CHARLOTTE, N.C. — More than ever before, choosing where to eat or shop is all about word of mouth and much of that word of mouth comes from influencers.
The influencer industry is worth $24 billion, with 5 million influencers nationwide and thousands here in Charlotte.
As WCNC Charlotte's Michelle Boudin found out, local business owners say influencers are king when it comes to figuring out 'Where’s the Money?'
These days advertising is all about fun videos you can watch on your phone, so we checked in with some of the Queen City’s top influencers.
"We love exploring the city and so we started posting about it for our friends to see and we got some great traction and realized we could impact local businesses and we had a desire to be entrepreneurs," said Cam and Kiersten, who make up CLT Living.
From fashion to food, to fitness and fun things to do in Charlotte, there’s an influencer for that.
"I just literally want to leave a positive impact on the city I adore so if that’s influencing, a win is a win," Ohavia Phillips said.
Phillips is the Charlotte Hornets host and emcees events throughout the city and country.
She said she can’t believe she makes a living doing something she loves. Influencing, she said, is about building up the city she loves.
Phillips said it goes both ways.
"Yes, were shouting out that business, restaurant, but it goes both ways. They’re also helping us amplify our pages and build the community. And I believe, if were talking influencing, we should be building community," she said.
Brooke Hall, a model and influencer, said the job is fun.
"We do call ourselves influencers, we have a unique opportunity in Charlotte to showcase all these different places no one would have an opportunity to see," Hall said.
The 44-year-old mom of two accidentally landed in the influencing world when she got bored during Covid-19 lockdowns. She started posting pictures of herself wearing clothes from area boutiques and, four years later, is making money doing it.
Hall worked for a boutique called Boem yesterday. Megan, the owner of Boem, said Hall's posts positively impact sales.
Hall admits putting reels together is a lot more work than most people think.
"It takes a long time. When I charge it is for my time and editing and making it look as good as I can," she said.
Sherri Johnson is the marketing director for Lost Worlds Beer and runs her own marketing firm. She says influencers are the new way of advertising. They are a way for business owners to reach a different audience, she said.
"It's important to be more highly targeted these days and the days of having a lot of eyeballs on your brand are over. But, if you have specific goals, you need to get hyper-focused and influencers allow you to do that," Johnson said.
It's a 'win-win-win' they all say. That goes for the influencers, the businesses and the city they serve.
WCNC Charlotte is always asking "where's the money?" on stories that impact you. If you need help, reach out to WCNC Charlotte by emailing money@wcnc.com.
WCNC Charlotte's Where's The Money series is all about leveling the playing field in the Carolinas by breaking down barriers on news that impacts you. WCNC Charlotte doesn't want our viewers to be taken advantage of, so we’re here to help. Watch previous stories where we ask the question “Where’s the Money” in the YouTube playlist below and subscribe to get updated when new videos are uploaded.