How the Kardashians Took Over Social Media
There are two types of people in this world. Those who look up to the Kardashian family and those who absolutely hate them. There is no in-between. Love them or hate them, they have been able to build their own empire, with social media being one of their primary aids.
It all started with their television series “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”, first airing in 2007. Episodes of the show today can have up to over 2 million views. With bigger events happening on the show, such as Kim’s wedding to NBA player Kris Humphrey, ratings were as high as 10. 5 million viewers and made the E! network have their highest rating show (Forbes). This takes people out of their day to day lives and shows an inside glimpse of one of the most glamorous families. So how have the Kardashians evolved since then and how do they use their social media platforms to create a brand for themselves?
Each of the Kardashians have their own brand outside of the families television show. From makeup, to clothing, to fragrances, to their own personal apps the Kardashians have been able to brand themselves like no other. Another great thing is that each member is able to appeal to different demographics, meaning more of a diverse following. For example Kendall and Kylie would appeal to the young, teenage demographic, where as Kourtney, Kim and Khloe would appeal to an older demographic which is more focused on building a family. Other factors are also involved such as which sister is known for makeup (Kylie), which is known for fitness (Khloe) and which is known for fashion (Kim). And all their social media platforms are sticking to the theme of their demographic and attracting a large, diverse following.
One tactic that they use is mixing personal content with their branding on Instagram and Twitter. So instead of an overhaul with the message always being “sell”, they incorporate it into their everyday lives and how everything they do is deemed as normal and a necessity.
Above: Kylie Jenners Instagram profile
Above shows something thats called the “sandwich technique” in which the Kardashian clan will post personal photos in between pictures that are included in their business. This keeps followers engaged and more likely to click on their products as they scroll. The picture that is shown is of Kylie Jenner’s profile in which she posts her Kylie Lip Kits in-between a selfie(where she is wearing her Kylie Lipstick) and a picture with her sister Kendall Jenner posing in front of a luxurious car. This effect helps there to be bulge-free content in which selling is not the only thing you see on their profile, and there is more of a personal connection.
Another way that the Kardashians are able to hook an audience is through creating a strong family bond and stating that no matter what they will always be together. This family has gone through many scenarios that have been shown in the public eye. But through all of it they are able to show how connected they are through what they post on social media. They are also able to keep audiences intrigued by posting when some of the biggest stories in the media are swirling around them. An example of this is when there were rumours that Kylie Jenner was pregnant. She continued to use Twitter and Instagram, without giving any leads to the rumour. This would keep her followers intrigued as every time she would post something it could be in correlation to the rumours swirling.
Timing is something that is important when building a brand using social media. The better the timing the more reaction whatever is being released will get. Kylie’s pregnancy is something that can be used as an example. After the whole family was keeping it in the dark about whether the rumours were true, Kylie posts this, a video showing her journey of pregnancy and revealing that she has given birth.
Now this video wasn’t just posted on any regular day, but on SUPERBOWL SUNDAY. One of the busiest days for social media. With the amount of ads being shown on every social media platform, the amount of people tweeting and sharing highlights of the game, the absolute most amount of people were going to see this news. This being released would allow for Kylie’s page to get the most popularity and bring huge following to her page. Kylie was then able to incorporate her baby into her famous makeup brand, Kylie Cosmetics. With her daughter being named Stormi, there was a whole collection launched incorporating lighting bolts and “Storm” like things. This once again is mixing personal with business and giving customers a more intimate experience.
For the kardashians, its all about visuals. How you look and how to establish that look. All of them have their own unique styles which they portray on their social media sites.
In January 2018, statistics showed that Kim Kardashian had the 6th most Instagram followers, trailing in at 106 million (statista). Kim is seen as the leader of the clan when it comes to entrepreneurship. One main thing that she has been able to do is engage with her following. She asks them questions, giving her fans an insight into her life where they start to feel like they are connected to her. There is also a change in the way that ideas are able to catch on throughout an audience. With the popularity of Kim Kardashian, it is creating a more intimate connection with consumers. Kim’s husband, Kanye West has his own fashion like with one of the products being shoes called “Yeezys”. If you go on any Kardashian members social media page you will see that they are always showing off their Yeezy’s and how it is a part of their family. This is included in their personal style and is helping promote their family brand. Almost as if saying, “if you wear Yeezy’s, then you can be like a Kardashian”.
Sometimes you gotta be a little risky. That is what members of the family have done in order to keep followers on their toes and create a buzz about them. Kim has been one to do this, with scandalous photos on her Instagram and Twitter, it keeps the media talking about the family. Although sometimes backlash can occur, there is also a sense of empowerment, kind of saying “do what you want, and don’t worry about those who hate”. Even those who hate on the photos still engage in clicking the photo, reading comments and making that of their own. So in a way even the haters are helping with the analytics in regards to engagement that the photo gets. You also need to own what you do, the Kardashians are well aware of what they are posing on social media, and most likely know the reaction they are going to get from the types of photos they post. But they have thick skin and thats why for the most part they don’t care what people say, which is a good thing because it allows them to develop and continue with pursuing what they want.
Basically, what all members of this family have been able to do is use their reality television show as fuel to expand outwards and diversify themselves into other opportunities. They have created clothing lines, makeup products, apps, shoes, and even emojis. All of which carry the families brand. They use social media as a primary tool to help show their many products that are in a variety of markets. As Kim Kardashian has said “acting and singing aren’t the only ways to be talented. It ‘s a skill to get people to like you, instead of a character written for you by someone else”(Entrepreneur). And in fact there is a lot of respect to be said with that. The Kardashians have become so popular on social media simply because they were given an opportunity and built on it, all while showing their authentic selves and reiterating the importance of family.
Whenever one reaches out to another family member on social media, that is what generates the most response out of their following, because that is what they were originally known for, and continue to show their strong bond which pleases their followers. Below are some of the Kardashians most liked pics, and what do they all have in common? All are related to family.
This was when Stormi turned 1 month old, generating 13 million likes and over 1 million comments on Instagram.
This is Kim and Kanye’s wedding in 2014. Many were pleased to see this pic as the ceremony was kept private and not aired on Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
This is the most liked photo on Instagram with 17 million likes. This was the first time Kylie had posted a picture of her baby and told us her name was Stormi.
So love them or hate them, you have to admit that the Kardashians are slaying the game when it comes to social media, and there is no slowing them down now.
All products require an annual contract. Prices do not include sales tax (New York residents only). “Most Followed Instagram Accounts 2018.” Statista, www.statista.com/statistics/421169/most-followers-instagram/.
Lerner, Rebecca. “‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ Ratings Improve.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 26 Jan. 2018, www.forbes.com/sites/rebeccalerner/2018/01/17/keeping-up-with-the-kardashians-ratings-improve/#1f8f26af69c2.
Patel, Sujan. “Kim Kardashian! 4 Marketing Lessons You Can Learn From the Ubiquitous Reality TV Star.” Entrepreneur, 21 Aug. 2017, www.entrepreneur.com/article/298532.
Kim, Leonard. “The Ingenious Way the Kardashians Turned Themselves Into Celebrities.” Inc.com, Inc., 15 Sept. 2015, www.inc.com/leonard-kim/the-ingenious-way-the-kardashians-turned-themselves-into-celebrities.html.
