Macedonian-based startup Influencers.club, led by co-founder & CEO Nikola Sokolov, is positioning itself as a crucial link between brands and content creators, offering a fresh approach to what has traditionally been seen as influencer marketing. With a focus on comprehensive data analytics and a vision of ubiquitous content creation, the company plans to revamp how businesses and creators connect and collaborate. As the platform expands its capabilities, Influencers.club exemplifies the innovative spirit driving the industry forward. Nikola gives insights into his journey, the company’s mission, the upcoming VidCon, and the changing dynamics of creator-brand partnerships in an increasingly decentralized media world.

A computer science engineer by training, Nikola spent nearly a decade in the field before founding his first company. After exiting that venture, he worked as a growth marketer in San Francisco, gaining insights to fuel his current enterprise. His time in Silicon Valley proved pivotal, exposing him to the creator economy.

Nikola’s inspiration for Influencers.club appeared in 2016-2017. He observed a gap in the market for data-driven creator acquisition tools. “Companies like Patreon […] probably want to utilize a lot of different data points for [creator] acquisition more than influencer marketing,” Nikola notes.

Recognizing creators’ growing importance in the media domain, he envisioned a platform to leverage their built-in distribution channels. He states, “If somebody gives them code, they could scale their businesses versus advertising others.”

Influencers.club officially launched in 2020, with Nikola opting to base operations in North Macedonia rather than relocate to the U.S. as initially planned. The company now serves businesses looking to harness creator data for targeted acquisition strategies.

How Influencers.club Connects Brands and Creators

Influencers.club is acting as an intermediary between creators and brands. “Influencers.club is like the sales intelligence tool for the creator economy. What Apollo [is] for B2B, we’re trying to be in the creator economy,” Nikola explains, drawing a parallel to established business intelligence platforms.

The company’s mission extends beyond traditional influencer marketing. “We are trying to connect brands that are building and helping creators scale their businesses with creators,” Nikola states. This approach reflects a shift towards viewing creators as business entities rather than mere social media personalities.

Influencers.club’s platform offers comprehensive data across multiple creator platforms, including mainstream social media and niche content sites. “You can find not only the main ones, which are IG, TikTok, and YouTube, but also Snapchat, OnlyFans, Patreon, and so on and so forth,” Nikola notes. The platform goes deeper, providing insights into creators’ business models, revenue streams, and community engagement.

A key differentiator is the platform’s focus on contact information and email outreach. Nikola believes email offers superior segmentation and personalization compared to traditional advertising or direct messaging. “DMs are very, very messy, especially for brands trying to acquire creators,” he observes.

The company also provides a service offering, leveraging years of experience in creator outreach. Nikola describes it as “a fully automated top-of-funnel” for brands seeking to connect with creators.

“For us, the follower count isn’t as beneficial as [knowing if] this creator has the potential of making money with a community app,” Nikola explains how Influencers.club stands out by looking beyond social media metrics.

Blueprint for Successful Creator Teams

Nikola sees a fundamental shift in media consumption and creation as the driving force behind the creator economy. “I don’t see a world where media will return to a few sources, like TV or radio,” the computer science engineer states. He envisions a future where content creation becomes ubiquitous, extending beyond traditional influencers to include “table makers” and CEOs.

This democratization of content creation presents both opportunities and challenges. Nikola observes, “Creators by definition are, at least the vast majority of them, creative people who know much about what they’re doing, but not much about how to turn that into a business.” This gap between creative talent and business acumen is where Influencers.club and similar companies aim to provide value.

Nikola’s platform is developing to address emerging needs in the creator ecosystem. “Currently, we are working towards how creators form a team, how they become better duos, besides just creating content,” he explains. This focus on team-building and business development reflects the growing complexity of creator operations.

When asked about potential industry improvements, Nikola emphasizes two key areas. First, he advocates for better business education for creators, helping them transform their content into sustainable enterprises. Second, he expresses concern about bad actors in the space, particularly in trending areas like cryptocurrency. “If I had that magic wand, I would probably eliminate a lot of the companies who are trying to utilize [trends] for [harmful purposes],” Nikola states.

Nikola at VidCon 2024: A Hub for Creator Economy Innovation

VidCon began as a central gathering for YouTube and online content creators, but it has since grown to welcome talent from TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, and other platforms. It hosts annual conventions for digital creators, video fans, and influencers, featuring Creator tracks, performances, meet-and-greets, and various other activities. This year’s VidCon will take place from June 26 to 29 in Anaheim, California.

Nikola is gearing up to share insights on creator acquisition at VidCon 2024. He appears on the panel discussion “CREATOR ACQUISITION: WHAT WORKS & WHAT DOESN’T” on Friday, June 28, 11:35 AM – 12:05 PM (Pacific Time), Ballroom D, alongside Avi Gandhi, Loren Piretra, Allison Yazdian, and Leticia Hirabayashi.

His presentation will focus on how brands can more effectively engage with creators. “Many brands trying to acquire creators just copy the same approach in pitching features,” Nikola observes. He argues that this B2B-style approach doesn’t translate well to the creator space and promises to offer more tailored strategies.

For Nikola, VidCon represents a unique learning opportunity. “I’ll probably visit almost all sessions in the industry track,” he says, highlighting the value of discussions that bring together company builders and creators. This combination, Nikola notes, “is very rare, and I think VidCon is specifically valuable for [the creator economy].”

In-person events like VidCon are particularly important for the seasoned entrepreneur who operates from North Macedonia. He contrasts the experience with online interactions: “What we have right now is transactional. You book a call to exchange some kind of information. And I think that once it goes away, the thoughts, the space, the feelings are communicated.”

Nikola emphasizes the unique value of face-to-face meetings in an increasingly virtual world. “VidCon is a great opportunity to have that for creators and brands,” he states. These events facilitate connections beyond transactional relationships, fostering a deeper understanding between industry players and potentially driving innovation.

Shaping the Concept of Creator-Brand Partnerships

Nikola envisions Influencers.club as a pivotal platform in its respective space. “There should be a tool in the market where brands can find creators that can help business-wise and not just with brand deals,” he states, outlining the company’s core mission. The business expert plans to expand the platform’s capabilities, focusing on three key areas: 

• Increasing the number of creators and platforms represented 
• Enhancing outreach capabilities 
• Improving personalization 

The goal is to streamline the connection process between businesses and creators, making it “as easy as possible for both the businesses and the creators, and probably as useful as possible.”

For novice entrepreneurs, Nikola offers measured advice. He cautions against entering the space simply because it’s trendy or growing quickly. Instead, he emphasizes the importance of genuine interest and thorough research. “Talk to as many [creators] as you can to try to understand where the issues are in the space,” Nikola advises.

He further stresses the importance of education over immediate problem-solving: “Don’t dive straight into solutions and problem-solving, but rather, educate yourself before doing anything.” This approach, Nikola believes, is key for developing meaningful and impactful solutions in the creator economy.