OOTD from Alaska? Anchorage influencers describe challenges and opportunities

Lesli Olson reviews an Instagram reel successful her Anchorage location connected Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (Ava White/AKPM)

Lesli Olson stood successful nan mediate of her South Anchorage multipurpose room, digging done an overflowing container of unopened packages. She ripped unfastened a ample grey envelope.

“I’m really excited astir this dress, I conscionable haven’t tried it connected yet. I deliberation it’d beryllium truthful tiny pinch immoderate Adidas Spezials,” she said.

Olson is simply a manner influencer. She posts an outfit of nan day, aliases OOTD connected her Instagram, sharing everything from brands to sizes she’s wearing. She links to products done an app, called Like to Know It, which lets influencers gain gross erstwhile shoppers bargain done their link.

This isn’t Olson’s only job. She still useful afloat clip arsenic a choir coach astatine a mediate schoolhouse successful Anchorage. Her page, Far North Fashion, started almost 7 years agone erstwhile she began taking photos of people’s outfits that she thought were unique. She said she was drawn to what was trending pinch her students and Alaska Native clothing for illustration kuspuks.

“It was maine going up to these elders and introducing myself and asking if I could return a image of their outfit, because I thought it was beautiful,” she said. “There were these girls that would travel successful pinch flannels and vests and Xtratuf’s rolled down.” 

Social media influencers are portion of a growing industry. One data patient estimates that influencers’ marketplace size worldwide has much than doubled since 2020. By each accounts, nan influencer segment successful Alaska is small. Maybe moreover tiny. But Olson has recovered a niche.

Lesli Olson edits a reel she recorded connected her telephone connected Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (Ava White/AKPM)

She created nan relationship pinch nan extremity to make money, but it hasn’t ever been easy. It wasn’t until this summertime she began earning superior rate from influencing. 

In nan past month, she’s gained much than 60 1000 followers. She attributed that maturation to a viral OOTD video she posted successful early August, wherever she identified herself arsenic a size 12 mom who wants to stock her outfits pinch followers.

Olson said Alaska’s isolation makes it harder for contented creators to make a surviving disconnected societal media. But nan state’s unsocial manner and landscapes tin thief too. She tin connection extracurricular fans recommendations for cold-weather outfits and recreation tips for visiting Anchorage. She said life is conscionable different successful Alaska and that tin beryllium a trading constituent aliases a disconnect.

“I’m a teacher, and teachers who travel maine successful nan little 48 astir of them can’t deterioration jeans Monday done Friday. They’re fortunate if they tin deterioration jeans connected a Friday. And I’m showing my outfit of nan day, wearing jeans each day. So I deliberation that benignant of puts maine astatine a disadvantage,” said Olson.

When she started, Olson was earning astir $500 each period done her outfit links, but now she makes much than double that amount. 

Companies besides salary Olson to create contented astir a circumstantial merchandise aliases experience. A azygous fixed station connected Olson’s page starts astatine $500, while she charges $1500 for a minute-long reel. She’s worked pinch section brands for illustration nan Alaska Railroad and Double Shovel Cider Co., and larger brands for illustration Duluth Trading Company and Xtratuf. She posts almost each day.

“I consciousness for illustration a time that I don’t station is simply a time of losing money,” she said.

She’s not nan only Alaskan influencer charging for content. 

Danika Baldwin discontinue her occupation almost 2 years agone to create posts full-time. She charges nan aforesaid rates arsenic Olson for an Instagram station aliases a reel, but besides offers a combo package– a reel, story, and station for $2300 to scope her astir 70 1000 followers. 

She takes each opportunity she tin to create content, for illustration erstwhile she came to Alaska Public Media for an interview. 

“Look wherever we’re at! My hands are shaking,” Baldwin said, signaling herself stepping into nan building. 

Her page, Girl successful Alaska, reviews tours, lodges, and recreation experiences. She describes her marque arsenic “all things Alaska.” She was recognized arsenic Alaska’s Best Influencer by Alaska Business Magazine this year.

A caller station shows Baldwin relaxing astatine West Wind Cabins successful Homer, different enjoying a repast pinch her family astatine Bombay Deluxe, an Indian edifice successful Anchorage.

Baldwin said partnering pinch an influencer is simply a caller shape of marketing. Many group usage societal media erstwhile researching recreation destinations aliases things to do, and she thinks it’s because they want to spot visuals.

“You tin watch a video connected my page successful 90 seconds and get, basically, a recap of what nan full circuit looks like. It’s benignant of for illustration a small mini, for illustration [a] TV commercial,” she said.

When she first started creating content, she traded services aliases products successful spot of payment, and she said that’s communal erstwhile you’re starting out. Her influencer income tin beryllium inconsistent, truthful Baldwin manages societal media for a section nationalist relations institution and started recreation advising for other cash.

She said surviving successful Alaska makes it harder to physically meet up pinch ample companies that want to collaborate. But she said Alaska is besides a trading point, and nan scenery sets her apart.

“We person a really unsocial facet to our lives present successful Alaska,” she said. “The type of contented that we’re capable to create and show for illustration I tin virtually thrust 10 minutes and beryllium successful beforehand of a beautiful landscape. We’re not successful a metropolis pinch entity rises and things for illustration that.”

To beryllium an influencer, she said you person to beryllium comfortable sharing your personality. She records each of her contented connected her cellphone, and it helps make her contented relatable. 

Baldwin has dreams of moving pinch ample outdoor brands for illustration Sitka Gear and Sims, and hopes her activity pinch recreation companies will let her to research nan authorities further.

Olson besides creates contented connected her cellphone, and describes her marque arsenic relatable, trendy and bold. She said she considers her followers arsenic friends, and galore often scope retired sharing words of encouragement.

“It’s validating for maine that possibly I’m not over-sharing, and group do bask maine pinch yesterday’s constitution connected my face, talking pinch my double chin successful bed,” she said “You cognize they bask it, but they tin subordinate to it.”

Olson said if her relationship keeps growing, she’d move to school portion clip to walk much clip creating content.