Morgan Kaye of Bloglovin’ Talks the Future of the Digital Industry

Over the past few years, experts have repeatedly argued over the true meaning of the terms ‘blogger’ and ‘influencer.’ Bloggers are influential, and some influencers have blogs — so, what’s the difference? The truth is the digital space is ever-changing, meaning we continually have to adapt to whatever curve ball (or undefined word!) this new industry throws at us, and no one knows this better than the VP of Community + Support at Bloglovin’, Morgan Kaye! Bloglovin’ is a platform that allows for users to discover the best fashion, beauty, travel, food, home décor, and lifestyle content on the web. As the VP of Community + Support, Morgan has spent the past 7 years working with influencers, growing the Bloglovin’ community, and evolving with the digital landscape to become one of the leading experts in her field. Morgan can practically navigate the influencer market in her sleep, which is why we couldn’t be more thrilled to announce that we have not only partnered with Bloglovin’ for the Simply Stylist ‘Do What You Love’ 2016 New York Fashion & Beauty Conference, but we have also enlisted Morgan to teach a Breakout Session on Monetizing Your Influence: Learn How to Connect with Brands!

In anticipation of #SimplyStylistNY, we sat down with Morgan to talk about her tips for entering the blogging industry, the growing role of the micro-influencer, and the importance of authenticity! Check out Morgan’s Q&A below:

SS: Bloglovin’ is the go-to site for bloggers. Why do you think Bloglovin’ has had such success in the digital space? Bloglovin' launched almost 9 years ago with the goal of enabling people to read all their favorite blogs in one place. We wanted to help readers do this in a way that enhanced their experience, while simultaneously sending traffic to bloggers to further grow their audience + reach. Today, over 25M people visit Bloglovin' monthly to discover inspiring content from millions of influencers around the world.

We have evolved as quickly as the digital landscape itself and are now offering additional opportunities enabling influencers to succeed.  Influencers are now working with Bloglovin' for branded campaigns via Activate by Bloglovin', editorial and social partnerships, networking + events, and are even utilizing us as an educational resource.

Over the years, we have remained an instrumental partner for millions of influencers, and will continue to act as such. It is truly the influencer who shapes the direction of Bloglovin', and we plan on growing with our community.

SS: You’ve worked with influencers for the past 7 years. Do you have advice for someone who is looking to get their foot into the blogging industry? My best advice is to enter this industry for the right reasons. We’re all here today because we’re looking to be inspired and/or have a creative outlet. The industry has evolved and the monetization opportunities are limitless, however, I truly don’t believe an influencer should enter this industry solely to generate revenue. Blogging is still an art and should be treated as such. An influencer should also understand that there is a period of time in which he or she should perfect his or her content, audience and engagement prior to working with brands.

SS: Are there any specific qualities you look for when choosing influencers to work with? When activating influencers for a campaign, we choose them based on a wide variety of qualities, including, but not limited to, brand alignment, quality of content, design aesthetic, and blog + social reach. Then, we take the brand’s KPI, budget, and overall identity into consideration.

Within those metrics, we try to select influencers who provide authenticity and are easy to work with (in terms of responsiveness, attitude, etc.).

Variety is also crucial in every sense of the word. We try to select influencers within assorted categories and locations, and who offer a diverse reach.

Interested in getting more opportunities? With over 100,000 Influencers on Activate by Bloglovin', we are officially the LARGEST INFLUENCER NETWORK! We're already partnering with amazing brands, so be sure to sign up and/or inquire for more information.

SS: How has the influencer market changed? Over the past few years, we’ve seen the emergence of the micro-influencer. Today's influencer pool is rapidly growing, and brands are choosing to invest more of their marketing budgets into content creators. As a result, there are more opportunities for micro-influencers to easily collaborate with brands on paid opportunities.

Now is the time for micro-influencers to make their mark within the influencer marketing community, as it’s those influencers who hold a powerful link to engaged followers and impressionable consumers.

Large influencers will always have a place within the market, and as the budgets for influencer programs expand, there will be more opportunities for an even larger pool.

Don’t miss out on Morgan Kaye’s Breakout Session at the Simply Stylist ‘Do What You Love’ 2016 New York Fashion & Beauty Conference — purchase your tickets HERE!