We are continuing our #StateofInfluence series from our State of Influencer Marketing Report this week with the multi-talented Larsen Thompson, who is a model, dancer, and actress. First making waves as a dancer in several official music videos for the likes of Borns, P!nk and Katy Perry, Larsen has also been a backup dancer for Janet Jackson, Christina Aguilera and Silento, among other music legends.
Integrating her love of modeling, fashion, and dance has given her the opportunity to create unique and engaging content for brands that is both meaningful and impactful. She has been featured in many fashion and lifestyle publications including WWD, Harper’s Bazaar, Nylon, and Cosmopolitan. Most recently, Larsen has wrapped shooting on her first two feature films.
#StateofInfluence: An Interview with Larsen Thompson
As an influencer, how do you choose which brands to work with?
I work with brands that align with my career goals - high fashion for modeling, athletic wear for dance, and everyday consumer-facing mass-market brands that I genuinely like and use in my everyday life. I think there always needs to be an equal balance. It’s not like I wear Givenchy to sleep!
What do you think audiences expect from influencers?
They want meaningful content they can interact with and relate to.
What is the key to maintaining authenticity when producing sponsored or collaborative content with brands?
I’m always true to myself and the values I want to represent when creating content for brands. I really need to connect to it personally for me to create engaging content.
What challenges do you face when working with brands?
My goal is always to produce high quality, unique and engaging content and share different options for the brand to choose from. Upfront communication on details/expectations is key coming from the brands so that I can exceed their expectations and still stay aligned with their branding and key message.
What do you feel brands typically look for an influencer when engaging a collaboration?
Brands are looking at more than just your followers nowadays. They are now looking to find influencers who reach their target demographics, asking for insights like top cities, age range, male vs. female ratio, etc. They also want to see that you have your own voice and don’t just go along with the trends, you have to be your own!
What factors do you take into account to judge whether your campaigns or collaborations were successful?
First, when the brand gives me direct feedback on the content quality and whether it hit the mark! Second, I always check the comments to see how my followers are responding to collaboration. It’s really encouraging when I see positive comments from them, so I like to take the time to respond back to some of the people that engage with my post.
Which platforms do you feel allows you the most creative freedom in your campaigns?
Instagram and YouTube are where most of my campaigns reside because I feel they provide me with the time and character allowance to really express myself and execute the campaign in a unique and creative way. I also feel that they have the most creative content on their platforms – you can literally pull inspiration for anything!
As a creative, how do you think influencer marketing will evolve in the future?
I think that influencer marketing will continue to grow significantly. With technology advancing, brands will grow to have access to even more in-depth data insights to help them determine which influencers have the audiences they are looking to target. Influencers aren’t going away any time soon!
Do you want to learn how to improve your influencer marketing campaigns?
Download a free copy of our State of Influencer Marketing report below:
By Launchmetrics Content Team
The Launchmetrics content team is always on the lookout for new trends in the fashion and technology sector. We are geeks with style and lovers of good stories!
