The Alix Earle Playbook
It’s time that we all take a seat and talk about the “it” girl who has been dominating our TikTok feeds, influencing us to sell out high-end makeup, and making every girl think, “...should I have gone to uMiami?” (The answer is yes - because if Alix Earle does something, so should we.)
If you’re sane, however, and your screentime is below 6 hours a day, then there’s a slim chance that you haven’t fallen victim to the Alix Earle bandwagon. So let me cue you in.
Alix is a 22-year-old influencer and senior at the University of Miami. Between November and December 2022, she seemingly skyrocketed to fame overnight, soaring to almost 2 million followers on TikTok. Since then, she has seen a level of intense and immediate fame that social media hasn’t seen since the rise of Charli D’Amelio. If you don’t know her either, skip the google search and stream her Hulu show.
The difference between Charli and Alix is that when the former rose to fame in 2019, it was right before the pandemic hit. TikTok had just rebranded from Musically, and it was yet to be an overly saturated platform - making it the perfect time for anyone to make themselves known and be anointed one of the original top content creators. So how did Alix stand out in 2022, with TikTok now reportedly having over 1 billion users—many of which create very similar content and are within her niche?
Now, I don’t want to lead anyone astray and make it seem like Alix Earle is your typical girl next door. In fact, she’s basically an heiress to her father’s 54-year-old New Jersey-based road construction and paving company. Also, she has a not-so-casual family scandal: In 2008, Earle's parents’ high-profile breakup garnered headlines when reports surfaced that her dad was cheating on her mom with Ashley Dupré, an Emperors Club VIP escort tied to the former New York governor Eliot Spitzer, who resigned from office when this tryst became gossip pages headline news.
Still, there are plenty of wealthy people on the app who don’t receive the same praise and worship that Alix does. Besides, she has never publicly addressed either her family’s money or scandals.
To get to the bottom of her sudden social climb, I connected with Krishna Subramanian, co-founder of AI-powered branded content platform Captiv8. He shares his perspective on both Alix Earle’s popularity and what others can take away from the influencer world.
Hi Krishna, can you tell me a bit about your background and experience in the influencer marketing industry? Krishna: Prior to co-founding Capitv8, I co-founded Mobclix and drove the advertising and marketing strategy for the company. After that, I served as the CMO of Velti, co-founded BlueLithium, and served as a board member of the MMA and on the IAB Committees for Broadband and Lead Generation. I’ve also authored articles in Forbes, AdAge and AdWeek and appeared as a guest commentator on BloombergWest, CNBC and FoxNews. Alix has gained over 4 million followers since last September. How does she both sustain and grow her popularity? Is there longevity for influencers? Krishna: Alix Earle has recently become one of the fastest-growing influencers in the space. Since Alix has been creating content since 2020, followers have had time to get to know the creator and grow with her brand. Alix is a prime example of a creator who uses a combination of a viral, tried-and-true trend #GRWM (Get Ready With Me) and storytelling to connect even deeper with her audiences to share her daily experiences with her followers. Her popularity most likely continues to grow because of the relatability her followers feel to the creator. There is absolutely longevity for creators; it really depends on the path they choose to pursue. Once a brand has become established, the creator has the opportunity to further their career as an entrepreneur, and some build products based on what they know their audience is most interested in. In your opinion, what do you think makes up the “Alix Earle playbook?” Does she have a specific formula for success? Krishna: In my opinion, Alix doesn’t follow a true formula for success - she simply lives the lifestyle of a college student-turned-creator, and shares it with her followers. She’s formed a deep connection with her fans due to a unique mix of relatability and scenarios that many others may deal with. She’s also very transparent, and while authenticity is something others seek to portray, Alix has a very open and charismatic way of sharing her experiences, be it a breakup, skin issues, beauty routines, or simply everyday college life with her followers. The formula, as it stands, may be as simple as being your truest self, and sharing it with others through meaningful content. How has influencer marketing evolved in the past few years, and what emerging trends do you expect to see in 2023? Krishna: Over time, influencer marketing has evolved into an essential part of any given media mix. Creators are incredibly skilled at building memorable content and connection through social platforms. One emerging aspect of the creator economy that will continue to grow will be social commerce. It’s going to be exciting to watch creators and brands deepen partnerships and build formidable affiliate revenue streams. Another area that will be particularly interesting to watch unfold will be the role of AI in influencer marketing. Does influencer marketing make sense for everyone? Krishna: In most all cases, yes. Influencer marketing is the smartest and most effective way to ensure that brands are discoverable by new and existing consumers.
Takeaways All of this to say, the overwhelming sentiment amongst Alix Earle’s audience and influencer marketing pros is that she has dominated the TikTok platform through her relatability. Whether you’re a 21-year-old university student or a 32-year-old mom of 3, you’re bound to find something in her that makes you think that if you were to meet, you’d automatically be best friends. Between being powered by family scandals and funds and having charisma that can seemingly charm literally everyone, Alix has mastered content that manages to be both relatable and unattainable. If, however, you are a part of the majority and are not in fact powered by family scandals and funds, you can at least go for the “relatable” part. A look into the Alix Earle Playbook shows that: X Authenticity & transparency builds genuine audiences
X Successful content creation is for everyone and can be as simple as filming your everyday, relatable tasks X Influencer marketing isn’t going anywhere soon, so whether you’re the brand or the talent - jump in or miss out
Comments