Lauren Berger is the CEO and founder of both CareerQueen.com and InternQueen.com, reaching nearly 10 million people and connecting them with their dream careers.
On Oct. 15, she presented a student workshop titled “Marketing Yourself as a Content Creator” during PRSSA’s ICON 2024 in Anaheim, Calif.
Before her session, she talked with PRsay about being a content creator and working with brands as an influencer.
You’ve built two successful platforms, Career Queen and Intern Queen. How did you market yourself as a content creator and stand out in a crowded space?
It’s funny, I built Intern Queen and Career Queen before the term “content creator” was really a thing. People always told me: “Write what you know.” So, I started writing about what I knew, which at the time, was internships and career advice. I had done 15-plus internships and [in the process had] learned so much about myself, both personally and professionally.
You’ve worked with brands like Juicy Couture and Dunkin’. What specific content strategies do brands of that size look for when partnering with content creators?
They look for content creators who aren’t going to offend anyone. This is 2024, and everybody is offended. And I think brands don’t know what to do about that. They usually want to play it safe, so they’re looking for content creators who can bring the college experience to their brand.
So, the more college-lifestyle content — showing campus landmarks, club meetings — and authentic college-student points of view you bring to your Instagram or TikTok feeds, the more the brand will see the connectivity.
If [a brand is] going to work with a content creator, then they want to show the world that college kids drink Dunkin’ or college students wear Juicy Couture. If your page makes you look like a supermodel, then it might not have that college feel.
When staff or students want to start creating content but don’t have professional experience, how can they make their content stand out to potential employers or brands?
With content, being consistent is important. But I would rather someone be specific about what they want to put out there versus, say, “I have to post every single day at noon, or the world’s going to end.” Think about what you put in that feed and try to be authentic.
Instagram and TikTok are feeling overdone these days. It’s a bunch of the same. What can you bring that’s different and authentically you that no one else can do?
What role will student influencers play in the future of brand marketing?
I encourage students to think about what’s next. At my company, we do a lot of college marketing. We’ve gone back to grassroots marketing strategies like flyer-ing campaigns. Because at some point, Instagram doesn’t work anymore.
If you’re a college influencer sharing a discount code [with your audience], then you might have zero people use that code. The campaign wasn’t successful, so what’s next? What are other places and spaces where you can meet your peers? Always think about the future and what avenues you have to authentically or uniquely connect with your peers.
Here, she discusses the trends that will shape content creation:
