If you were wondering how to monetize a business and build a brand from a global social media following, look no further than influencer Elle Ferguson.
The Australian based digital entrepreneur first rose to fame via the acclaimed fashion and lifestyle site They All Hate Us, and cultivated her own Instagram following by showcasing an instantly recognizable aesthetic while establishing an authentic connection with her now close to 675K followers. After several collaborations with fashion brands, Ferguson pivoted from influencer to beauty founder and created Elle Effect in 2018: a line of vegan sunless tanning products. The first product is the rose-scented Tanning Mousse, and it has already received critical acclaim from the likes of Jen Atkin, and influencers-turned-beauty entrepreneurs Kim Kardashian West and Marianna Hewitt.
Ferguson might have come into the spotlight thanks to her fashion aesthetic, but it’s her university degree in design and architecture that helped pave the way for a keen eye in branding:
“So much that I learned about design and architecture gets put into play. I studied color therapy and color history, which is everything I do now as a founder. I always say ‘knowledge is power,’ and I apply everything.”
Staying true to the effortless, “beach girl who means business” aesthetic she became known for on her personal Instagram also inspired Ferguson when it came to creating the packaging for Elle Effect.
“I really wanted the brand to be authentically me and wanted it to look amazing on anyone’s shelf. I looked at it the same way I look at fashion: I’m a ‘white T-shirt and a pair of denim shorts kind of gal’, and when I look at the branding of the Elle Effect’s bottle, it reminds me of the effortless vibe of a white T-shirt and pair of denim shorts – since the bottle itself is like a blank canvas – and then the stickers that come inside the packaging to customize your bottle are like the accessories.”
Ferguson honed her fashion skills when she got a job as the national visual merchandiser for denim brand One Teaspoon, right out of university. Ironically, she got the job when someone from the brand attended her end-of-year design exhibition. While balancing a fashion career on the corporate side, she cofounded the outrageously popular “It girl” fashion site, They All Hate Us. The blog gave Ferguson even more fashion clout and led to a global audience:
“When we launched They All Hate Us, we were the top blog in Australia – nobody was doing what we were doing. All of a sudden, people wanted to know who I was and what I was wearing. At this point, we were known in Australia – and then when the blog launched, followed by Instagram, it gave me the opportunity to sit on a global platform and be reactive at the same time as everybody else in the industry. It broke down the barriers and allowed me to talk to a global fashion-hungry audience without the delay, in real time.”
After successful collaborations with sunglasses brand Quay and Billabong, as well as partnerships with global fashion brands, she felt the timing was right to launch her namesake brand: Elle Effect.
“I actually remember the moment. I worked with a whole heap of brands, globally and locally, and I caught wind of one of the brands I had worked with and how much product I actually sold for this brand – and I had a breakthrough and thought, you know what, I need to start doing this for myself. Then I actually was on set in Venice Beach with Jen Atkin and a team shooting the first-ever Ouai campaign, and all the girls were sharing their female founder stories, and I remember walking out of the van and saying to myself, I think this is my plan. I’ve listened enough. I’ve worked enough, I saved enough money, it’s my time right now to take that leap of faith and create my own brand. It’s my time now to do it.”
Speaking of Jen Atkin – the Ouai and Mane Addicts founder is a huge inspiration and mentor to Ferguson.
The way their relationship came about is proof that Instagram can serve as a great business relationship tool:
“Jen [Atkin] reached out to me, probably five years ago, on Instagram and said she’s a huge fan, and I thought it was a fake account! I ended up meeting her and it was so humbling to have somebody like her turn around and say, ‘I find you so inspiring, I love what you do.’”
Atkin gave Ferguson an important piece of advice: to take the time to personally reply to all direct messages on Instagram. As a result, Ferguson schedules blocks of time every day, to reply to messages from her personal “Elle Ferguson” and “Elle Effect” Instagram accounts.
“I always answer my DMs. That community has enabled me to build my brand. So I take probably three hours, morning and evening, to reply to my DMs on Elle Effect and Elle Ferguson, because essentially they’re my customers – it’s so important to ensure that relationship is strong.”
When Ferguson decided to pivot from influencer to founder, many people in her circle suggested she create her own fashion line, since that’s her background.
“To me, there were three things that kept coming up whenever I did focus groups to see what people associated with the name ‘Elle Ferguson’, and it was always ‘tan, blond hair and denim shorts’. What attracted me to launching a beauty line and working on my first tanning product, was that I wanted to make sure it would appeal to men and women, any age, and any size.”
Ferguson’s latest and widest collection with the surf culture-inspired brand Billabong launched this October; the 10-item range represents her first time designing footwear (she designed all the patents). And while she’s expanding her Elle Effect brand, Ferguson stays focused by staying true to the habits that have helped her cultivate a massive Instagram following and international acclaim.
“Have courage and be kind. I say that at least three times a day. And attention to detail. It’s how you respond to emails, how you respond to people – it’s all-encompassing. And never give up. Never. Along the way, a lot of female founders and entrepreneurs are told they can’t do it, but you just have to keep going.”
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