The Rise of The Influencer
Book One of Two
How a generation with phones became media companies.
About the book
Contents · 4 parts · 16 chapters
For a few years, anyone with a phone could start a media company from home, and plenty did. The Rise of The Influencer is the business history and the insider's playbook in one: the platforms that gave away reach, the brands that found trust cheaper than ads, and the economics of deals, affiliate links, subscriptions and clipping.
Told with respect for what people made, and with an eye on the cracks that would later split it open.
Part I: Before The Ring Light
- Everyone Is a Channel Now
- Endorsement Before Instagram
- Blogs, Forums and the First Micro-Celebrities
- Pre-Algorithm: When Reach Was Free
Part II: The Gold Rush
- Brands Discover Trust Is Cheap
- The Rate Card
- Lifestyle as a Product
- The Algorithm Changes Everything
- Influencer Marketing Matures
Part III: The Machine
- Beyond the Brand Deal
- Clipping, Fan Pages and the Distribution Game
- The Psychology of the Follow
- Celebrities Become Influencers, Influencers Become Celebrities
Part IV: The Peak
- Web3, Tokens and Peak Hype
- The Golden Age
- The Cracks
Working contents; chapter titles may change before release.
