How three Spiders became web-celebs

Kylie Jenner, Gigi Hadid, The Fat Jewish: these three influencers are all social media personalities who appear on millions of people’s feeds everywhere.

Amy Littleson, Meredith Scroggin, Jordan Chavez: these three social media influencers also show up on thousands of people’s feeds, but also in 8:15 at Boatwright, the library and the Heilman Dining Center.

Each of these University of Richmond students have become influencers with their own distinct brand and following. They are able to amass thousands of followers and share with the world their ideas through the social media platforms of Instagram and blogging.

Instagram was released in October 2010 and, Jordan Chavez was quick to download the app and make an account, @jordan_robert.

“At first I thought it was an app to just edit pictures and post on your own feed," Chavez said. "I didn’t even think it would become anything."

Soon after, Chavez was able to incorporate his life as a competitive runner into his account. The community of runners he was a part of greatly impacted his account through their added follows on his Instagram.

Just as the community of competitive runners bolstered Chavez’s fame, the community of lifestyle bloggers helped to support and grow the more than 20,000 combined followers of Littleson and Scroggin.

Both of the bloggers and Insta-grammers have created their own internet brands and identities that people look to.

For Littleson, her brand was established through her love of a quote by Audrey Hepburn: “I believe in pink.” From the quote, Littleson became @amybelievesinpink and her web persona took off.

Littleson started her blog only three years ago and now has 18,000 followers and a monetized blog where she is able to make a commission from the items she sells.

Not only did this once hobby turn into a job, but it has also shaped her future academic and career goals, she said.

Littleson designed her own major called integrated marketing and communications that combines journalism, marketing and rhetoric.

“I am obsessed with the industry,” she said.

Scroggin, better known as Monogram Meredith, has also become infatuated with industry of blogging and social media, but from a different perspective, she said.

Through Scroggin’s blogging she has worked with different companies to endorse their products and serve as a social media influencer. That experience, and understanding how companies seek out these young people, has helped direct her plans for the future.

Scroggin said she would like to one day be the link between businesses and influencers and connect them to help expand both the reaches of the influencers and the reaches of the products.

These three young, Richmond-based web-celebs have shown how social media directly affects business and brings people together.

“People want to criticize social media, but they seem to forget the amazing power in it,” Scroggin said. 

Contact reporter Charlotte Dowell at charlotte.dowell@richmond.edu.