Why Influencers Are All That and a Bag of Chips – SXSW 2024 PanelPicker
Hi, I’m Rachel K. Belkin, founder and content and marketing strategist at Elkin Bay. At SXSW 2024, I want to share why influencers are all that and a bag of chips.
This SXSW Panel is For Business Owners, Hiring Managers, and Influencers
- Business owners and those in marketing roles who are looking for ways to reach a wider audience and build brand awareness.
- Hiring managers looking for talented and skilled individuals
- And influencers looking to showcase their skills and accomplishments to potential brand partners or employers.
Vote for this panel here during the SXSW PanelPicker period by August 20.
Influencers Are All That and a Bag of Chips
So, picture an influencer. What pops into your head? Many people have this idea of influencers as young, pretty faces rocking designer clothes and constantly posing for photos in exotic places. Yes, there are definitely influencers like that out there. But here’s the thing: the world of successful influencers is much more than what you have in mind. I’m going to show you why influencers are all that… and a bag of chips.
At SXSW 2024 will talk about the many hats influencers wear. Not just the literal hats that they wear in their Instagram photos but the figurative hats that they wear as entrepreneurs, marketers, writers, problem-solvers, project managers, and more.
Influencers have hidden skills that businesses should be leveraging.
Influencers are entrepreneurs, their running a business. We will talk more about that in the presentation.
I Used to Be an Influencer
So who am I to talk about all of this? Well, I used to be an influencer. And not the type you pictured in your head… I’m not in my 20s, or even 30s for that matter, and I don’t have my Gucci on. In fact, I don’t even own any Gucci.
I built that business from scratch, with $0, before many of the social media platforms were not even around yet.
Sold a Blogging and Influencer Business
I sold that business in 2021. Now, I’m on the other side, helping brands and small businesses with their marketing, including influencer partnerships.
Having been on both sides, I can help both brands and influencers…. In the panel I will explain why Influencers make valuable team members and brand partners.
So, If you ask a hiring manager to talk about what qualities they look for in employees, you’ll see many similarities with successful influencers’ characteristics. And we will go into more detail about that in the panel.
And at the end, I’ll also discuss the future of influencer marking and how AI will impact the industry. When it comes to creating content, there are limitations to AI. The output is only as good as the user putting in the prompts, and AI lacks personalization, experience, and trust that only a real person can bring. There are ways that skilled influencers can work in tandem with AI to create personalized content that engages the target audience.
So, if you want
- To reach a wider audience and build brand awareness.
- Find talented and skilled people to join your team.
- Or if you’re an influencer looking to showcase your skills and accomplishments to potential brand partners or employers.
I hope to see you at SXSW 2024!
Rachel K. Belkin, M.Ed is an Austin, Texas blogger, entrepreneur, speaker, freelance writer, and educator. After selling her lifestyle blog for six figures in 2021, she teaches business, blogging, and influencer marketing strategies that helped her build her business on part-time hours. Bylines include MSN, Associated Press, HuffPost, Medium, NewsBreak, and Hometalk. She has been featured on KXAN, Studio 512, Fox 7 Austin, CBS Austin, and other news and media outlets.
