The rise of Influencers has certainly changed the game when it comes to brands, consumers and social media – and no one knows this better than President of Socialyte, Beca Alexander.
Having started out as a blogger herself, Beca saw where the industry was heading, and while initially it may have felt like a path into the unknown, she has developed a booming and successful US based agency that represents campaigns for leading brands around the world like; Louis Vuitton, Grey Goose Vodka, Audi, and American Express.
Socialyte also develops social media talent, aiming to build profiles for those determined to achieve their goals and live out their passions, much like their fierce leader.
But if you think it’s all just champagne and designer handbags – think again. Beca’s approach is authentic and organic, much like her personality. She strives to help tell the real story – be it about a person or product, and while the line between authentic and fake can often feel blurred in the world of influencers, this gorgeous girl boss draws it boldly and without compromise.
It was such a delight chatting to Beca, as we discussed all things business, success and the future of influencers …
What inspired you to start Socialyte? And how did your experiences lead to where you are today?
I honestly didn’t realize I was starting a company until 8 months in. After selling the blog that I helped build, I took a very corporate position at Richmont, one of the world’s largest luxury watch and jewellery conglomerates. I was super excited for the salary, the set hours, the health insurance, and of course the potential to climb the ladder. After about a year, the job became stale.
My projects took too long to implement and I became anxious from lack of movement. At the same time, many of my friends started receiving recognition as ‘bloggers.’
The industry took notice, and brands started reaching out to them to collaborate. A few of those friends came to me for advice, asking how to build a media kit, what to charge for banner ads vs native content, and it became very clear to me that this was an opportunity. In my free time, I started negotiating deals on behalf of my friends and quickly started earning side hustle money. A few months after, I had 5 brands I consulted on strategy and 3 bloggers who referred to me as their manager.
I quit my corporate job and filed paperwork for Socialyte.
What do you love most about running Socialyte and this space as a whole?
I absolutely love every member of my team, they’ve become my family, and without them, there wouldn’t be Socialyte. Most days, they work harder than I do, and it’s been quite rewarding to see them grow and develop as humans and leaders.
How much do you think the Influencer world changed?
Everything has changed in the last 10 years. Not only have bloggers become influencers, no longer needing to rely on their own platform with long format content and high gloss photos, brands are spending millions on various content creators across all platforms. It’s been very exciting to watch as the ecosystem developed. The consistent changes keeps things interesting.
We’re finally seeing brands buy creators as media, using traditional metrics for ROI. We’re also seeing significant conversion return for brands, which solidifies the importance of the strategies we’ve developed.
If you could give one peace of advice to your younger self when you were getting started – what would it be?
To never be afraid because everything always works out in one way or another.
Life is a journey, and fear is a wall between living the best possible adventure.
What do you think are the 3 key elements to being successful in this industry?
I think the keys to being successful are the same for any business; determination and perseverance, learning from your mistakes, and being kind along the way. This may be very simple but it’s actually very difficult in practice.
There have been many days along my journey where I felt like giving up as the uphill battle became harder and harder. And there were many times where it felt like I made mistake after mistake after mistake. But you have to move on, push forward, and grow.
And doing that while being kind to people you meet along the way is actually the most challenging, especially when dealing with conflict. I used to think that people-based issues could be solved with a loud bark, and then I realized that I don’t want to live my life that way. And if that’s how someone else handles things, I will always be the bigger person, because that’s what my dad taught me.
What does the future hold for Socialyte?
Every day, Socialyte pushes forward and grows. We do this by expanding the team, creating additional processes for scale, we add exciting talent, we win new brand business and we continue to build technology. In 3-5 years, my plan is to have a full service creative agency that handles all aspects of marketing for various clients.
I hope we build something impactful, not just something that is deeply rooted in consumerism, but something that positively affects the world and creates change, if nothing more than the change that inspires people to live a more adventurous life.
