Influencer Spotlight: Abdul Dremali

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Abdul Dremali is a data scientist, freelance photographer, and social influencer from Boston, MA with a background in biomechanics and brand strategies. As a data scientist he focuses on growth and development at AndPlus LLC, where he oversees all aspects of marketing through data analytics.

He is well known on social media for his freelance photography and hilarious tweets, and currently has close to 100K followers on Twitter and 16K on Instagram. Abdul worked with major brands such as Under Armour, Intel, and Casper to promote them through sponsorships, campaigns, and videos.

Abdul sat down with us to chat about how social media has evolved, his love for the Patriots, and how he chooses which brands he works with.

Tell us your story — how did you become an influencer?

I’ve been on social media since the very beginning. I used to beta test a ton of apps and tested various social media platforms that have come and gone, so I’ve always been involved with social media. I’ve pretty much been around it my whole life. What we considered social media in the early 2000s was forums, and I still have friends from those forums. So I’ve always kind of “got” the internet, and it was a big part of my life.

I went through many iterations of the “influencer type” status where I didn’t really know where my brand was going to be, and it changed many times before I settled into what I am now. I’m very happy with where I’m at.

Do you think there was an advantage from testing social media apps, and being part of social media, even before Myspace, through forums?

Yeah, you definitely gain a fundamental understanding of how these things work. I remember Twitter when it didn’t have the viral aspect it has today. There was no native retweet, and users had to invent the retweet by creating a new tweet and then copy/pasting another person’s tweet and including their handle. We did that so much that Twitter turned it into a retweet feature, we kind of molded what it is today.

What is your favorite platform from a pure content standpoint?

As a user it’s definitely Twitter. The creativity required when putting a thought into a 140 characters and getting a story across in a very limited amount of space makes it really interesting from a creator’s standpoint. These are tiny fragments telling a whole story.

As for consuming media I really love YouTube. I don’t watch TV anymore, if it’s not sports and I just want to watch something I’ll often open YouTube and see what’s new. Seeing YouTube’s growth is just really fascinating.

Which platform allows you to best connect with your followers?

Twitter, but Snapchat is a close second. Twitter is just so accessible at all times. I try to encourage my love of science and will literally be asked by followers to help them with homework. I’ll look at my DM’s and there will be “Hey, do you know how to do this?” and I’ll help.

How do you decide which brands or products to work with as a paid influencer? You’ve worked with Under Armour for example, how did you decide that? How was the creative process?

There’s a certain amount of respect you have for your followers and fans, because they know their support is what determines these things. You have to respect them enough to not just take every deal that’s thrown at you.

Under Armour came to me and said “We want you to represent the New England Patriots,” and I’m a die-hard fan of the Patriots anyway. That one was a no-brainer. I knew that not only would my followers support me, but that they’re also going to be excited for me. So if I can visualize what the posts will look like and know they’ll be excited for me, then I’ll take it.

Another brand I worked with was Intel, and it had to do with Tom Brady. I thought, obviously I’m already posting pictures of the guy for free, so I worked with them on a Super Bowl commercial. It was really exciting!

Can you name of a few of favorite influencers you follow and what makes their work stand out in your mind?

Peter McKinnon is one of my favorites, he’s a photographer and also vlogs. He has a very positive outlook and I really enjoy his work. I also love Barstool Sports, they are so abrasive and don’t care about anything, and just fun to see.

Julius is an influencer marketing platform leveraged by brand and agency marketers to connect with creators and manage campaigns.

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