April Lockhart on the Power of Niche Creators: SXSW Panel Sneak Peek

How has the evolving social media landscape and ecosystem impacted your content and community?

This evolving landscape has quickly connected me to “my people.” For me, that’s been a couple different groups—the disabled community, the clean beauty community, and the corporate micro-Creator community. 

For example, I recently embarked on a journey of tossing out all the toxins in my house. In just a few days of sharing videos on the toxins I’m throwing away, I was connected to so many resourceful and encouraging people within the non-toxic community that have helped me find great product alternatives. 

The power of the niche ultimately provides connections that can be really beautiful.

How do you forge a deep, authentic connection with your niche audience, and what is it about your content that resonates with them?

Stories will always lend themselves to connecting with your audience. Showing up each day, and being unfiltered helps them find common ground with you. And the small things: answering DMs, comments, being in the details, and not feeling out of reach. My hope is that my content brings people a sense of joy, and some aspiration but also something attainable. 

What strategies have you found effective in maintaining a consistent and authentic brand image as a niche Creator?

When I started doing this full-time, I made myself sit down and create my own brand pillars, like any beauty, fashion, lifestyle brand may have for their company. I always try to ask myself if what I’m doing aligns with those key themes. 

Involving keywords throughout your content can also help. For me, adding “disabled fashun girlie” throughout my outfit content helped create that connective thread that was signature to me. 

Consistency is everything. I constantly remind myself that “perfect is the enemy of good.” I’m not always a pro at this, by the way. Burnout is also very real. It’s okay to just try things, and it doesn’t have to be complex. Think about how many things you scroll past in a day. Nine times out of ten, no one is going to hold you to that one video you were nervous to post. Hit send.

How have you been able to bring your unique perspective to brand partnerships in an authentic way?

I’ve worked in the industry, so I think that’s always informed how I partner with brands. I really put myself in their shoes.  Sometimes to my detriment. The last year has really been about strengthening my own personal brand, and learning I don’t need to say yes to everything—in fact, it’s really important that I say “no” to certain things to preserve the integrity of my brand.

Can you share an example of some of your niche content that went viral and what elements lead to its virality?

The most random things can, and will go viral. That’s your reason to just hit “post” on your drafts. 

One of my most viral videos was part of a disabled beauty series I created. It was a video where I asked my nail tech if I get a discount because I have one hand. Funny enough, it got millions of views on every platform. 

Dissecting it a bit, I realized it involved some key elements: personality, uniqueness (something only you can offer!), and real-life scenarios.

Some brands have yet to tap into the potential of niche Creators. Why is this a missed opportunity?

The engagement of micro-Creators is so powerful, and oftentimes they’ll work so much harder for you. 

Consumers can also be hesitant about macro-influencers’ authenticity, so while their content may give you reach, it might not always translate to sales. 

During my time at ILIA Beauty, we focused solely on nano and micro-Creators, which played a huge role in the brand’s growth. Getting the product in the right hands that actually care. Working with these types of creators, you’re often working with experts that are well-respected, or have an audience that really trusts them. If a brand does it right within a few key niches, the word can spread organically and that’s the viral ingredient everyone is looking for.