Emma Chamberlain: Social Media It-Girl
Social media and the cyber world have quickly taken over the way we communicate with others on a personal level and on a mass scale. Emma Chamberlain, an American YouTuber creating vlog and fashion content, is the perfect example of how powerful online communication is. In 2019, Time Magazine named her among the Top 25 Most Influential People On the Internet. But how was a high-school teen able to gain such a large following in such a short timespan? It was her ability to develop a unique online presence and communication with her followers which helped bring her to the top in a short 2 year span.
Part of what makes Emma Chamberlain so recognizable is her personality which is the highlight of all of her content. Despite the fame and brand sponsorships, Emma’s online presence and communication has stayed fairly consistent, relying on 3 main aspects:
Authenticity
Emma Chamberlain is likely most known for the delicate balance between being relatable to her viewers while being a role model and living a life which viewers envy. On YouTube and Instagram, we rarely see her wearing much makeup, regardless of any acne and blemishes. Additionally, she openly discusses experiences with mental health and other common teen issues that many of us have a difficult time discussing. We often regard Instagram as an “idealized” world, but this ability to be authentic online allows people to feel as though they can relate to her and trust her despite the lavish lifestyle we may expect from her. This goes in hand with her brand sponsorships, which always seem to fit well with her online identity. For example, Emma’s biggest sponsor at the moment is Louis Vuitton, a brand that any teenage girl would dream of working with. This sponsorship was a step out of her comfort zone, throwing her into high fashion events such as Paris Fashion Week.
Creativity
Creativity plays a hand in the technicality of Emma’s content as well as her online personality. As previously mentioned, her authenticity online stands out among many other content creators. Between her editing and fashion style, Emma has further set herself apart from the rest. I, like many other users in their teens to early twenties, appreciate her editing which includes sound effects, zooming in, jump cuts, etc. which adds a goofy tone to all of her videos.
Active
Perhaps the most vital part of creating connections online is actually creating content frequently enough for users to interact with. Posting at least twice a week on Instagram, once a week on YouTube. She also creates podcasts every Thursday and is fairly active on Twitter. This is essential for online communication and engaging with followers.
In summary, I believe that there is a lot we can learn from online influencers, such as Emma Chamberlain, about how we can better communicate on social media. When it comes to content creation, it’s important to “keep it real”. People online can quality spot out the real from the fake, that’s why people like Emma Chamberlain are quickly embraced by the masses.
