Derria Underwood On The Power of Rising Creators
3 minute read time
As we gear up for our Rakuten Optimism panel, “Fueling Virality: Unlocking The Potential Of Rising Creators,” we’re giving you a preview into the world of niche and micro-Creators.
Below, we interviewed panelist Derria Underwood about her experiences as a lifestyle Creator. Derria is a published fashion stylist and consultant based in LA. Her loyal audience follows along for her high-quality lifestyle content encompassng beauty, home, food, and fitness.
How has the rise of short-form video has impacted the viral potential of niche Creators?
When short form video was first introduced, it made a big impact on how we used social media platforms. It changed the trajectory of how we created and shared content on a daily basis.
Overall, short form video has allowed niche Creators to really flex their creative muscle: creating more content in less time, repurposing old content, and also bringing new, fresh ideas to the table.
How has targeting a niche helped you forge an authentic connection with your audience and what is it about your content that resonates so well with them?
My niche as a midsize fashion Creator is fairly new to my audience. I always share the sizing for items I purchase, as I started to realize that a good chunk of my audience looks to me for sizing guidance. It resonates so well with my audience because we all want to feel seen. To feel like we aren’t alone and that there is someone who has similar struggles with styling or shopping for their midsize body.
What strategies have helped you maintain a consistent and authentic brand image as a niche Creator?
Showing up as my genuine self and not pretending to be something or someone I am not. Staying connected in with my audience also helps me maintain a consistent and authentic brand image.
How have you brought your unique perspective to brand partnerships, and in what ways has that perspective benefitted your partners?
My unique perspective is that I share the things that I like with a sprinkle of what my audience may be seeking! I prefer to show a good mix of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, and I take pride in actually trying out products that I am being sent for campaigns.
I’m not in the business of lying to my community about a product that I never used. I want to be able to speak confidently about the products I’m sharing so that my audience can make informed purchase decisions.
Can you share a personal or brand partnership experience that went viral and what elements lead to its virality?
I was gifted items from the Adidas x Bad Bunny Cheetos Collection. I posted about them on my TikTok, and it went viral pretty quickly. It was just an unboxing video of the items I was sent and then I tried them on, but the video had 2.4 million plays and 295k likes.
I think what contributed to its virality is that there were people who liked the pieces, but also a ton of people who didn’t like the pieces. So it really started a conversation and built up my following and engagement on TikTok.
Some brands have yet to tap into the potential of niche or micro-Creators because they’re focused on reaching the largest audience possible. Why is this a missed opportunity?
From my perspective, brands not tapping into the potential of niche and micro Creators is a huge missed opportunity. Higher engagement, trust, and fresh content ideas are just a few reasons why they should be considered for opportunities.
Niche and micro Creators have fostered very strong and close knit communities, and they have built trust with their audience. This close knit community results in higher engagement because there’s a stronger connection and trust that is genuine and authentic.
Our endorsements of products and brands are well received, which leads to purchases and brand loyalty.
Are you attending Rakuten Optimism? Reach out to your Collective Voice sales contact to set up a meeting!
