Influencing Kentucky

Businesses know a strong online presence is essential for staying in front of potential customers. For decades, this primarily meant coverage and advertising with legacy media outlets. In recent years, however, bloggers and online influencers have emerged as a key conduit between businesses and consumers. This approach, known as influencer marketing, involves collaborations between individuals with strong online followings and businesses seeking to market their products or services.

This trend is visible even in Lexington, where a growing number of local content creators promote everything from restaurants and outdoor getaways to their own curated events. Many of those partnerships are facilitated by Kentucky Creatives, a membership-based group that acts as an intermediary where local businesses and content creators can come together to collaborate, promote one another, and grow their brands.

According to founder Danielle Meadows-Stinnett, Kentucky Creatives launched in 2023 as an offshoot of a Facebook blogging group started by a friend. Since then, membership has grown to nearly 400, helping many creators turn their passion projects “into a more profitable business and not just a hobby,” Meadows-Stinnett said.

Currently, Kentucky Creatives’ most common collaboration methods include social media reels and on-site campaign activations, where a group of creators experiences a brand together. These typically include flat payment fees, though terms can be tailored to meet specific business or influencer needs and are often tied to sales promotions, annual events, or other unique offerings.

“We’re a hub where small businesses and brands can connect with an influencer or digital creator to make content and establish lucrative relationships that benefit everyone,” she said. “It’s more important now than ever to have someone with a personality representing your brand who’s willing to be open about their own journey while also staying loyal to your product.”

One business that has seen a measurable sales boost since partnering with Kentucky Creatives is the fashion boutique Our Eye for Beauty, owned by Ogy Tayo. She says that within just a few months of working with the group, her business’s social media following has tripled, dramatically increasing brand awareness.

“Working with Kentucky Creatives has led me to collaborations with five different influencers who have each been impactful in creating focused content for marketing my brand,” Tayo said. “I am delighted by the caliber of productions and the commitment each one has shown to helping us find and serve our ideal clients.”

Annual memberships to Kentucky Creatives are $60 for influencers or $400 for businesses. Membership includes quarterly meetups, which offer opportunities to network as well as educational elements like speakers and other resources that detail topics such as search engine optimization (SEO) and affiliate marketing.

Marie McLamb, who has published the Backroad Bluegrass Blog since 2017, said joining Kentucky Creatives has helped her grow her audience and stay ahead of online trends. “It’s been nice having a community to bounce ideas off of to see what tricks they might know that I don’t,” McLamb said. “[Social media’s] algorithm can be really challenging — random videos can go viral with no explanation as to why.”

McLamb has published over 150 posts highlighting local businesses and events. In 2020, she launched the quarterly Bluegrass Creative Market, which started in the Oleika Shriners’ parking lot on Southland Drive and has since found a permanent home at Lexington Green. The market hosts more than 50 vendors selling paintings, woodwork, baked goods, pottery, and other handmade items.

Beyond her blog and market, McLamb recently opened her own art studio above the Midway Boutique. She plans to use the space for her own work as well as to host other artists, workshops, and community events. “Things have just spun off from one another,” she said. “From working with artists to being one myself, everything I do revolves around promoting Kentucky and the small businesses and local artists within it.”

Another prominent Kentucky Creatives collaborator is Bradley Marlow, one of Lexington’s most recognizable social media personalities with over 300,000 Instagram followers. Marlow’s influencer career began in 2018 while he was traveling abroad showing Arabian and American Saddlebred horses; by 2022, he went full-time as a content creator.

This spring, Marlow was named “Best Influencer in Lexington” in Smiley Pete’s “Best of Lex” awards — an honor he attributes to his ability to adapt to evolving consumer interests and platform algorithms, as well as to his use of location-based tools that let him tailor content to Central Kentucky audiences. “The hardest challenge is remaining up to date on the changing regulations and rules of each platform,” Marlow said. “I stay focused on remaining relevant and authentic to my audience, which will keep your engagement and algorithm strong. Adding regular weekly content will keep your algorithm active as well.”

For families with young children, Lexington’s Julie Tanner fills a different niche. After moving here in 2020 with her three kids, she noticed a lack of kid-friendly content and soon launched Tiny Tourists KY. Her platform curates accessible adventures — from tucked away hiking trails to interactive museums and family-friendly local businesses — helping parents discover hidden gems around the state.

“What started as documenting our own family outings quickly evolved into something bigger — a growing community of families looking to also connect, discover and enjoy the hidden gems across Kentucky,” she said. “Tiny Tourists KY was born from that desire: To capture our experiences and inspire other families to seek adventure, connect with their communities, and explore Kentucky with their kids in tow.”

Soon, these influencers may gain another powerful partner in VisitLex. According to Director of Communications Martina Barksdale, the local tourism bureau currently works mostly with non-local, macro-influencers, but it is in the early stages of developing a more localized influencer strategy moving forward.