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It’s an undeniable fact that Saucy Santana has heavily influenced TikTok culture. The rapper took the platform by storm with his popular track “Walk,” which had both influencers and celebrities alike recording their best Naomi Campbell-Esque runway walk. @saucysantana Walk @spencewuah #walkchallengesantana #MyRoutine #Mystyle #Dailyvlog #wordsofwisdom #fyp #outfit #bodypositivity ♬ original sound – Saucy Santana Following viral challenges such as his one for “Walk,” AfroTech previously reported that Billboard introduced the Song Breaker Chart — its first-ever creator-centered music chart — for artists like Santana who are breaking the mold of what it takes to be considered a star in the industry. In addition to “Walk,” his choreography for “Here We Go” can still be seen in countless TikTok videos, as well as the phrase “Material Gworl,” which is practically inescapable. Based on these tracks alone, it may be safe to say that Santana is a blueprint for running numbers up on the...
Before the world recognized social media as a lucrative industry, influencers — before the proper term was coined — were stigmatized across platforms for choosing a field that wasn’t considered a “real” career. Lifestyle influencer and mother JaLisa Vaughn-Jefferson experienced this firsthand from her own family after she left her corporate job to pursue her new passion as a full-time content creator. “They lost it,” the influencer tells AfroTech after breaking the news of her decision. “It was so funny because they were trying so hard to be supportive. For their generation [this field] just doesn’t make sense. [At first] I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, so I was prepared to just try out different careers. I knew I wanted to be in technology and I knew I loved social media, but I wasn’t sure what the exact job title would be.”
Last year marked a pivotal moment in time for change and equality, specifically for Black communities. The happenings in the digital space and social media have shown us the importance of amplifying Black creators and influencers who are often overlooked. Now thanks to companies like Fanbytes, we’ll be able to break the cycle of underrepresentation in creative industries. According to AdWeek, the London-based influencer marketer agency — launched by CEO and founder Timothy Armoo in 2017 — was created to help big brands discover new interactive ways to engage with Gen Z audiences around the world. With initiatives like the Fanbytes Impact Fund, the goal for Fanbytes is to now help Black-owned businesses get the funding they need as well as help Black creators gain more visibility in mainstream spaces. “What happened with George Floyd, it made me realize even more that I had this platform and I had a responsibility to do something,” Armoo told the outlet. “And I didn’t want to just do...
Entrepreneur Jayda Cheaves is more than your average social media influencer or the woman who is famous for dating and having a baby with rapper Lil Baby. From launching her own hair business to being an ambassador for brands like Savage x Fenty and Fashion Nova, the mother of one is just one of a few influencers that flipped her social capital into a lucrative cash flow that made her a successful entrepreneur. Who Is Jayda Cheaves? According to an interview with ESSENCE, Jayda Cheaves — better known as “Jayda Wayda” online — detailed all the ways content creation and building her name as a brand has helped her in her upwards journey of entrepreneurship. “Everything you post is marketable,” she says revealing the key to growing a large following online. “You have have to watch what you post and certain things you have to post because it helps your engagement.” This formula for her social media etiquette is what helped garner over 288,000 followers on an Instagram page for her...
When people mention social media influencer Ari Fletcher, they miss the chance to highlight how she’s a multi-million dollar entrepreneur. But the young internet figure has found a way to make the social game a lucrative business to build her own wealth. Contrary to popular belief, Ari Fletcher is more than the mother of rapper G Herbo’s son. She’s also one of a few Black influencers who helped change the social media space so its platforms can help its most popular users generate millions of dollars in revenue. In case you’re not familiar already, get to know Ari Fletcher and her life as a businesswoman with a few fun facts below: Her social media handles are a tribute to her late brother. After her brother passed away in 2013, Fletcher changed all of her social media handles in honor of his name, Kyle Jamison. Including his name on all of her social media profiles is her way of keeping his name alive. View this post on Instagram A post shared by KYLESISTER (@therealkylesister)...
