Although created as part of my Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and Innovation program at Texas Tech University, the intended audience are the tweens within my own family. They are bright, curious, passionate about contributing to the world around them, and seeking guidance in doing so. This is the best guidance that their uncle can provide.

1. CREATED BY ESTEBAN (STEVE) SOSA

3. This presentation and
all content within it is
designed and targeted
specifically for "TWEENS"
(and their parents).

4. A "TWEEN" can be
described as someone
between childhood and
adolescense. This age
is usually defined as 10-
12 years old. If you are a
TWEEN, this guide is for
YOU.

5. If you're going to be creating and sharing content on the
Internet, you might as well (one day) get paid to do it.

6. "An influencer is a user on
social media who has
established credibility in
a specific industry"
(Stimac, 2018).

7. Influencers can be come
from any walk of life, belong
to any group, and speak to
any subject. They create
consistent content and are
credible and charismatic
(Davies, 2018).

8. 2017 FORBES PARTIAL LIST OF

9. AS OF DECEMBER, 2018:
262,354 YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBERS
38,677,193 YOUTUBE VIEWS
53,400 TWITTER FOLLOWERS
Grump Cat (Original Pet Influencer)
• YouTube video reached over 1 million views in 24 hours
• Revenue includes trips around world, partnerships, and
merchandise sponsorships worth millions
• Official spokescat of Friskies pet food
• Famous for being...charismatic
2017 FORBES PARTIAL LIST OF

10. AS OF DECEMBER, 2018:
17,283,756 YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBERS
25,903,773,379 YOUTUBE VIEWS
22,700 INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS
Ryan Toys Review
• Youngest member of Forbes Highest-Paid YouTube Stars
• Earned estimated $11 million last year (while still in
elementary school)
• Famous for toy reviews and unboxing videos
2017 FORBES PARTIAL LIST OF

11. AS OF DECEMBER, 2018:
14,452,765 YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBERS
2,881,715,139 YOUTUBE VIEWS
5,750,000 TWITTER FOLLOWERS
8,200,000 INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS
Superwoman Lilly Singh
• Highest-earning woman on YouTube in 2016
• Earned estimated $2.5 million in 2015
• Famous for comedy, acting, sketches, and
collaborations with Hollywood actors
2017 FORBES PARTIAL LIST OF

12. AS OF DECEMBER, 2018:
22,389,105 YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBERS
10,371,032,410 YOUTUBE VIEWS
11,800,000 TWITTER FOLLOWERS
7,000,000 INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS
Markiplier
• Earns estimated $4 million per year from YouTube alone
• Famous for Let's Play videos, horror gaming, and
colorful commentary
2017 FORBES PARTIAL LIST OF

13. AS OF DECEMBER, 2018:
311,226 YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBERS
21,248,348 YOUTUBE VIEWS
71,300 TWITTER FOLLOWERS
5,000,000 INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS
Aimee Song
• Fashion blog generates over 4 million views per month
• Collaborates with brands like LaCoste and
Bloomingdale's, designing own bracelet line
• Earns estimated $9000 per Instagram post
• Famous for fashion blogging
2017 FORBES PARTIAL LIST OF

14. AS OF DECEMBER, 2018:
3,961,452 YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBERS
450,180,658 YOUTUBE VIEWS
793,000 TWITTER FOLLOWERS
1,800,000 INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS
Kandee Johnson
• Makeup artist who started vlogging beauty tutorials
• Established her own nail polish product line, Sinful Colors
• Famous for talent and charisma
2017 FORBES PARTIAL LIST OF

15. AS OF DECEMBER, 2018:
7,375,582 YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBERS
1,103,084,490 YOUTUBE VIEWS
2,990,000 TWITTER FOLLOWERS
1,700,000 INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS
Marques Brownlee
• Started at age 16 creating screencasts and tutorials
• Works with brands like Google, Apple, Tesla, and Nike
• Estimated to earn $30,000 monthly from YouTube alone
• Famous for being a geek at heart
2017 FORBES PARTIAL LIST OF

16. AS OF DECEMBER, 2018:
5,588,581 YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBERS
959,335,976 YOUTUBE VIEWS
1,790,000 TWITTER FOLLOWERS
1,500,000 INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS
Justine 'iJustine' Ezarik
• Considered the original influencer as she created her
own website at age 12, back in 1996
• Started blogging and vlogging love of Apple products
• Famous for being a geek at heart
2017 FORBES PARTIAL LIST OF

18. $,$$$,$$$ followers on Instagram
$$,$$$ followers on Twitter
$,$$$,$$$,$$$ subscribers on YouTube

19. "Celebrity endorsements were the original
form of influencer marketing. But in today’s
digital world, regular content creators with
niche audiences can often offer more value
to brands" (Newberry, 2018).
• Regular content creators are everyday
people, not Hollywood celebraties
• Anyone can create content these days

20. "Over the past five years, there’s been a
surge in the way big brands have adopted
this form of marketing " (Varsamis, 2018).
• Younger audiences are distrustful of
brands so messages must come from
everyday people (Hyman, 2018)
• Brands are actively attempting to enter
into closed communities (Hyman, 2018)

21. "...social media influencers have established
a significant amount of online credibility in
their field or industry, so their followers often
feel their endorsements are particularly
authentic and trustworthy" (Kirwan, 2018).
• Fans trust influencers they follow more
than they trust a brand itself (Davies, 2018)
• Influencers are an "ideal marketing tool for
companies" (Fastenau, 2018)

22. (InfluencerMarketingHub,2018)

23. (InfluencerMarketingHub,2018)

24. (InfluencerMarketingHub,2018)

