Influencer
Influencer Kristi Howard Reveals Her Authentic Approach To Growing With Brands
Content creator Kristi Howard is carving out a niche by sharing her life online, achieving success, one post at a time. From her base in Nashville, she has cultivated a substantial following by offering unfiltered glimpses into her daily life across social media platforms.
Her rise to prominence, primarily fueled by TikTok, showcases the power of genuine content. Kristi’s approach, which prioritizes being authentic over carefully curated posts, has not only resonated with viewers but also attracted brand partnerships. However, her journey also illuminates the growing tensions between creator authenticity and brand expectations in sponsored content.
Kristi’s Path to Digital Success From Camcorder to TikTok
Kristi’s content blends her personal touch with a pinch of humor, giving her audience a window into her daily experiences, fashion choices, and thoughts. “I’m being a little more realistic about [some] harder things, but also trying to be fun and lighthearted,” she says.
Her journey into content creation began long before it became her profession. She recalls a lifelong fascination with video production, starting with her early days of experimenting with her parents’ camcorder. This passion persisted through her school years, even when her content had little viewership.
“I’ve just always made videos,” Kristi says. “Even if nobody was watching, like, I didn’t [have an audience], I was still in school, just making videos, posting them. I loved editing.”
Her versatility as a creator is evident in her ability to adapt to various platforms. Kristi has embraced each new social media trend, from Vine, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, consistently producing content. It was TikTok that ultimately propelled her to broader recognition. “TikTok finally is what blew me up,” Kristi notes.
The transition to full-time content creation came gradually. As her audience grew, she began to realize the potential of her digital presence. “I saw the magnitude of [being famous] and people listening [to me],” she reflects.
Kristi’s content spans a wide range of interests, including home decor and design, but it remains centered on her authentic self. “My content is me, my life,” she states. “I’m not playing a character.”
Unfiltered and Unapologetic: How Kristi Keeps It Real Online
Kristi elevates authenticity to the pedestal of her digital presence. She treads the fine line between curated content and genuine connection with her audience, recognizing the challenge of being authentic in a digital space that often promotes perfection. “Even as an influencer, I still like to get influenced,” she admits. However, the digital maven strives for honesty in her content, often embracing the reality behind seemingly glamorous products or experiences.
Her approach resonates with viewers who appreciate unscripted, natural content. “I’ll wake up in the morning looking like the Grinch, and I’ll pull out my phone and just be a random thought, and it’ll do ten times better than the curated-like thing that I got all done up,” Kristi notes.
Her move to Nashville has significantly influenced her content and brand. Initially relocating for personal reasons, she found herself in a city full of influencers. “Nashville has become like an influencer hub, which wasn’t when I first was here,” she explains. “There are literally events all the time, and there’s the music industry, and there’s just so much going on.”
The impact of her content became tangible when fans approached her in public. These interactions reinforced the real-world impact of her digital presence. “When somebody first told me in public that they watch my videos, I was so weird and awkward,” Kristi recalls. “Now I feel like I’m friends with these people and love it so much.”
These personal connections have deepened Kristi’s commitment to her audience. “Sometimes people stop me and share personal stories with me, and it’s crazy that I’ve never met them before, but they feel they watch me so much they feel connected,” she says.
Mental Health Advocacy
Kristi’s role as a mental health advocate emerged organically from her content creation. She began by openly discussing her thoughts and feelings on her platform, using it as a form of self-expression and therapy.
“I would just talk to my phone as if I was talking to a therapist,” Kristi explains. This unfiltered approach resonated with her audience, leading to an outpouring of supportive messages from viewers who felt similarly.
The positive response motivated Kristi to dive deeper into mental health topics. She emphasizes the importance of showing the full spectrum of mental health experiences, not just success stories. “You’re not always going to get medicated. You’re not always going to find something that works for you,” she notes the complexity of mental health journeys.
Kristi aims to normalize discussions about mental health and provide a realistic portrayal of the challenges involved.
Engaging Audiences Across Platforms
Kristi acknowledges the challenges of maintaining audience engagement across multiple social media platforms. Despite constantly shifting algorithms and trends, she reiterates the importance of uniqueness in her content strategy.
“I try just to do what I enjoy, what I’ve been doing, and what works for me,” Kristi explains. “I’m not trying to do things that don’t feel authentic.” According to her, this approach has been vital to her success and growth as a content creator.
While Kristi utilizes various platforms, including YouTube and Instagram, she holds a special affinity for TikTok. “TikTok does have my heart because it’s what kind of my biggest platform is and what pushed me out,” she says. The influencer appreciates TikTok’s ability to quickly expose content to a wide audience, potentially leading to viral moments that can significantly boost a creator’s visibility.
“If you have one viral video, people are going to your page, and then they can see other stuff,” she elaborates on the discoverability aspect that distinguishes TikTok from platforms like YouTube, where Kristi previously struggled to gain visibility.
The Creator’s Dilemma: Brand Expectations vs. Personal Style
Kristi identifies a key challenge in the creator economy: balancing brand partnerships with authentic content creation. She notes that brands are becoming “stricter on creative control,” which can conflict with a creator’s established style and audience expectations.
“Sometimes I wish we had more creative freedom with brands,” Kristi explains. “My videos do well because people let me talk the way I talk.” She argues that staying true to oneself in sponsored content often leads to better performance.
For new creators, Kristi emphasizes simply starting. “Many people ask me in my comments how I do this… And then I’ll go and click on them, and they don’t have a single video,” she observes. Her advice is straightforward: “You have just to start, and you have just to post.”
Kristi encourages persistence, sharing that her success took time. “It took me a long time, but I finally got there,” she reflects.
Celebrating Progress: Kristi’s Reflection on Her Journey
While excited about upcoming personal and professional developments, Kristi keeps sharing plans cautiously. “I have some things in my personal life that are exciting. So I have some work stuff that will be cool, I’m hoping,” she reveals without disclosing specifics.
Kristi finds immense satisfaction in her journey as a content creator, particularly in the growth she’s experienced. “I used to be so not okay,” she reflects, noting how her followers have witnessed her evolution. This connection with her audience is a significant source of joy for Kristi. “I feel like all my followers, I feel like they’re all my friends,” she says.
The impact she’s had on her audience is particularly meaningful to Kristi. She values her followers’ stories and the connections formed through her content. “People telling me that I made and sharing their stories impacted them. Stuff like that is so cool to me,” Kristi says.
With her gaze set on the future, the seasoned influencer remains committed to crafting authentic content. “I try my best to keep it real with people,” she states, emphasizing her dedication to genuine interactions with her audience.
