and resources to her millions of followers.
She offers one-on-one business coaching sessions, courses on how to grow a dream team and so much more. Joy’s influence and knowledge sharing both on and offline has opened doors for major brand partnerships including Target, Johnson & Johnson, and her recent collaboration with our client, Embassy Suites by Hilton.
4. @fitmencook
For those plugged into the fitness and health world, you’ve likely heard of Instagram star Kevin Curry of Fit Men Cook. Kevin not only serves up healthy tips and tricks to his millions of followers, but he has established himself as a true resource that spans beyond the social sphere.
As Kevin’s fans became hungrier for more, he launched the Fit Men Cook app where he shares easy, healthy and practical recipes, helps people create meal plans, enables them to track their calories and macros, and encourages them to participate in monthly challenges.
Kevin also released the Fit Men Cook book this past year, allowing him to share even more knowledge and connect with fans on a personal level during his multi-city book tour. The outcome? Successful brand partnerships including one with our client, Homewood Suites by Hilton.
We hope that our ‘Influencers Uncovered’ series has helped you navigate this brave new world, which can certainly be daunting, yet full of opportunity. For further insights on influencers and how to maximize brand partnerships, please reach out to Dana at [email protected].