Enterprise Story

Riley Anderson

In today’s society, social media plays a tremendous role in our everyday lives, but a new type of

influential media has arisen. Influencers have recently taken over social media to inspire and

influence the world.

In the past few years, influencing has become a huge part of our society. It is a way to be

inspired and persuaded by other people's views, based on their following, aesthetic and lifestyle.

Influencing is not just an Instagram title, it’s a job. Arizona is known to be home to many

influencers big and small. These people not only influence their following but the local area we

call home, in many ways.

Emma Boersma is a full-time student at Arizona State University, where she is studying Political

Science. Boersma never intended to become an influencer but because she “just posted content

regularly”, she created a strong following on her Instagram. “I think once I reached about 5,000

followers on Instagram I started to get more brands reaching out to me,” she said. Boersma’s

favorite social media platform is Instagram because she “can show off personal style”.

Because she is a student and only 19 years-old, balancing school and influencing can be a

challenge. “My biggest challenge is balancing the activities I do for fun and the ones that I have

to do for school,” she said. One tip Professor Luis Bonilla of the Digital Audiences Lab

recommends is having a “content calendar” to help keep a schedule. Boersma typically takes

pictures “twice a week, typically on Wednesdays or Friday”.

One of the most asked questions when it comes to influencing is how do you pick the right

brand. “It is important to pick a company that you know you will like their product and you will

enjoy posting about them without it feeling forced,” said Boersma. She knew she found the right
company because she “regularly wore their clothing” and “liked their style”. For girls trying to

gain sponsors, it is important to follow “accounts that have similar styles to you” she said. It is

also important to be yourself and sponsor a brand that you love.

Boersma’s main audience ranges from ages 16 to 20-year-old girls. She “post a lot about clothes

and brands” because that is the kind of content her age group loves. Boersma definitely makes a

local impact on Arizona State by influencing what brands girls wear.

Although the youth seems to be dominating the influencing world, the middle-aged are definitely

stepping up their game.

Julie Xander is a lifestyle, beauty and wellness influencer. Although influencing is a big part of

her life, it is not her only passion. “I teach fitness every single morning and every single night,”

she said. She teaches everything from core conditioning to ballet bar.

Something that stands out about her style is the fact that she posts all video on her Instagram.

The main reason she does this is because of her love for speaking. “I was speaking at Nordstrom

events, was speaking at Ulta events, and so I loved speaking,” she said.

Social media is a big part of her life. Her favorite social media platform is “Instagram” because it

allows her to do videos live. According to Bonilla, Instagram has a clean visual design, making it

very popular for influencers.

One way she helps the local community is by promoting small stores and businesses on her

Instagram. “All of my clothes come from boutiques and then I can promote them”, by taking

pictures for the different stores and then tagging them.

Xanders main audience ranges from ages 33 to 55, evenly split between both male and female.

According to Bonilla, identifying your audience early on is key to being successful on social

media.
Although Bonilla is all for social media and influencing, he doesn't necessarily consider it a real

job. Only “because it's not a traditional profession,” he said. The fact is you don't have to go to

school to become an influencer. It is considered similar to “entrepreneurial” and doesn't follow

the typical path of a normal job. That being said many people consider influencing to be their

full-time job and make enough money for it to be. Influencing is becoming more popular every

day but “there can only be so many influencers in a niche” said Bonilla.

Whether you’re striving to be an influencer or not, finding your niche and sticking with it could

be the key to success. Influencing your local community is a great way to build up a following

and gain support from local brands.