SHARING EXPERTISE AS A CONTENT CREATOR
There’s room for everyone: that’s the reason that social media marketing is so fast growing. Social platforms and the rise of influencers upended the domination of gatekeepers across every industry, from beauty to food to entertainment, meaning that more voices could get a seat at the table. However, should everyone at the table be there? Success and authority in the sector have more been aligned with follower size and popularity, rather than having any credentials or qualifications to make informed recommendations.
Influencers usually connect with their audiences because they’re speaking from relatable experience, rather than that of a faceless corporation. Content creators don’t have to meet any attained standard to produce content and make money – and gaining a following online doesn’t come with an exam. But in many situations influencers are deeply involved in the sharing of information online, which has the power to transform opinion into fact.
Image Credit: @krystal_bick
Prior to influencers, conversations that gatekeepers like employers, workplaces and institutions have avoided (like racial inequity and mental health) were often left to third sector organisations like charities, which would rarely receive the funding, resources and attention of the private sector. This meant their powers to radically shift public perception could be limited. Influencers embracing causes and drawing attention to campaigns that need the support of their followers and the public become the equivalent of a primetime TV adverts or a billboard campaigns, bringing eyes of potentially millions of people (often through a personal experience, which makes it all the more impactful).
However, charity workers and traditional charitable ambassadors are trained and briefed to manage difficult discourse, which has been a pitfall for some content creators that find themselves as a (sometimes) accidental figurehead or campaigner.
There is also a notable part of the influencer world that has made money from this phenomenon. Right off the back of the girl boss, side-hustle era, content creators found that they could monetise their skills and experiences by selling to their followings, outside of the brand-influencer-consumer sales funnel. Skills-based courses and digital workshops on all manner of subjects have appeared, particularly since the start of the pandemic back in 2020, when many brands postponed campaigns and reallocated budget as part of their crisis management strategy.
A very small segment of this intersects with the amateur-experts that Caroline Hirons mentioned recently in her closing remarks as a YouTube creator. Influencers don’t have formal qualifications, so it’s to be expected that you can learn on the job – which is not the case for dermatologists or nutritionists. But nevertheless expertise has also become a way for some creators to break through the noise and gather huge followings for themselves. Indeed, this democratisation of information also extends to the brands popular with younger generations. Standouts on TikTok (like The Ordinary or Typology) appeal to the armchair dermatologists as they allow you to build a customisable multistep routine with countless variables and affordable price points because the products are (generally) single or dual ingredients rather than complex formulations.
While one can speak as a skincare aficionado, it doesn’t make you a dermatologist (but you can all receive the same information about a product and share to your audience). You can be a fitness influencer but not a trainer or a nutritionist (but you can get fit and improve your own diet without formal qualifications). You can be open online about your experiences with mental health without being a counsellor or therapist (and you certainly don’t need to be qualified to have had valid experience with mental health). However, how you position the information you choose to share is really very important. Here are our key tips on delivering expertise as a content creator:
Find your place. Caroline mentions in her IGTV that TikTok approached her to join the platform, citing that they lacked authority in skincare on the platform currently – so what does this mean for new platforms? A hypercritical audience may be something that young content creators are willing to put up with, but why should this be the case? When you have an established audience and multi-channel network (like Hirons), why should creators distribute their content onto platforms where their comments sections are open for unconstructive, toxic feedback.
Avoid spurious claims. Rather than making radical statements to get people to engage, it’s essential to create useful, informative and entertaining content (where appropriate). If you’re appealing to your niche audience then sharing information they want to refer back to is better practice than being controversial. Whilst captivating, transformative, quick fire product reviews can be misleading if used alongside filters (see examples such as Charlotte Tilbury’s lipstick campaigns, or more recently Dr Jart’s infamous green mask).
Define your expertise. Use your story to share what makes your experience unique, demonstrating why your opinion is valid and to be trusted. That being said, a qualification still isn’t a replacement for experience, so avoid using titles that generally require a certification, many years of study and practical experience treating people (dermatologist, nutritionist, etc.)
Be mindful when discussing self-care and wellness. It’s also crucial to avoid generalising what treatments/therapies worked for you personally as blanket advice for others, particularly when discussing mental health. This goes for all categories, from personal finance to social media advice, but it’s particularly vital when making claims around health.
Have a strong POV and look after your own intellectual property. When there are so many people offering education around subjects like entrepreneurship, digital marketing and graphic design, you need to be able to stand out. This doesn’t need to be over-wrought, but finding your tone of voice, shooting your own photos rather than using stock images, and showing the face/s behind content will help differentiate you from competitors. Equally, it’s crucial to share your sources if the research or graphics you use aren’t your own. Wholly original claims aren’t the point, it’s about verifying where the information or data comes from, and ensures you’re attributing credit to the right place.
Clicktivism doesn’t cut it. Always check before sharing a radical claim or a news story, even if you feel like the pressure is on to respond because it’s a topic you engage with as a creator. Everyone is capable of making mistakes on the internet, but due diligence means that you’re less likely to get caught out with misinformation. Better to be the person who doesn’t jump on the bandwagon, but takes time to reflect and come up with a considered response.
Disclose correctly. Don’t fall at the final hurdle when creating useful, helpful content to share with your followers – remember that the ASA has specific guidance about creating content to sell something you’ve made, even if it’s clear that you’re the owner or founder. The example they give is that if a vlogger has published a book that’s currently for sale, and they refer to that book in a vlog, the section that refers to the book is likely to count as an ad. One of the ASA’s recent hashtags is #InfluencingResponsibly; something to consider at all times, but particularly when discussing topics that deeply affect the lives and choices of those who follow and choose to buy from you.
If you want more advice on influencer marketing strategy, get in touch with the team at hello@oneroofsocial.com or look out for our upcoming e-book, The Foundations of Influencer Marketing. Sign up to our newsletter here for more updates.