Black influencers are really getting that bag online, and this new report has the statistics to back that up. The community of Black influencers has been growing tremendously in the past few years and so has the money. Orlando, Florida-based IZEA Worldwide, an influencer marketing technology, data and services provider for leading brands, recently published a report detailing the earnings equality among social media influencers. The second annual State of Influencer Equality report analyzes influencer earnings from data that IZEA collected between 2015 to 2020. “We are delighted to see the increase in pay for African American influencers within the IZEA ecosystem this year in-particular,” said IZEA Founder and CEO Ted Murphy in a statement. “Brands are consciously making the decision to include more people of color in their campaigns, and that commitment is reflected in our marketplace data.” The data shared in the State of Influencer Equality report is comprised of negotiated rates...
In celebration of Black History Month, marketer and social influencer LaToyia Dennis launched a digital advertising and marketing firm for women of color. The national boutique firm coined Melanin Moms Media specializes in connecting women of color to brands and events to help drive revenue for those mom bloggers and influencers from marginalized backgrounds. Dennis was inspired to launch the firm after seeing the lack of resources and income opportunities for minority women in the economy. “Since joining the mom influencer community four years ago, I have met many amazing moms of color with stellar content that are still passed over for campaigns,” said Dennis in a press release. “With my experience in advertising sales, sponsorship activation, event production, and brand engagement, I decided the time was right to start a company that pulled my experience, expertise, and passion together to help moms of color influence the world. My mission is to help moms live a life of purpose,...
Jeff Obeng may have been born in the Bronx, but his passion has allowed him to touch folks all over the world! Known for his viral skits as “Mufasa,” Obeng brings positive energy to the digital world through his kick-ass dance moves — particularly his popular “Go Mufasa” dance move that was featured in Da Baby’s music video for Grammy-nominated “Bop.” Now, he’s dancing to new heights as one of the first social media influencers to land a “legit” deal with Fortnite, according to Blerd. Obeng sat down with AfroTech to define what being an influencer means for him, how he’s managed to create authentic, feel-good videos, landing a deal with Fortnite, and more. AfroTech: The term influencer doesn’t always have a good rep but you manage to carry it so well. If you had to define this in your own words, what would they be? Mufasa: When it first came to the term influencer at first I really did not like it, but influence is the keyword when it comes to being an influencer. You can influence...
Social distancing doesn’t mean you can’t stay in shape. While many gym-goers are left without a space for their fitness escape, all hope is not lost. Gyms all over have closed temporarily due to the worldwide pandemic, but fitness trainers and influencers are still tapping into their audiences to stream online workouts and host live sessions to keep people pumped. Check out this list of Black physically-fit gurus to follow for your healthy dose of all things virtual fitness. Jeanette Jenkins View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jeanette Jenkins (@msjeanettejenkins) Jeanette Jenkins, known for being one of the top celebrity personal trainers in the industry, isn’t letting quarantine get in the way of working out. Jenkins’ Instagram page is filled with short clips of at-home workouts for the average person to follow. She even created a home workout calendar with various exercises giving her followers everything they need to stay in shape while at home. Cassandra Nuamah aka...
Social media has been a game-changer for many influencers, especially as platforms like TikTok and Instagram see a major surge in users. The internet has become a place for people in the creative industry to make a name for themselves, but for Black influencers, they still struggle against the gatekeepers of advertising who are responsible for paying these creatives for their work. Ethnicity pay gaps aren’t a new notion, but more recently, Black influencers and people of color have pushed back against the industry to call out their racist and sexist ways. In addition to the ethnicity pay gap, Black influencers are even being stripped away from their credits for creating trends that are ultimately stolen by their white counterparts to benefit from. TikTok was recently accused of trying to create an “aspirational air” for their platform by allegedly configuring the app to hide content from people who appeared to be “ugly, poor or disabled users,” according to the Guardian. While it is...