• Constantly monitor the comments on your posts. As the host of those comments, you are as liable as those who leave them. If you know you are posting something that might attract controversial comments or if you know you will not be able to actively monitor the reaction to a post (for example, you’re boarding a flight), close the comments section below the post.
The risk-and-reward balancing act that is the life of an opinionated influencer is a fine line to tread. Remember that a highly controversial approach is no worse than the other great sin: being boring!
Marketers will take great care to supply you with sample captions, set up actual photo shoots, and arrange completely produced videos and experiences that will delight and impress not only you but also your followers. However, marketers will not see the point in spending their budget on content that might as well have been created by a robot or any one of 15 other influencers in the same space. Have fun, be yourself and remember that what’s true for your content is also true for the brands you partner with: you are all there to serve the followers.
Influencers worth following
Mike Sharman’s favourites
Maps Maponyane (@mmaponyane) nails it. He really knows how to straddle the model lifestyle. He sells a triple threat: model, entrepreneur, success story. The quality of his content is always slick. It’s consistently aspirational; he’s not just posing in first class – he is flying first class. He doesn’t dwell on negativity. He’s always positive, consistently.
Trevor Noah (@trevornoah) is an incredible example because his product became part of this multiverse: the show, social, his book, he’s a great face for ad campaigns. He’s someone we can be very proud of. He stuck to his focus and it expanded into so many touch points.
Dale Steyn (@dalesteyn) has been great because he balances his personal life. We know he loves fishing and surfing. He’s just himself, just a gewone oke from Phalaborwa. He built this massive Indian following from the IPL [Indian Premier League]. He’s part of a special generation who cashed in on these massive, lucrative contracts. Dale is more human than AB de Villiers, for example. AB keeps his audience at arm’s length. When you compare the two, Dale has always been more likeable than AB. That’s why public opinion turned on AB when those rumours about the Cricket World Cup leaked in 2019 – whether they were true or not. We were much more understanding of taking Dale to the World Cup, even though he wasn’t fully fit. Dale has always been about loving his dogs, loving his fishing, and he loves to surf. AB is only really loved for his performance on the pitch and then chastised for his musical exploits.
Bryan Habana (@bryanhabana_) understands brands and how to negotiate on a global level. He built a fan base across so many markets. He never allows himself to be embroiled in scandals and he conducts himself the same way on social media as he does in real life.
Liesl Laurie’s favourites
Nadia Jaftha (@nadiajaftha) because I like that she seems to be herself. She’s consistently that kind of girl, with a bit of glam, but she seems real and like a normal human being, which is what I like.
DJ Zinhle (@djzinhle) is a big brand and an influencer at the same time. Very real, very unapologetic about the choices she makes, which is what I like about her.
Mbali Nkosi (@theembalinkosi) is just exactly who she is. She isn’t trying to be everything to everyone, and she really owns her field.
Rachel Kolisi’s favourite
Emily Skye (@emilyskyefit) because she is always so real and I love that she’s really busy changing lives too.
Nadia Jaftha’s favourites
I try to be my own person as much as I can, to have my own unique style. That’s very important. The people I look up to all do that.
Like Lasizwe (@lasizwe). He’s turned his platform, his brand into a series; he has a lot of big deals; there’s a lot of business that goes into it.
Internationally, I love Emma Chamberlain (@emmachamberlain). She’s raw and real. She says it as it is. She has her own merchandise line.
David Dobrik (@daviddobrik) also has a few businesses and he is a great YouTuber.
Mostly people who have taken their social media influence to build some sort of business to sustain themselves in the long run. We’re not going to be able to do this forever.
I’ve always loved Liza Koshy (@lizakoshy). She started off as a YouTuber and then acted in movies. She now has a talk show and a game show. She does red-carpet correspondent work ... She’s taken her brand to the next level and I really want to do that kind of thing.
Bouwer Bosch’s favourites
Ryan Reynolds (@vancityreynolds) because I love how he markets brands. It’s 100% him. Even when I know he doesn’t drink Pepsi, I still enjoy his posts about it.
Schalk Bezuidenhout (@schalkiebez) is also good in that same way. Bennie [Fourie – Bouwer’s business partner] and I often tease him about it, because his business sense is so honed. He even charged me R800 when I wanted to borrow his car for a shoot. Which is the right thing to do, but I just never would have thought of doing it, if the roles were reversed. He’s so switched on.
Katinka die Kat (@katinkadiekat) hustles, man. She’s constantly shooting. She’s constantly sharing content that I love.
Coconut Kelz (@coconut_kelz) is cool because she makes fun of everyone. She takes white people out all the time and we love her for it; she gets away with stuff I
