As social media continues to grow as media technologies improve, influencer culture is growing too. An influencer is someone who obtains a large following on their social media platforms by connecting with their audience. Influencers frequently use their following to promote themselves or sponsor brands. Although the vast majority of influencers are young, senior social media stars are rising. Unlike many of their generation, senior influencers “get” social media and use it to promote their personal brands.
Steve Austin (otherwise known as Old Man Steve) is an 83-year-old influencer with 1.7 million followers on TikTok. After a few months of posting comedic TikTok videos, Steve’s account gained popularity for a series he calls Cooking with Steve, where he makes sandwiches or a bowl of cereal. Another popular series of Steve’s is called Magic Saturday with Steve, where he attempts various magic tricks and repeatedly fails. Without much opportunity to go out and visit with family and friends due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Steve sees TikTok as an outlet that keeps him busy and helps with stay interactive. Click here to read more about our interview with Old Man Steve!
Linda Malys Yore (otherwise known as Linda on the Run) is a 69-year old influencer who started a blog in 2018. She writes and inspires others about travel, fitness, vegan cooking, and health. Within her website, people can find North American and European travel information. Many of these blogs provide what-to-know tips before visiting a new destination, suggestions for lodging, restaurants, sightseeing, and mistakes not to make. Linda mentions that the growing engagement with her followers has been a pivot from the past several years of her life spent traveling. After becoming more intimate with her followers by revealing more about herself, Linda’s followers began looking to her for advice, direction, and consider her an example. Click here to read the summary of our interview with Linda!
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Iris Apfel is a 100-year-old fashion influencer with more than two million Instagram followers. In 1950, Apfel opened Old World Weavers, an international fabric manufacturing company that worked for nine White House administrations and earned her nickname as the “First Lady of Fabric.” Apfel’s career in the beauty world took off in 2011, when she developed a limited edition collection of make-up for MAC Cosmetics and released a jewelry line called “Rara Avis” that debuted on the Home Shopping Network. Another monumental moment in Apfel’s life was when a documentary about her life, titled “Iris,” was produced in 2014 and nominated for an Emmy award in 2017. Today, Apfel uses her Instagram fame to share her vibrant outfits and art sent to her by her fans.
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