Sales surge for fitness influencers, the coronavirus changes YouTube viewing habits, and Rihanna's TikTok house closes
Welcome to this week's Influencer Dashboard newsletter!
This is Amanda Perelli, writing to you from my desk at home, and here's an update on what's new in the business of influencers and creators.
This week, I spoke to fitness influencers on Instagram and YouTube who said they've experienced a surge in sales of direct-to-consumer workout services this month, as more people seek at-home workout alternatives amid the coronavirus pandemic.
This increase in engagement and sales has protected their incomes, as brand deals slump, they said.
I spoke to fitness influencer Katie Dunlop, who created the at home-workout program and app, Love Sweat Fitness. She has been filming live content on Instagram for her 392,000 followers almost every day this past week, compared to her usual once or twice per month.
"There's been a really interesting shift with people being forced to workout at home who maybe aren't used to it," she said. "We've seen a huge growth in the consumption of our content, downloads of our mobile app."
Influencer Hanna Coleman said she's seen a 62% spike in sales for her $30.00 (usually $60.00) at-home workout guide this month.
With this spike in interest, fitness creators are offering more free content to followers, and they are discounting paid programs and extending free trials. They also said that, throughout this month, they had been mindful that their businesses were surging as other influencer categories - and business categories generally - were hurting. (Read the full post here.)
You can read most of the articles here by subscribing to BI Prime. And if this is your first time reading Influencer Dashboard, subscribe to the newsletter here.
More industry updates on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic:
A top social-video data firm made a 22-page report on how the coronavirus has changed viewer habits on YouTube and other platforms. Here are the 5 takeaways: My colleague Dan Whateley wrote about a report from Tubular Labs on YouTube and Facebook video consumption during the outbreak.
Rihanna's Fenty Beauty house, where 5 TikTok stars were staying and making videos, is shutting down temporarily due to the coronavirus pandemic: I wrote about Rihanna's new TikTok collab house, which is temporarily closing out of caution due to the pandemic.
'Double-edged sword': How YouTube's business could be both hurt and helped by the coronavirus pandemic: Dan spoke to analysts at Jefferies, Edward Jones, Evercore ISI, and MKM Partners to learn about the coronavirus' impact on YouTube's business.
The top 17 managers and agents for esports competitors, gaming YouTubers, and streamers
Popular gamers like Ninja, Pokimane, and Dr DisRespect are among a new generation of creators who directly engage with millions of fans on a daily basis. And they often have managers and agents who assist them in growing their businesses.
My colleague Kevin Webb and I highlighted the leaders in gaming who are helping shape the careers of YouTube influencers, Twitch streamers, and esports competitors in 2020.
Even with the coronavirus pandemic upending the world of media and advertising, gaming has remained relatively resilient and livestream viewership has surged.
See which agents and managers made the inaugural list, here.
The 15 hottest influencer-marketing agencies that make deals happen between major brands and Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok stars
While the influencer world includes many players - like talent managers, agents, and public relations professionals, who are bringing the internet's biggest stars into mainstream media - a large portion of the industry's growth will come from influencer-marketing agencies and creator marketplaces that support digital creators of all sizes.
Last year, influencer marketing agency BEN helped connect Electronic Arts (EA) with YouTube star David Dobrik for a sponsored Lamborghini giveaway video and social-media campaign that drove millions of views and total engagements.
From supporting the business of influencers with hundreds of thousands of followers to helping newcomers get their start, influencer-marketing agencies and creator marketplaces are key players in the fast-growing industry.
Dan and I wrote about which of these companies are leading the way.
Check out the full list on the hottest influencer-marketing agencies, here.
A pro Call of Duty player tracked exactly how he spent his time for a week, from over 50 hours of esports to after-hours Twitch streaming
Call of Duty League players earn a salary to travel the globe and compete in one of the world's most popular games.
Esports requires time and dedication to compete at the highest level, so Kevin asked a pro Call of Duty League player to break down how he spends his time during the week.
Lamar "Accuracy" Abedi's schedule shows what the life of a pro gamer is like.
His team's full office is home to more than a dozen non-player staff members working in an open-air environment, with a kitchen and enough room for the team to film casual videos during the work day.
But nearly all of the players' time is spent in the training room, and "Call of Duty" play doesn't stop at the office.
Read the full post on Abedi who has been playing Call of Duty competitively since 2013, here.
What else happened on BI Prime this week:
How much money Instagram 'micro' influencers can earn for a sponsored post, starting with 5,000 followers: Dan spoke to the CEO of an influencer-marketing agency who shared how much "micro" influencers earn per sponsored post, and when they should consider hiring a manager.
$141,000 in monthly YouTube income: Graham Stephan describes how he grew his real-estate and finance channel into a lucrative business: I spoke to YouTube creator Graham Stephan who is know for sharing personal-finance, investing, and real-estate tips with his followers.
An exec who manages millionaire gamers like Ninja and Shroud outlines how to build an influencer career and what she looks for in clients: Kevin spoke to Loaded's vice president of talent who explained what the management firm looks for in clients and how gamers could set themselves apart to build a career.
11 YouTube stars reveal how much they get paid per 1,000 views on average: I wrote about how influencers who are a part of YouTube's Partner Program can earn money on their channels by placing ads within videos, and spoke to some about what their average CPMs were.
Here's what else we're reading:
Amid Coronavirus Fears, TikTok Collab Houses Still Going Strong: EJ Dickson from the Rolling Stone wrote about how collab houses like Hype House and Sway have been impacted by the coronavirus.
Charli D'Amelio has officially become the most followed creator on TikTok: Paige Leskin from Business Insider reported that D'Amelio, 15, is now the most popular creator on TikTok, with 41.4 million followers.
Fashion influencers are rethinking their curated aesthetics because they can't leave their houses: Ashley Carman from The Verge wrote about how the coronavirus has impacted some fashion influencers and their content.
Thanks for reading! Send me your tips, comments, or questions: aperelli@businessinsider.com.
