Big brand energy: Growing your business in the age of the influencer

At this year’s Rally, a global cross-sector innovation conference held in downtown Indianapolis, influencer Brooke Wyatt and Select Management Group Talent Manager Logan Watkins discussed how companies can collaborate with influencers to reach new audiences. “In today’s digital age, influencers are becoming the new power players in marketing, rivaling traditional celebrities in shaping consumer behavior,” according to the panel’s description on the event website. Wyatt is a lifestyle influencer who has nearly 68,000 followers on Instagram and just over 396,000 followers on TikTok. Social media influencer Brooke Wyatt speaks with Talent Manager Logan Watkins at Rally 2024. (Photo/Camike Jones) To the aspiring influencers in the audience who were looking to grow their platform, Wyatt said they do not have to pigeonhole themselves into posting about one thing. Posting about a variety of content can help tap into new groups of followers. “It’s your social media platform. You post what you want to post, and the right people will come,” Wyatt said. Both Wyatt and Watkins acknowledged the power influencers have to reach large numbers of people. “Influencers are the new celebrities,” Wyatt said. She added that celebrities are now following in the footsteps of influencers by posting content that is...