From Influencer To CEO: How To Use Your Name Wisely

Whether brands are using them for marketing strategies, or they are launching their own brand themselves, influencers make the transition from social media personality to entrepreneur look easy.

 Most of the time, they earn a living through sponsorships, but a growing number have built extremely popular brands. These influencers use a winning blend of social listening and customer collaboration to build their brands from their natural audience launching off an established social media fan base. 

But must influencers build their brand as an extension of themselves to succeed? 

If you are familiar with the world of fitness apparel and YouTube, then Grace Beverley will not be an unfamiliar name to you.

Originally a YouTuber passionate about sharing fitness vlogs, Beverley now owns three brands that have all grown out of her YouTube name – GraceFit.

Other social media influencers have opted to keep their high-profile names out of their brands from the get-go; YouTuber Callux has launched his own footwear brand No Two Ways and Oliver Proudlock, originally one of the stars of Made In Chelsea, launched a now predominantly men’s jewellery brand Serge Denimes.  

When one traditionally thinks of business owners, Richard Branson, Bill Gates or Whitney Wolfe Herd might come to mind. Image via INMA/Jarle Naustvik.

Contrastingly, Beauty mogul Huda Kattan has built an entire makeup brand, Huda Beauty, from her name. Huda Beauty, which originally started as a blog, evolved as Kattan grew her social media presence. She launched the brand in 2014 and harnessed the ability to influence, advertise and place products through social media and customer collaboration.

 Kattan described the transition through her job roles to Fast Company, saying: “I’ve been put in multiple boxes as blogging and as an influencer and not really perceived as a businesswoman, and that’s something that I’ve really had to grow into”.

In comparison to most startup entrepreneurs, influencers are in a position where they can capitalise upon their own name for their brand or springboard away from their personal brand into new arenas.

They can use their platforms to advertise and conduct market research for free and with ease.

The rise of influencers has brought an end to faceless brands, and kickstarted a need to build an online presence to compete.

Header Image: Grace Beverley founder of TALA and Shreddy, via Grace Beverley, Instagram.