Why Influencers Are Courting Legacy Media

As a rookie interior designer, Bilal Rehman was able to build a public profile for himself by sharing videos of his work on TikTok — showing viewers a project reveal, or a visit to a marble warehouse.

But as his follower count grew, his professional reputation became more and more linked to TikTok, rather than his CV. “The high-end client was not really taking me seriously,” he said.

So Rehman decided to hire a publicist, who eventually landed him coverage in the likes of Architectural Digest and Elle Decor. Being next to established names in the space helped elevate his professional credibility, he said — and got him new accounts.

“It shows your business in a light that allows people to take it much more seriously,” said Rehman, who now boasts a multi-million business.

It may seem counterintuitive that, at a time when influencer marketing reigns supreme and the power of traditional media is a fraction of what it used to be, that a TikTokker with more than half a million followers would seek out mainstream news coverage.

But as more creators seek to build lasting careers beyond online fame, many now seek out the legitimacy and prestige that comes with a mention in publications such as Vogue and The New York Times. Often, it’s a win for both sides: For publishers, featuring influencers is a way to engage younger audiences who are more likely to watch a TikTok than read an article. For influencers, landing coverage in a mainstream outlet can lend them professional credibility and even grow their follower count.

“Press coverage can lead to bigger opportunities — speaking gigs, brand ambassadorships, book deals, TV appearances — it can open that door,” said Ali Wald, director of talent at influencer management firm DBA. “It’s that cross pollination on platforms that can really expand your audience.”

But landing publicity isn’t easy. Pitching to traditional media outlets requires a timely angle and plenty of patience — a process much slower than having a TikTok go viral.

“Everyone wants press now, but not everyone is deserving of press,” said Rachel Granger, the founder of Blue Jeans Public Relations, who represents influencer-led brands like Paige Lorenze’s Dairy Boy and Bridget Bahl’s The Bar. “If you want to market yourself as an influencer, you have to think about ‘What are my offerings?’ You’re essentially trying to build yourself as your personal brand. If there was an article that came out about you, what would you want that headline to be?”

Why Influencers Need Coverage

With countless creators trying to make it big on TikTok and Instagram, they’re more in need than ever of ways to stand out. Nabbing a mention in a legacy publication has emerged as one of the most effective.

“There’s so many creators out there. You could be the most popular person in one corner of the internet, and there’s a whole swath of people who have never heard of you,” said Danielle McGrory, founder of the PR agency Communité.

A mention in a major news outlet can lead to new followers outside your pre-existing base as well as potential brand partners and wholesale accounts if you’re launching your own brand.

It’s also essential to building a profile outside of your own social platforms, where Instagram Stories disappear within 24 hours and TikTok videos get buried. A reference in Elle or Who What Wear, on the other hand, will remain a top result on Google. This will continue to be the case as people increasingly use generative AI chatbots, which are more likely to scrape websites than social media.

When to Hire a Publicist

If an influencer is considering hiring a publicist, they should view it as a “strategic investment” in their business — not an ego boost, Federica Dell’Ungaro, PR director at influencer consulting firm Idalia Inc.

A good first gauge is if an influencer should think about hiring a PR is if they’re seeing an uptick in inbound press inquiries. Transitional moments such as when they launch a brand or publish a book also make for a natural inflection point.

Influencer Kenzie Elizabeth, for example, hired Granger just ahead of the launch of her home goods and stationery label Friend of Mine, in order to reposition herself as “more of a founder, less influencer” in the public eye, she said.

Particularly considering the expense, it’s simply not worth the investment unless influencers have a specific business objective in mind. Granger won’t take on influencer clients unless they have a product or brand to promote beyond their content.

“A publicist’s job is to create moments, but it’s not to create magic,” said Maggie Sellers, a content creator and host of the podcast “Hot Smart Rich.” “If there’s nothing going on in your business as an influencer that is going to be news to the public, then it’s going to make their job really hard, and you guys are ultimately not going to have a successful relationship.”

How to Make It Work

Successfully garnering a mention in the press is not all that different from how publicity works for a brand or a product: it requires a definitive hook. There are thousands of creators who could be positioned as a “style expert” or a “beauty guru” — particularly if they don’t have professional credentials to back that up.

“Not every influencer is shaking up the fashion space or taking over the world,” said Granger. “You have to find what their niche is.”

Influencers who are backed by real-world credentials — such as a dermatologist or a stylist — have an edge, but leaning on personality and life experiences, too, helps creators stand out. “The human story is the main selling point,” said Dell’Ungaro.

When pitching her client Julia Comil, for example, Dell’Ungaro honed in on her perspective as a French woman living in Los Angeles, which helped her land coverage in Hello! and LA Magazine in articles about how to adapt French style to the US and her time at couture week in Paris, respectively. Granger has been able to land several tennis-themed placements for her client Lorenze, who is dating professional tennis player Tommy Paul. Local outlets where talent’s name may carry more weight can also be a natural placement.

Similar to pitching a fashion or beauty client, PRs should research editors and reporters who cover influencers more frequently and then pitch accordingly. That’s all the more important given the fact that coverage of influencers is still an emerging space in media.

It’s imperative the publicist and the influencer are on the same page. Rehman, for instance, said that an earlier publicist he worked with focused too much on pitching stories around his identity as a gay man during Pride Month, rather than zeroing in on his interior design business.

“You have to find a publicist that completely sees the vision and gets you, your brand and stands behind that,” said Elizabeth.