The Emma Chamberlain Approach
Emma shows how it's done: Influencers are becoming entrepreneurs, and marketers should take notes.
Hello friends,
Get up early, brew coffee and make oatmeal with fruit. Then head to the corner shop for some groceries before heading out for a run. Afterwards, lie in bed until I'm hungry again. Truly exhausting. But not my morning.
Although there are definitely days like that in my life — and believe in yours too — that was Emma Chamberlain's recipe for success. Her vlogs on YouTube look exactly like this. Just like she would spend her day with her best friend, only that she spends it with her camera. If you don't know Emma by now, I hope you're neither a marketeer nor an advertiser, and certainly not calling yourself an internet savvy. In case you do: Shame on you!
Emma is not only the most popular girl on «Relatable YouTube», she is also its inventor. And introduced «Casual Instagram», in fact, you can read about it in my own words. Since a video of her digging through a dollar shop went viral in 2017, she has set the tone for «the way people talk on YouTube and the way they convey authenticity,» as a New York Times journalist described it. Emma knows exactly how to build a personal connection through a camera. Viewers feel like they know her. Indeed, if one conducted a study of parasocial relationships in the 21st century, Emma Chamberlain would probably be the prime example.
However, the irony is that Emma Chamberlain's professional comparability has made her extremely famous and wealthy, making her the exact opposite of comparability for most viewers. Her income from YouTube videos alone could be as much as $1.7 million a year, plus sponsored content contracts like her ambassadorship with Louis Vuitton. Add to that her own coffee brand Chamberlain Coffee and Anything Goes, one of the world's most famous podcasts.
How Creators Build 9-Figure E-Commerce Brands
But the 20-year-old is not only a multiple entrepreneur, but also a true influencer. An influencer for the influencers. Emma has led several content creators and social media stars to build their own brands — successfully.
You're probably thinking how an influencer is supposed to run a successful brand. After all, you have to be a business expert as well as a hard-core entrepreneur. Have contacts. Bring experience to the table and much more. But I'm telling you, it's 2022, times have definitely changed.
Emma Chamberlain and her followers have created a winning formula for content creators. Of course, this starts with followers. A bunch of followers that you have to know very well. But all the «Relatable Influencers» have managed to build an almost friendship-like relationship with their community. In the next steps of this winning formula, the followers become an active part of the brands' strategy. It is inevitable that the followers themselves take responsibility and spread the new brand to the furthest corners of the internet with a kind of guerrilla social media campaign.
In an age where Gen-Z make up 60% of TikTok users, this is elementary. There is currently no more attractive but at the same time more demanding group of customers. Gen-Z's are sceptical of brands' commitments to issues like equity, diversity and sustainability.
To put this in the words of an expert, Lindsey Gamble, associate director of influencer innovation at Mavrck, explains: «At a time when consumers, especially younger ones, want to buy from individuals rather than entities, it makes a lot of sense for influencers to launch brands.» And here we are, at the origin of the winning formula from the «Relatable Influencers».
Emma’s Game Plan
But let's speak straight facts now. If you've been reading this far, I know you want to hear what the «Casual Influencer's» winning formula is.
Well, without further ado, here's Emma Chamberlain's three-step plan:
1. Build on Your Brand’s Story
Many creatives mistakenly assume that their sales are directly proportional to the number of likes or followers. Reach is always good, don't get me wrong, however when it comes to selling products or launching a brand, it's just not enough. While your audience may enjoy your content, in order for them to identify with your brand and make a purchase, they need to feel like they are part of your story. They wanna know everything: Why you created your brand, why is it important, how do you produce, what are you planning in the future, why are you the best person to launch this product. Literally everything. After you educated your audience about your brand, it's time to get them aboard: The more your audience feels like they are part of your journey, the more likely they are to resonate with your brand, spread the word and provide you with valuable leads.
2. Understand the Bigger Mission
Your company is not your community. Your community is part of it, but your venture is way bigger. To build a brand that can scale globally and reach a nine- or ten-figure valuation, you need to serves an audience beyond your followers. While your audience can be a good starting point for creating traction, make sure your brand isn't 100% dependent on your social presence. You want people who know you to recognize your brand, but you also want to create a viable, standalone brand that is attractive to those who don't. Also, consider collaborating with other creatives and influencers to expand your reach.
3. Get the Right Team
Your team is your family. However, finding the right buddies to build your brand and position it for success is no easy feat. In fact, there are more tasks to do than you can imagine, and unless you're a metahuman, you don't want to do it alone. Customer service, procurement, order fulfillment, finance and marketing are some of the key roles you'll need to fill along the way. Whether you have experience in these areas or not, it's beneficial to employ a team while keeping yourself in the role of creator and visionary. Indeed, the more you focus your creative energy on creating content that appeals to your audience, the more likely your brand will be successful.
Now, all you marketeers and advertisers out here: You now know how the new breed of influencer looks like. Simple brand deals will die out over time, unless you want to work with trashy influencers — up to you. But otherwise I think you've figured out for yourselves what your job is now.
In the meantime, I dedicate myself again to my Bialetti and wait until the thousands of followers pour in. Ideas for good brands are already waiting.
Love,
Pascal