How social media influencers are adapting their content while social distancing

• Content creators Ashley Ballard, Coco Bassey, and Lucie Fink share how the job of an influencer has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The influencers offer creative tips and tricks for anyone who wants to create digital content from home.
• From learning how to achieve the perfect mirror selfie, to discovering what it takes to set up the best instagram live, these style influencers cover everything you need to get creative from home.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Following is a transcription of the video.

Lucie Fink: As a content creator with my own business online, I'm normally someone who works from home, but ever since the coronavirus outbreak and the call to stay indoors, not only has the type of content that I'm producing shifted, but also my workflow has shifted.

Ashley Ballard: Hey, everybody. My name's Ashley.

Lucie: Hey, everyone, I'm Lucie Fink.

Coco Bassey: Hi, my name is Coco Bassey, and I'm the founder and creator of Millennielle.com.

Ashley: And I'm a blogger and social-media editor based in New York City.

Lucie: I'm a video producer and lifestyle host, and I run my own media company.

Coco: Normally on a day like this...

Ashley: I'd be going to the office or checking out my favorite coffee shop.

Coco: I would be out shooting content for brands, maybe be taking a client out to lunch.

Ashley: But instead, I'm cooped up by myself in my Brooklyn apartment. I've had a lot of privilege that a lot of other people don't necessarily get to have, which is getting to work from home.

Coco: It's definitely not ideal for creatives like me that do most of our job outdoors.

Lucie: Often, I'm working with a team of other people. If I'm doing a high-quality video shoot outside of my apartment, sometimes I'll hire a videographer or an audio expert. When it comes to videographers and photographers, I have totally had to do all of that on my own. So a lot of what I'm shooting is just setting up a camera on a tripod or just leaning it against the windowsill and shooting it myself. At the start of this, it was really tempting to kind of just continue creating content like normal, but I've realized that right now the world is just not normal. And if you just avoid that and don't talk about it, people are not going to find what you're saying to be useful or relevant at all.

Coco: So, creating content at home doesn't always have to be this huge production, and I think that's one of the things that a lot of creators kind of get stuck doing. Like, when we are unable to get outside and create this, like, amazing, extravagant setup, we think that we're, like, unable to work at all, and that's totally not true. I have my iPhone, my vlogging camera, which is a Canon G7 X, and then I also have my DSLR camera that I tend to use for some of my bigger brand projects. I will always make sure that the camera is at my, basically at my, like, hip or waist level because that's kind of where it looks the most flattering. I don't like to go that much lower, otherwise it kind of feels like the camera's looking up my nose [laughs], which is not that great either.

Lucie: More and more recently, I've found myself gravitating towards shooting on my iPhone. I don't have any of my soft box lights with me, so I've just been using windows as a source of natural light.

Ashley: I usually have a tripod, but since I left it at my office before the quarantine happened, I've been using a stack of books on top of a stool. This is A-OK if you don't own a tripod, Like, you can totally improvise with anything that you have. Personally, I'm focused on doing video-based content because that is a way for me to diversify my work and connect with people better. It also gives people more of an idea of how I'm doing in my house and, like, kind of what I'm working on. And it makes me feel more connected to the outside world.

Coco: So, when it comes to experimental content, I will definitely, without a doubt, say that it's been getting into TikTok, which is kind of crazy to think about. I never thought that I would be the creator that would get into TikToks. I just didn't think it was a platform for me. But I've seen some really, really cool content on there, and it's also kind of cool to play around with video editing, which is something I've always wanted to be better at.

Lucie: I started using TikTok just as a fun outlet for me to dance, and it actually makes me sweat a lot. And then people seemed to like the TikTok stuff, so I created a YouTube video tutorial showing them how to do a TikTok dance that I love. I'm a savage. Huh. OK. That's how it goes. [laughing] I'm not a dance instructor, so I usually work with dance instructors. And I've also been experimenting with some quarantine-specific content. So, cutting my husband's hair in quarantine and also my morning routine in quarantine. And people seem to be resonating with that as well.

Coco: Been doing a lot more skin care and beauty. I feel like now is the time to get out there and experiment with some new products and stuff and even play around with makeup, 'cause if you mess it up, no one's gonna see it. [laughs] I feel like these times now I have so much more time to connect with my audience.

Ashley: It's easier said than done, depending on the size of your account, but it's important to be extra responsive to your audience. A lot of people are probably coming to you from a really anxious and unsure place. Lucie: Digital connection is everything. It's one of the only ways that people are able to stay connected with their families and friends that they're not with right now. And, honestly, it's how people are maintaining a lifeline and a connection to the outside world.

Ashley: My No. 1 tip is just finding the tool that, like, gets you the closest to your audience that makes you feel comfortable. One big thing that I've been experimenting with more is doing livestreaming when I make my coffee in the morning and I'm relaxing on my windowsill. I just turn on my live, and I just ask people how they're feeling.

Coco: I've been loving running polls on my Instagram stories.

Lucie: Some of the ways that I've connected with my audience right now are by using the sticker tab on Instagram. That's a great way to hear directly from your audience in response to a targeted question. I use my YouTube community tab pretty often as a way to ask questions or to take polls.

Ashley: A lot of people are turning to content right now to just, you know, feel a tiny ounce of normality. Lucie: And if you do have a platform with an audience that's listening to you, just use it right now to spread some sort of positivity.

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