Anyone can be influential, from the politician to the movie star to the local shopkeeper. However, when we speak of "influencer", these profiles that have become essential in online marketing immediately think of the fashionista archetype that merges into selfies to promote brands. It is for this reason that some reject the label. "I hate that word", declare Margaux Brugvin and Arthur Bessaud, known for their videos respectively devoted to women and street artists. "It's a bit of a guru followed by his sheep," says Antoine Vitek, at the origin of the Culturez-vous blog. In the cultural sphere, we prefer to speak of "content creators," exerting a "micro-influence": their communities do not exceed one million subscribers, unlike the accounts classified in the "humor," "travel" category, or "beauty."
The priority is not to sell products but to share a common passion for art and culture. "Recommending an exhibition is the same as pushing people to buy a ticket to go see it," nuance Marie-Odile Falais, alias @imagine_moi, who has just left her position as a gallery owner in the Marais to dedicate herself to her projects, including the ArtBreak podcast. If the world of fashion presupposes a perpetual highlighting of oneself, this is not the case in the cultural field.
The proof? @culturezvous @ la.minute.culture and @ mr.bacchus, who are timidly starting to show up (in their stories), have broken through without having to reveal either their name or their face. A feat at a time when digital narcissism is in full swing.
Faced with the rise of these versatile profiles, institutions have created new positions. Helene Boubée joined Paris Museums as a digital communications manager a year and a half ago and regularly works with "content creators." This fact is also how she prefers to refer to her collaborators. She conducts an online watch to spot them. Chloé Villefayot, project manager at the L'Art en plus agency, proceeds in the same way. Regardless of the number of followers, what counts is engagement. Engagement is the interaction rate between the "influencer" and his community. An account with 3,000 followers whose photos receive 300 likes is doing well.
Conversely, it is better to be wary of 15k, which attracts so many clicks. Quality takes precedence over quantity. At least, this is what the presentation brochures, sent to institutions with a view to potential partnerships, highlight—supporting price list!
However, the organizations which solicit the "influencers" of culture (museums, galleries, press agencies…) do not always have the means to remunerate them. Even if these free electrons, who perfectly master the social network rules, have the power to attract a new audience, larger, not to say younger, thanks in particular to a more personal and direct mode of communication. "I incorporated them very early on in my press events, in 2011, which was not always well received by guest journalists or my clients," explains Béatrice Martini. "At the start of my career, they benefited from remaining places, cancellations; today we are preparing tailor-made trips for them". Thus, the Claudine Colin agency proposed a trip to the Louvre-Lens during the first deconfinement. Or an evening organized at the Palais Galliera last October. Experiences to be savored as such. Unlike journalists, freelancers, or employees, "influencers" are not paid by editorial staff. Aware of this gap,
The budgets intended for these content creators are gradually being released. "This year, I have just received a general envelope, to be distributed among the fourteen members of the Paris Museums network", rejoices Hélène Boubée. Likewise, Tara Benveniste, digital manager at the Perrotin gallery in Paris, may soon have a whole new budget for her future e-collaborations. As for the press officer Béatrice Martini, she went so far as to recruit @whereverhugo_ for his e-communicator talents, thus giving birth to a kind of double agent, who perfectly assumes his influencer hat.
If content creator is a profession, can we make a living from it? That is the question. "Yes and no", replies Camille Jouneaux, whose name now shines beyond her account, one of the most popular in the field,
@ la.minute.culture . "If I relied on partnerships, I wouldn't get away with it. But that is good news! I want my editorial choices to come from the desire to share my favorites and not from any financial pressure. On the other hand, if I can make a living from writing, it's because my account remains the showcase of my skills," continues the young woman, to whom it still happens to compose white label stories for the BnF.
Before leaving his old job last March, Antoine Vitek secured two-three freelance contracts to be able to continue to feed the Culturez-vous site with complete peace of mind . Arthur Bessaud , alias Arthur Vlog Street Art, sees his Instagram account as both a medium and a medium, a means of achieving an end: "making art accessible". From his documentary web series Unmasked, each episode is now accompanied by a limited edition work (silkscreen prints, risographs, books, etc.), the director has created an online gallery. It is possible to make a living from your digital productions by combining missions, but the networks present themselves above all as a springboard towards other horizons.
The resulting recognition allows some to get rid of the "impostor complex". "I have not experienced the meteoric growth of my account. 10,000 subscribers in three days. All this attention focused on me raised the question of legitimacy," says Camille Jouneaux. She does not fail to point out that of her 100,000 or so followers, not all of them systematically watch her stories. "I'm not an art historian, it took me a long time to get started. It took the publishing houses to come and get me to say to myself finally: "Ah, but that means I know how to write!" ". A humility that adds to the merit of the young author, freshly published by Larousse Jeunesse. Since the holidays, she has also presented the program L'Art sans FILTER on Arte's social networks.
The rise of Margaux Brugvin is just as impressive (from 3,000 to 20,000 in six months). "I did not want to appear on the networks but thanks to the general benevolence - I suffer much less from haters than the feminist activists that I am and support - I now feel completely legitimate and accept the possibility of committing , occasionally, errors. Everyone does. The young woman has just joined the Projects team , a web media focused on contemporary art, a reassuring prospect. Indeed, what if Instagram disappears tomorrow?
Admittedly, most of the cultural influence is exerted for the moment on this platform , nicknamed Insta or IG. Let us not forget the competing networks, all exposed to the same fate as Vine. You remember ? This application which broadcast videos of six seconds in a loop. Deleted overnight. In this case, Antoine Vitek would still have his blog; Arthur Bessaud his YouTube channel; Marie-Odile Falais her podcast… Christopher Michaut ( @ mr.bacchus ), who is currently exploring new avenues, would ensure his role of "ferryman" elsewhere. Some are already knocking on TikTok's door… In other words, stay tuned...
Beaux-arts magazine Sarah Belmont