25. "The biggest platform for influencer marketing
can be found on Instagram. Last year saw a
whopping 12.9 million brand sponsored
influencer posts" (Fastenau, 2018).
• Influencers get paid for sharing their passion
about something with the world
• Everyone is passionate about something
and there's opportunity there

28. Tweens are in fact digital natives, but need guidance
navigating social media and online identity.

29. "...tweens average more than four and a half hours of
screen media use a day" (Robb, 2015).
• Tweens, digital natives, have grown up utilizing
technology all their lives
• They utilize technology effortlessly through family,
school, and friends
• Many elementary schools actually require smart
devices or issue them directly to students

30. "For today's tweens and teens, technology is part of
the fabric of everyday life" (Robb, 2015).
• Tweens ask each other for their social media
handles and YouTube channels (they expect it)
• They are highly familiar with collaborations,
reviews, gaming, unboxing, and edutainment forms
• They are already capturing, creating, and sharing
(with or without parent knowledge or approval)

31. Example of tween YouTube channel containing reviews, gaming, and family videos.

32. (Robb,2015)CommonSenseMediaCensus

33. (Robb,2015)CommonSenseMediaCensus

35. "Patience is the No. 1 quality it takes to become a
successful influencer" (Lansat).
• Tweens are the perfect age at which to explore
identity, follow passions, and capture experiences
• They have no worry of income, can focus on being
authentic, and can create an audience over time
• There is no other stage in life where they will have
so much ample time

36. "Influencers have to build an audience over time to
stand out and eventually - hopefully - make
money" (Lansat).
• They have years ahead of them to create, share,
and perfect their online identity
• The sooner the better (just like saving for
retirement should not begin at age 60)
• They should be trained to navigate social media by
someone they trust (rather than friends)

38. • Don't try and hide your personal interests, passions, or online
activities from your parents - eventually they will find out
• Discuss what your friends are doing, what you're seeing
online, and how you'd like to contribute
• Ask for their support in idea generation, online identity,
production of content, and managing comments
• Ignore the haters - as long as you are having fun and you're
doing something as a family, that's all that matters

39. "Find something that you’re genuinely interested in that has a
following of its own and dive into it. It can be a passion from
childhood, a hobby in which you’ve developed outstanding
skills, or your professional expertise" (Stimac, 2018).
• Consider your unique value proposition (Davies, 2018)
• Use your existing interests to focus in on a niche topic
• If you could be known for one thing...what would it be?

40. "People and communities are the engines that power social media
and this is why it’s important you should identify who your
community is" (Davies, 2018).
• Start with the most appropriate space for your community
• It doesn't make sense to be present everywhere at first
"YouTube is a perfect platform to create likeability. Blogs are great
for conveying an air of authority. Instagram is the platform to
convey glamour" (Davies, 2018).

41. "A persona is not how you see yourself but how other people
see you" (Davies, 2018).
• Your persona should be someone your audience can relate to
• Don't pretent to be someone you are not, be an aspect of
yourself that you can consistently demonstrate online
• Consider how your friends describe you...what type of person
do they see?

42. "Hope you like creating content, because that’s really what
being a social media influencer is all about, and it will be
around 90% of what you’re doing" (Stimac, 2018).
• Consider the type of content you would create even if no one
was viewing it? You need to consider it in this manner,
because it may take years to build an audience.
• To be known for something you need to continually produce
content related to it - You need to be your biggest fan first

44. Although this is a tween's guide, it should not happen
without parent's full knowledge and support.

45. Don't freak out! Your tween is
at an age in life where they
are becoming aware of their
identify, observing others, and
struggling to be a part of the
world around them. They need
you now more than ever.

46. Consider what would happen if you told them, "no." What
happened when you were growing up and you were told
not to smoke, drink, listen to loud music, etc. Most likely you
rebelled in some way. Use this as an opportunity to bond
with your child, demonstrate interest in what they are
passionate about, and provide them with clear boundaries.
They need that from you and shouldn't navigate the
Internet by themselves.

47. Establish clear guidelines, such as:
• Content will be created together
• Certain types of material/themes
may never be discussed
• Tweens draft and parents approve
• Content is created at home, on
weekends, after doing homework
• Passwords are controlled by parents

48. Be prepared for bullying of any kind:
• Just as tweens are teased because of
shoes they wear or version of iPhone
they carry, they may be teased for
content shared
• Review your school's policy on bullying
• Prepare your tween to deal with a bully,
regardless of why they are bullied and
you will prepare them for any challenge

49. Be aware of important issues:
• Remember the Internet is forever and
content they create today will be
accessible during a future job interview
• If done well, together, and over course
of time, you will help your child be proud
of their identity and of their parents
• Use this as an opportunity to grow
closer together as a family

51. Bosker, B. (2017). Instamom. Atlantic, 319(2), 16–18. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.lib-e2.lib.ttu.edu/login.aspx?
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Bullock, L. (2018, July 31). How to Evaluate and Partner With Social Media Influencers. Retrieved from
https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/partner-social-media-influencers/
Cabrera, P. (2016, October 04). 5 of the Most Useful Ways to Work With Social Media Influencers. Retrieved from
https://www.postplanner.com/blog/work-with-social-media-influencers/
Common Sense Media. (2015, November 03). Media Use by Tweens and Teens: Infographic | Common Sense Media. Retrieved from
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/the-common-sense-census-media-use-by-tweens-and-teens-infographic
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52. Kirwan, D. (2018, August 21). Are Social Media Influencers Worth The Investment? Retrieved from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/08/21/are-social-media-influencers-worth-the-investment/#73aa2cbff452
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53. CREATED BY ESTEBAN (STEVE) SOSA