Maryland content creators turn influencer work into a full-time business | 11 TV Hill
YOU ARE WORTH EVERY TIME THAT YOU PUT. I PAID MY RENT FROM THE WEEKEND FOR VALENTINE’S DAY. THAT WAS TESTIMONIAL FROM A LOCAL BUSINESS WHO HIRED A SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER TO HELP PROMOTE HER OWN BUSINESS. A CONTENT CREATOR SEEMED TO BE JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE NOW. FOR SOME IT IS A FULL TIME JOB THAT INCLUDES MANY BASED RIGHT HERE IN MARYLAND. SEAN STREICHER SHOWS US WHAT GOES INTO BEING AN INFLUENCER AND WHY PARTNERING WITH THEM MAKES SENSE FOR BUSINESS. GO JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE WITH LISA SUMMERS, AND YOU’RE SURE TO HAVE A GOOD TIME JUST DIPPING IN AND GET TERRIBLE. JUST BE PREPARED FOR THERE TO BE A CAMERA RECORDING THE EXPERIENCE. THE BALTIMORE NATIVE IS THE CONTENT CREATOR BEHIND IT’S SUMMER SOMEWHERE, AN INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT FEATURING DATE NIGHT IDEAS, FAMILY FUN AND TRAVEL AMONGST ALL MY FRIENDS. I ALWAYS KNOW WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO DO. I LOVE RESEARCHING WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND, WHERE TO TAKE THE KIDS, WHERE TO GO ON A DATE NIGHT. AND SO A LOT OF MY FRIENDS WERE LIKE, WHY DON’T YOU DO THIS FOR REAL? AFTER LOSING HER JOB OF TEN YEARS, SHE WENT ALL IN. I STARTED OFF TO BE A TRAVEL I WANTED TO SHOW YOU WHERE TO TRAVEL, WHERE TO GO, WHAT CRUISES TO GO ON. BUT I ACTUALLY DID A VIDEO ON BALTIMORE. IT WAS ACTUALLY THE AMOUNT WASHINGTON MONUMENT AND THAT HIT BIG. A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN’T KNOW THAT YOU COULD ACTUALLY GO INSIDE OF THERE AND WALK UPSTAIRS. AND ONCE I DID THAT, PEOPLE SAY, HEY, BALTIMORE, IS YOUR CALLING. MANGO MARGARITA. TODAY SHE TOOK US TO TIPSY SCOOP BALTIMORE, A RECENTLY OPENED LIQUOR INFUSED ICE CREAM SHOP IN FEDERAL HILL TO SHOW US WHAT REALLY GOES INTO BEING A SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER. YOU’RE SETTING THEM UP. YOU’RE STOPPING. CAN YOU EVER LEAVE THE CAMERA AT HOME? OR ARE YOU ALWAYS WORKING WHEN YOU GO SOMEWHERE, ALWAYS WORKING? IT’S LIKE A HABIT. IT’S LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF I’M DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND I SEE SOMETHING COOL, I’M LIKE, OH, I GOTTA FILM THIS. I GOTTA SHOW EVERYBODY. SO I FILM WAY MORE THAN I ACTUALLY SHOW. BUT IT’S GOOD TO ALWAYS HAVE IT FOR THE FUTURE. CONTRACTS, RESEARCH, SHOOTING AND EDITING. WITH MORE THAN 238,000 FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM ALONE, THIS IS NOW LISA’S FULL TIME JOB. THERE’S A BUSINESS BACKSIDE OF IT AND THAT’S WHAT I HAD TO LEARN. SO ONCE I STARTED PITCHING AND LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THIS ISN’T JUST A HOBBY, I ACTUALLY AM IN THIS AS A BUSINESS OWNER WITH A BUSINESS BACKGROUND. THAT’S WHEN THE MONEY STARTED TO COME. IN YEAR TWO AND YEAR THREE. THERE ARE OTHER INFLUENCERS LOCALLY WHO MAKE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR. QUINN COLLINS AND THE REST OF HER TEAM AT COLLINS AND COMPANY, A FULL SERVICE CREATIVE AGENCY, KNOW JUST HOW BENEFICIAL A LOCAL INFLUENCER CAN BE FOR A LOCAL BUSINESS. WE CAN HAVE TANGIBLE RESULTS IMMEDIATELY. WE CAN SEE BOOKINGS, RESERVATIONS, DIRECT SALES IMMEDIATELY AFTER SOMETHING YOU KNOW, GOES, GOES LIVE OR EVEN GOES VIRAL. AND THAT TO US REALLY VALIDATES THAT THIS IS WORKING AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE A PART OF REALLY ANY BRANDS MARKETING STRATEGY. AND THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF MARYLAND BASED INFLUENCERS TO CHOOSE FROM, FROM SAMANTHA STERN, THE FOODIE BEHIND BALTIMORE FOOD SCENE. IF YOU’VE BEEN WAITING OUT FOR A FEDERAL HILL HOME WITH REALTOR EMILY TURNER, WHO HAS DEVELOPED A NICE FOLLOWING WITH EMILY IN BALTIMORE, NO MATTER THE INFLUENCER, AUTHENTICITY IS KEY, AND IT’S WHAT LISA STRIVES FOR. PEOPLE WANT TO FOLLOW SOMEBODY WHO THEY FEEL LIKE, OKAY, IF SHE HAD THE