Matters of Influence: Week of 2/28/21

Influencer marketing news moves at the speed of social media. Every platform update, algorithm tweak, and current event makes a huge difference to the influencer marketer. We’ll help you keep up.

Julius product spotlight

Understanding who an influencer is (from the stories they share to the ideas they stand for) is the first step to finding a fantastic partner, but understanding their audience is what helps marketers drive the most impact. Further, understanding how their audience compares to the rest of the online community helps you ensure that they’re going to make a perfect fit for your brand. To learn more about how Audience Indexing can help you reach your target audience, check out this Help Center article.

Creator snapshot

It’s plain to see how Cyril Sontillano (@cyrilcybernated, 124K IG followers) earned the nickname “Plant Daddy”: with a lush apartment overflowing with over 200 different species of rare and high-maintenance plants. Based in California, he stylizes his home with large plants in eye-catching containers, and his interior designs were featured in Architectural Digest. He has collaborated with Apartment Therapy along with a number of small businesses, and hosts plant care workshops that benefit underfunded schools in the Philippines. Learn more about Cyril Sontillano here.

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Source: @cyrilcybernated

Featured headline

How Instagram Brought Black Creatives and Small Businesses Together to Create Magic (AdAge)

After launching We Create, an initiative to unite small Black-owned businesses with Black influencers, The Creative Collective couldn’t have imagined the outstanding results. The agency connected 15 small business owners with creators who aimed to capture the brands’ stories through visual content on Instagram. For example, Josh Renfroe, creative director, photographer, and author paired up with luxury leather brand Cal & Kay, and their partnership blossomed as a result of the carefully-curated content they created together. “It all came down to having an amazing partner who was enthusiastic, trusting and willing to experiment with bold ideas,” explains Renfroe. “That’s the greatest recipe for success.”