Courtesy of Beca Alexander
Beca Alexander founded Socialyte in 2011.
- Influencer marketing is projected to be worth between $5 billion to $10 billion by 2020.
- Socialyte was first the influencer casting agency in the United States; it connects influencers and brands and facilitates their social media campaigns.
- Alexander says influencers are simply a "vehicle" for promoting and selling product.
Influencer marketing is projected to be worth between $5 billion to $10 billion by 2020.
Socialyte is the first influencer casting agency in the United States, formed in 2011 and with a network that includes over 10,000 influencers globally.
Its 33-year-old founder, blogger Beca Alexander, launched Socialyte when the term "influencer" was yet a word to describe digital and social media content creators. Today, Socialyte facilitates deals worth upwards of a million dollars with dozens of brands, from H&M to Dior.
Socialyte connects social-media influencers with brands trying to reach similar target audiences and manages a talent roster of about 70. Alexander and her Socialyte team help brands hire influencers for their intended purpose: to promote, and hopefully, sell product.
"The first question we ask a brand when they're looking to gain visibility for their brand, product or service is 'who is your target consumer?'" Alexander told Business Insider. "We try to understand who they're aiming to reach in order to evaluate which influencer is best suited for the program."
Alexander says the influencer market is oversaturated with indistinguishable content creators.
"The money has increased rapidly, which caused an influx of influencer wannabes," Alexander said. "Brands now have to be particularly strategic in how they plan their initiatives and go about casting."
Alexander said has been a shift in influencer culture; content creators no longer have to be seasoned writers or photographers. Previously, Alexander said bloggers - the first generation influencer - reported the news, wrote commentary on the industry, and barely featured themselves. "Now, most influencers don't have blogs, and those who do lost most of their traffic to the rise of social," she said.
When checking out at an influencer's page, Alexander looks at the type of audience that engages with their content, not the influencer themselves. "Many of them are just a vehicle to reach the target consumer," she said.
Choosing the right influencer with the desired target audience is key to push product effectively. When brands reach out to Socialyte, the team creates a strategy that goes beyond content and casting. "It really considers the end consumer and the best way to get that consumer excited about the brand, product, or service," Alexander said.