January 2020 | Vol. 7 Iss. 01
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SOUTH JORDAN
A HOTSPOT FORBLOGGERS, INFLUENCERS Libby Allnatt | l.allnatt@mycityjournals.com
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one are the days of fashion being reserved for glossy magazine pages and elaborate runway shows. These days, anyone can stay up-to-date with trends with a smartphone and an Instagram account. From pastel-hued mountains in the distance to the Oquirrh Lake in Daybreak, the sights of South Jordan are regular backdrops on social media because many online content creators in Utah either live in the area or visit it to capture the sights. WHAT IS AN INFLUENCER? Blogs have been around for more than 20 years, with the blog-publishing site Blogger launching in 1999. Instagram (launched in 2010) is a comparatively new platform that brands are still learning how to navigate to their advantage, said D’Arcy Vandenberg. “We all know that marketing on social media is extremely important,” she said. “If you don’t have a presence on social media, you’re not going to be in business very long. That’s where everyone’s putting their marketing dollars. That’s going to keep growing.” Vandenberg is the leader of Utah Blogger Babes, a local chapter of California-based Blogger Babes Productions, a company focused on media production and influencer marketing. There are more than 20 chapters around the world (including Egypt). Utah got its chapter with a launch party in November. “For me personally, influence is to help guide people to make their purchase choices or to help guide them into an outfit idea or an inspiration for your home,” Vandenberg said. “It really is sharing your input with others.” ‘DAYBREAK REALLY HIT THE MARK’ Daybreak resident Deidra Smith said if the right brand came along, she might work with them, but for now she enjoys using Instagram for herself. She says her Instagram is “all about my family and all the things I love.” But Smith has especially made an impact in the neigh-
borhood with a Halloween tradition she shares photos of every year. Every year, Smith’s front porch turns into “Dee’s Candies,” a twist on See’s Candies, complete with a checkered floor and custom-made outfit. Daybreak officials share the photos on the community’s Instagram, and See’s even sponsors her now, sending lollipops for the children. She said the idea came from a love of See’s Candies and the fond memories that came with eating the candy growing up, as well as grandparents who always found ways to bring their neighborhood together, especially around the holidays. In addition to photos of Dee’s Candies, Smith enjoys sharing photos of parties she hosts with her friends to her almost 2,000 followers. She said the consistent and visually appealing aesthetic of the Daybreak area, as well as its tight-knit and supportive community, make it a great area for photographs and content creation. “I feel like Daybreak really hit the mark with how they laid out our community,” she said. “I believe they have an aesthetic they stick by, all the colorful homes and the beautiful lake.” Originally from California, Smith has lived at her current home in Daybreak for a year and a half, but she’s lived in Daybreak twice before. “I grew up in Orange County and the Balboa Island area,” she said. “Watching people walk around a community and be active and really close to their neighbors, I feel like that in itself is a great atmosphere to build amazing content. You get really close to each other. You can capitalize on that too; this person knows how to do this.” SHOWING THE PERSONALITY BEHIND THE CAMERA Brianna Degaston of South Jordan started her Instagram in high school and never
Local Postal Customer ECRWSS Scan Here: Interactive online edition with more photos.
Brianna Degaston of South Jordan started her Instagram in high school and now has more than 10,000 followers. She also has a YouTube channel with more than 13,000 subscribers. “I love the mountains, the nice people, the never-ending list of fun things to do, the restaurants, quality of living,” she said of living in Utah. (Courtesy of Brianna Degaston)
could have imagined it would grow to what it is today. “It still blows me away how many people out there in the world know so much about my content and actually like it,” she said. “That’s really cool. It was a lot of hard work to grow a following, especially with all the competition.” Her Instagram, @briannainsaltlakecity, has more than 10,000 followers, and her YouTube channel has more than 13,000 subscribers. Degaston also has accounts devoted to technology and computer science, with more than 3,500 followers on Instagram and 1,000 subscribers on YouTube, both under the name Tech Girl Brianna. But she said that technological skills aren’t everything when it comes to creating content. “I think it’s important to have some tech skills such as being able to create graphics and edit videos, but to be honest, content is everything,” she said. “You can have the
best-quality videos, but that’s just not enough because people want to see a real person with a real personality behind the camera, not their tech skills.” Degaston said when it comes to her Instagram style, she strives for simplicity and to avoid over-the-top edited photos. “My aesthetic is all over the place, but my favorite is definitely bright and minimalist,” she said. “I am so attracted to that look and lifestyle. There’s a Danish term called ‘hygge’ that I try to live by which means to enjoy the simpler things in life.” Degaston said it’s important to make content you’re passionate about, engage with your audience and post consistently but without forcing yourself. “I just post what makes me happy, and I hope it inspires others to do more of what makes them happy,” she said. Continued page 4
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