We were lucky to catch up with Anne DiVitto recently and have shared our conversation below.

Anne, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

Influencer Marketing is a growing trend that continues to become more and more popular. No longer are the days of paid ads, and here are the days of influencer promotion.

While most of us may think of celebrities as influencers, with millions of followers, In 2022, more and more nano and micro-influencers will become a popular way for businesses and brands to reach more targeted audiences. Macro influencers just don’t seem to cut it anymore. Smaller brands or businesses can’t afford them anyway! Nano-influencers (0-10k followers) and micro-influencers (10k-100k followers) are proving to have far more value these days. Their higher engagement, loyal fan base, and niche followers are doing the trick. This year, nano and micro-influencers will really shine, and even bigger brands will start to appreciate the impact they can have in marketing their products and services.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Word Out Influence was born from the need to create an easy way for the small businesses in my local West Michigan area to connect with the talented local influencers and creators who were looking for opportunities. I’ve heard it often from both sides: “I just don’t know where to start!”

Word Out was originally founded by a product photographer and social media coach, with also experience as a professional creator and influencer. Word Out Influence is now owned by me, Anne DiVitto, a social media manager and digital marketing expert, and most importantly, a local Grand Rapids influencer on Instagram @grand.rapids.girl. Since we have experience partnering with businesses as an influencer, I know we are uniquely positioned to make those connections and walk both brands and creators through successful partnerships.

I know what it takes on social media for a brand to succeed, I know that influencer marketing is the fastest growing marketing method, and I know what successful campaigns look like from the inside out. I also know how to find legitimate creators who will put in WORK to make a campaign successful for their brand partners in the haystack of people who just want freebies.

My desire is to create opportunities for up and coming and established influencer creators, while simultaneously helping local West Michigan brands of all sizes (but especially the small ones) grow and exceed their potential.

Word Out Influence is a full-service platform that pairs brands with aligned micro influencers to run social media campaigns and deliver user generated content. We’re here to help you build brand awareness, or announce that big launch, AND gain quality shareable content to boot.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

My following begins with Grand Rapids Girl. It has grown simply from sharing what we’re doing in Grand Rapids. At the beginning, we went out on Instagram and simply engaged with our community with likes, comments and followers. With close to 8000 followers on Instagram, we are proud to know that 90% of our followers are in GR, with the rest reporting from surrounding towns in West Michigan. We didn’t build them overnight, it took a few years to get there. And we’re fine with this because we know they are real, and part of our community. What’s great about this community, is now I can share my new business, Word Out Influence!

Word Out is a business that is ultimately for influencers – and how they can support Grand Rapids. Pairing them with local brands and businesses is a natural next step for GRG, as Word Out Influence!

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of clients and business partners, hands down, is networking! When I started out on my own, after spending 20 years in the corporate grind, I started by attending local coffee meetups and business groups. Many of these groups started at 7 AM! I made a commitment to building a new career and getting out, and MEETING people has brought me to where I am today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wordoutinfluence.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wordoutinfluence/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wordoutinfluence

Image Credits
Bird + Bird Studio