TIME, I’LL HAVE A GOOD TIME TO. OR SHE FEELS SAFE THERE. I’LL FEEL SAFE THERE AS WELL. SO A LOT OF TIMES YOUR AUDIENCE IS A REFLECTION OF YOU AND THEY WANT SOMEBODY THAT’S VERY AUTHENTIC, SHOWING THE WORLD WHO SHE IS IN A STATE SHE LOVES. I ASKED MYSELF WHEN I GOT LAID OFF, IF YOU COULD DO ANYTHING IN THE WORLD FOR FREE AND JUST DO IT AS A JOB, WHAT WOULD IT BE? AND I SAID, GOING IN PLACES I LOVE GOING TO PLACES, TRYING NEW THINGS. IT’S JUST SO FUN TO ME TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE AND EXPERIENCE A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE. AND THAT’S WHAT I DO AND NOW I GET PAID FOR IT. SEAN STREICHER WBAL TV 11 NEWS. AND WE HAVE THE MAN HIMSELF. SEAN, GOOD TO SEE YOU. THANKS. SO THE QUESTION PEOPLE ARE GOING TO WONDER IS MONEY? THEY WANT TO KNOW. SHE MENTIONED YEAR TWO. YEAR THREE. IT STARTS TO COME IN. YOU SAID SOME PERSON MAKES UP TO $1 MILLION. OTHERS MAY JUST GET FREE FOOD. HOW DOES THAT WORK OUT? SO FOR LISA, OBVIOUSLY EVERYBODY IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT, RIGHT? IT DEPENDS ON HOW MANY FOLLOWERS YOU HAVE. EVEN THOUGH THEY DO SAY FOLLOWERS AND VIEWS DON’T ALWAYS EQUAL MORE MONEY. YEAH, YOU SET YOUR OWN PRICES. SO FOR LISA, SHE SAYS IF IT’S A PARK, IT’S SOMETHING IN HER COMMUNITY THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN. SHE’S NOT GOING TO CHARGE THEM. BUT IF THE BUSINESS IS MAKING MONEY OFF OF WHAT SHE PRODUCES, THEN SHE IN TURN SHOULD BE GETTING MONEY AS WELL. AND THAT MAKES SENSE. SOME OF THE VIDEOS HER KIDS ARE IN, I’M CURIOUS, THE KIDS GET ANY RESIDUALS FROM BEING. SHE DOES. AND SHE SAID THAT’S IMPORTANT. OBVIOUSLY THERE’S NO SET RULES, BUT FOR HER IT’S VERY IMPORTANT. SHE SAYS HER KIDS ARE LIKE ACTORS OR LIKE MODELS. SO WHILE THEY MAY BE OUT THERE HAVING A LOT OF FUN, THEY’RE IN THE PRODUCT, THE END PRODUCT. YEAH. SO THEY, THEY GET PAID, SHE SAID. THERE’S A COLLEGE ACCOUNT THAT THEY HAVE SET UP FOR THE KIDS. SO SHE’S VERY WAS VERY DELIBERATE AND TOLD ME ABOUT THAT. OBVIOUSLY, WE DIDN’T GO ALL THE WAY INTO THAT SIDE OF IT, BUT IT’S RIGHT. SHE SAID. THEY GET ICE CREAM. THEY CAN’T EAT IT RIGHT AWAY. RIGHT. THEY HAVE TO WAIT WHILE SHE TAKES PICTURES AND VIDEOS. SO THEY SHOULD GET COMPENSATED. AND THIS ISN’T THIS ISN’T PART TIME FOR HER. THAT HAD TO BE A HECK OF A DECISION TO MAKE, TO LEAVE HER JOB TO DO THIS. AND SOME PEOPLE DO IT GRADUALLY FOR HER, SHE SAID. SHE GOT LAID OFF, SHE HAD A CAREER AND SHE GOT LAID OFF AND SHE SAID, THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO. AND SHE TOOK A YEAR JUST TO GO AND START MAKING CONTENT. WITHIN A YEAR, SHE HAD 100,000 FOLLOWERS, BUT SHE WAS SAYING THAT DIDN’T MEAN MONEY. SHE HAD TO COME UP WITH CONTRACTS. SHE HAD TO DO RESEARCH. SHE HAD TO PROVE THAT THIS IS HER BUSINESS. IT’S NOT JUST SOMETHING SHE’S OUT THERE DOING JUST TO GET WHATEVER IT MAY BE FOR FREE. SO IT TOOK A LOT OF WORK. AND WHEN SHE SHOWED UP AT TIPSY SCOOPS INSTANTLY IN A WORK MODE, SO IT’S LIKE A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO IT BEHIND THE SCENES. AND WHILE THE END PRODUCT, IT LOOKS FUN AND IT IS A LOT OF FUN, THEY DON’T. SHE’S NOT SAYING, I’M NOT HAVING FUN, BUT YOU DON’T SEE A LOT OF THE OTHER WORK AND THE PITCHES AND THE CONTRACTS. AND SHE’S REACHING OUT TO BUSINESSES AND I FOLLOW HER NOW. IT’S ALWAYS LIKE, WHATEVER’S NEW, SHE’S ON IT. I’VE SEEN YOUR VIDEOS, MAN. I MEAN, THIS COULD BE LIKE A SIDE HUSTLE. I MEAN, THIS COULD BE I DON’T THINK I WANT
Maryland content creators turn influencer work into a full-time business | 11 TV Hill
Content creators seem to be just about everywhere, and for some Marylanders, it’s a full-time job. Sean Streicher shows us what goes into being an influencer and why partnering with them makes sense for a business.
Content creators seem to be just about everywhere, and for some Marylanders, it’s a full-time job. Sean Streicher shows us what goes into being an influencer and why partnering with them makes sense for a business.