We had the pleasure of hosting a conversation with Patrick Janelle, the Instagram influencer behind @aguynamedpatrick. Patrick, who has been awarded the CFDA ‘Fashion Instagrammer of the Year’ title and is currently chairman of the American Influencer Council, gave us a peek at what life behind the lens is like, from his early life to transitioning to full-time content creator. We also heard about his business ventures The Liquor Cabinet and Untitled Secret, and gained insights for marcomms pros working with influencers.

The takeaways:

• To build a strong brand on social, listen to your audience - they will tell you what they love to see. If you notice a specific type of post get more traction (like cooking or home design), try sharing more of that
• Influencers appreciate questions or comments about what’s going on in their lives; it doesn’t feel like stalking when someone asks, “How was your move?” when you’ve been posting content about that!
• Brands looking to connect with influencers: don’t be shy to get in touch directly - send a DM or write them an email (if their details are in their bio). They want to hear from you
• When hosting an event series, don’t forget about thoughtful details woven throughout programming. For example, Spring Street Social Society events were scented with Diptyque Baies
• Nothing can replace live events, but digital events will have a place too. Certain meetings or topics might lend better to virtual
• Digital events will also help offset the overpacked and sometimes overhwleming IRL event schedules we used to navigate  
• New York is not over, it is simply ever changing. Some people will want to move on because of pandemic-prompted changes, while a new crop of folks will be excited for the new opportunities
• We can all take a cue from Patrick’s aphorism of choice: Do something every day that scares you!