To the average person, being an influencer must seem pretty easy. Millions of people want to see you and hear what you have to say, you have multiple revenue streams including ad revenue and sponsorships, and once you have your audience, they’re guaranteed to stick around for the long term.
But that’s not an accurate representation of what it’s really like to make content for a living. That’s not all there is to being an influencer, not by a longshot.
Earning followers/subscribers in the first place takes a lot of hard work. Standing out from the crowd isn’t easy in today’s social media landscape, where literally millions of other people, some of them backed by professional media companies, are all trying to get famous.
And even after you’ve managed to gain some traction, bringing in lots of new fans with each post, the work definitely doesn’t get easier.
Community management is basically a job of its own at this point, especially for big influencers and brands, and to learn more about it, we talked to a leading influencer who’s well-known for expertly engaging and interacting with her audience, all while growing that audience to an impressive scale.
Her name is Anncy Twinkle (yes, that’s her real name, not just a handle), and she’s about to give you some valuable lessons in community management and audience interaction.
There’s a very good chance you’ve already heard of Anncy. She brings in huge numbers on YouTube and TikTok with vlogs, makeup videos, and even comedy skits. Her posts have definitely struck a chord with Indian viewers, and those viewers were a big part of Anncy establishing her presence online.
“I would say that I began to feel a sense of having an established audience around 2019. It was during this time that I noticed a rise in followers from the Indian community, particularly drawn to my makeup tutorials. What touched me the most were the heartfelt comments from my viewers, expressing how they related to my experiences and skin issues. This relatability struck a chord with my audience, and I was deeply gratified to be able to connect with them on such a personal level.”
This connection fueled Anncy’s current success as an influencer, and she has never lost sight of the importance of her audience.
“In contrast to the pervasive phenomenon of insincere comments in the influencer world, I am immensely grateful for the unique personality and humor that my audience brings to my comments section. Their engagement is a true reflection of the meaningful relationship we have built, and I am humbled by their unwavering support throughout my career.”
So let’s see how Anncy manages to not only retain and respect her audience but also grow that audience as she produces new content.
Personal marketing & interactions
Anncy pointed out an important difference between an influencer and a typical celebrity. While celebrities have fans, influencers have communities, and those communities are based around mutual need.
“I believe I need my followers just as much as they need me.”
Of course, one of the most important ways that Anncy takes care of her audience is by making and releasing new content on a regular basis, which I’ll talk about a little bit later.
But first, I want to talk about the importance of interacting with the audience. For influencers like Anncy, even this is a balancing act.
The potential for direct interaction between an influencer and members of their community is yet another major distinction between influencers and more traditional celebrities. Celebrities are generally inaccessible to their fans, whether in real life or online. But influencers are expected to interact with fans, to some extent.
This is an opportunity as well as a challenge. On the plus side, followers can get a thrill from chatting with someone they look up to, which can inspire loyalty and engagement.
But on the other hand, influencers can’t let these interactions go too far. Here’s what Anncy thinks.
“While engagement with followers is crucial, I believe it’s important to strike a balance and establish boundaries to avoid complications that may arise from excessive interaction. As an influencer, I view my role as a form of marketing and advertising, where I sell products or ideas to my followers. Unlike mainstream marketing, though, influencers are real individuals behind the content.”
That’s another important point: being an influencer is basically like running a small business that specializes in marketing as well as media production. And one of the biggest advantages of influencer marketing is that audiences are more receptive to advertising and sponsorships because they trust the influencer’s taste and judgment.
Even the strongest influencer-follower relationships are constantly walking this tightrope. There needs to be mutual respect, consistent engagement, and clear boundaries. That’s not easy to pull off, but Anncy’s sponsorships and interactions are a good example of how a responsible approach leads to win-wins: viewers get to enjoy quality content and curated recommendations, and Anncy can continue to make money from that content while expanding her audience.
Workflow
But none of this would work if Anncy wasn’t constantly working on new content, and more than that, she needs to develop content that she knows will click with her existing audience.
It’s another area where she has to maintain a careful balance. Much of Anncy’s early YouTube content was more or less spontaneous.
“I usually come up with the craziest ideas when I’m going through difficult times or feeling down. For example, when I was feeling depressed and lonely in Dubai, I would create funny content with my friends from Dubai, who I really miss. We didn’t have a strict schedule, it would just be spontaneous like, ‘Hey, do you want to vlog, eat some food, and gossip on camera?’ And we would be like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it!'”
But this approach doesn’t apply to Twinkle’s makeup content, which follows a stricter schedule, focusing on different seasons and special occasions.
“In April and May, I focus on prom-related makeup content, while in December, I create Christmas-themed makeup tutorials. In February, I typically do Valentine’s Day-themed content, such as makeup ‘get ready with me’ videos. I enjoy creating makeup content around specific occasions as it adds a sense of timeliness and relevance to my videos.”
In other words, it’s a mix, which makes sense for Anncy’s wide range of content, which now includes YouTube videos of different types, TikTok videos and live sessions, and a brand new podcast made available on Spotify.
Her demanding content production needs have also led Anncy to expand her team. Somewhat recently, she hired an editor who works on her podcast episodes and some of her main YouTube videos.
This has led to increased productivity, and now Anncy is back to her previous YouTube pace of posting three videos a week.
Imagine having your normal day job and then deciding to add a second and third job to your weekly schedule. That’s basically what Anncy’s done by expanding into new social media channels and content categories.
The workload is enormous, but more content means there’s more for her audience to dig into.
Audience authenticity
Anncy’s influencer career is also unique in the way she’s been able to keep moving forward, trying out new ideas and video series and formats.
While some influencers feel content to stay within a relatively small niche, Anncy is always trying to come up with something new, and it’s her audience that keeps her motivated.
“The unwavering support of my audience has been a driving force in my creative process. When faced with creative blocks, I draw inspiration from the genuine comments and encouragement I receive. I am in awe of my audience’s authenticity and their ability to hold me accountable, which has been instrumental in my growth as a content creator.”
Anncy feels that she just wouldn’t be the same without the influence and support of her audience.
It’s so common to see negativity and criticism of influencers or their work on social media, but Anncy has cultivated an enduring sense of trust that inspires positivity.
Any would-be influencers out there would do well to take notes on Anncy’s impressive community management. Sure, each audience is different, but paying attention to, listening to, and interacting with your audience are non-negotiables for creators who want trust and respect to go both ways.