The Review: Issue 10 | 2021-2022

A SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCE

STORY BY MORGAN O’NEAL

Social media has become a pivotal way for brands to reach new audiences in the 21st century. Today, brands use influencer marketing on Instagram, TikTok and other platforms as a more effective strategy for creating conversations about their products or services among a specific target audience.

Influencer marketing is expected to grow to be worth $13.8 billion in 2021, and it’s no surprise, as the world has been spending more time than ever online during the pandemic. Many alumni of the journalism and IMC programs have fostered their knowledge from the University of Mississippi into successful careers in influencer marketing, content creating and social media.

Lindy Goodson, who graduated from Ole Miss in 2020, is a self-employed fashion & lifestyle content creator living in Maryville, Illinois. She works through partnerships with brands to post original advertising content on her Instagram, @the_real_lin_shady.

“Everything I do involves a lot of linking and researching,” Goodson said. “I make sure every single thing I talk about (on social media) can be linked, not only to provide information, but also as a service to my followers.”

Goodson recently became a part of the Amazon Fashion Influencers program and will soon begin doing live streams for Amazon’s social media. She’s also recently partnered with brands like Budlight, ALV Jewels, Aussie and Ulta Beauty.

“To be validated in that way feels good,” Goodson said. “Anytime I get a brand deal, I feel so validated and it makes me happy.”

Webb Lewis, assistant director of marketing and brand strategy/social mMedia at Ole Miss, is also an alumni of the IMC program. He said that because older adults have been making the switch from Facebook to Instagram recently, the platform is now home to a very wide range of audiences, making it the most popular and effective route for marketing.

“Instagram is immediate. There is no long form ad copy to read through or scroll past. It’s just there, embedded just like every other piece of content,” Lewis said. “Other platforms try this approach, but have yet to pull off the organic feel that Instagram has.”

According to Business Insider, nearly four in five brands (79%) predominantly tap Instagram for influencer campaigns, compared with Facebook (46%) and YouTube (36%). Lewis says that influencer marketing and social media marketing works because of the impact that can be made when a consumer sees someone they admire or find relatable using a product or service.

“We want to know the experiences that come from using a product, and influencers are a great way to get that message out to consumers,” Lewis said.

For Lewis, it’s paramount that his students at Ole Miss learn about the vital differences in the various social media platforms, and how to navigate them.

“I teach my students this, because once you understand the tone and personality of each platform, you can then develop appropriate marketing campaigns that will spark engagement and create awareness,” Lewis said.

Leah Yazzy Gibson, @leahyazzy on Instagram, graduated from Ole Miss with a degree in broadcast journalism in 2017. She started a YouTube channel in 2020, is the host of her own podcast, “LeahTalk On The Air,” and works as a social media manager for a university.

Gibson says her experience at the Student Media Center gave her the tools to become a “one-woman team.” She said her years of undergraduate experience taught her how to conduct herself on camera while also letting her personality shine through.

“I learned how to make social media work for me in any capacity. I can stay connected to my target audience on the platforms that I enjoy most,” Gibson said. “I’ve used my love for being in front of the camera to land me roles with brands I grew up loving, such as Southern Living.”

Recently, Gibson has begun her journey with influencer marketing on Instagram. She has an Amazon storefront and is a part of the RewardStyle community, but hasn’t yet accepted any brand partnerships.

“I don’t want to start being disingenuous, promoting products that I don’t actually use or sharing products that don’t appeal to me,” Gibson said. “I have really embraced affiliate marketing.”

Gibson says she has thousands of folders in her phone filled with notes and vision boards she’s saved up over the past five years, but had hesitations about taking the leap to begin. That leap of faith has served Gibson and other Ole Miss graduates well.

“I learned that the perfect timing will never come,” Gibson said. “I wrote out a list of the worst-case scenarios and decided the risk was worth the reward. I found a web design team on LinkedIn, and I whipped out my computer and started planning.”