With over 2.6 million followers and known for creating highly effective collaborations with popular, female-centric brands such as Le Labo and Bumble, social media sensation Overheard, popped up virtually overnight on the Instagram scene in 2015 by "poking fun at people's pretensions."
It all started after founder Jesse Margolis overheard two women "having the most absurd conversation at the health store he'd ever heard." He posted it on his newly minted Instagram account (overheard LA) and "got, say, 30 likes instead of his usual 13." Inspired, Margolis tried it a few more times using things he heard from around LA from "bizarre characters."
Days later, the inspiration for the business quickly progressed after a long weekend in a locked room. Margolis strategized about how to shape the account into a viable business platform while giving it a distinctive brand personality.
Margolis outlined details such as never using hashtags to gain followers, only using humor to avoid personally calling out or embarrassing specific individuals, choosing comedy over gossip, and avoiding politics and religion as much as possible. One rule was to include the location where the conversation was overheard and a signature color for the brand identity.
Within 6-8 months after launching, Overheard began to see some real traction, but the initial intent was both as a creative outlet and to create a place where people could have a laugh, and maybe reflect on their priorities and daily behaviors.
Margolis explained, "People see themselves in our work. It’s lighthearted and relatable, and because so much of it is user-generated content, there’s this ironic '15 seconds of fame' involved with getting on the account. Which, of course, isn’t fame, but that’s kind of perfect. At a time when influencers were producing the same content, in the same places, with the same brands, in a very cheesy way, Overheard began offering a fresh, satirical take on Instagram culture."
Today the platform has expanded from the popular Overheard LA Instagram page to creating a total of eight branded Overhead accounts to reach an audience of two million-plus cumulative followers on a daily basis. The brand also currently doubles as a media company, creative agency, content hub, and is now the “Insta-voice” of millennial culture.
Overheard has also reshaped the landscape of creative advertising by collaborating with popular companies for highly effective campaigns with the main business driver the branded accounts @OverheardLeLabo, @OverheardBumble and @OverheardUber.
The brand also use Instagram stories "as a way to advertise without really ruining the spirit of the account." Most recently Overheard successfully pursued partnership and merchandising opportunities including coffee sleeves with Alfred Coffee in L.A. and the millennial-focused L.A. "horror stories” for a partnership with American Horror Story.
Margolis shared his top five strategic tips on how to leverage social media and engage like-minded communities to propel your business forward.
Offer Something Authentic And Unique. Just like Margolis, this means potentially sequestering yourself alone in a room to hone in on a effective point-of-view.
Margolis advises "You have to strike a chord that is heard through all the noise. A lot of people look at the Instagram platform with the intent or hope to 'go viral' or 'make money' nowadays, but Overheard truly started without an agenda...as a more satirical, meta interpretation of social media culture." Whether its for your personal profile or your business, this is probably the most important strategic thinking you can do to build a brand platform.
Leverage New Social Platforms And Offerings. It's important to stay on top of new ways to use social platforms and continue to constantly evolve your social dialogue. When Instagram Story took off, Margolis immediately noticed as did so many others, that "all of a sudden there was a way Overheard could keep the integrity of our feed while extending ourselves visually."
Overheard started experimenting with new and different content—an animated DM interview series, advice columns, travel guides—that could live in a Story without compromising the soul of their accounts: the feed. This turned into a new way to leverage social media and to engage with like-minded communities, which respects the audience and excites advertisers.
Early next year, you'll also start to see Overheard grow and evolve with Instagram in more ways. They'll be experimenting with video content living on IGTV, and also have some riskier but exciting ideas on how to take our content off social media and into the real world and then back onto Instagram in a never-ending feedback loop. Take note as these same ideas may apply to projects on your horizon.
Partner With Like-Minded Brands. Warren Buffett often says that "really successful people say no to almost everything." Margolis backs this up by encouraging "Creative partnerships with like-minded brands can be powerful from a visibility, as well as a content standpoint."
For example Overheard's branded accounts, @OverheardLeLabo, @OverheardBumble, and @OverheardUber, are unique assets that have great content like the other Overheard accounts, but do so within the universe that matters to the client. Overheard tells their brand stories but with a spin on them...through humor. Make sure to only say "yes" to the right partnerships and protect your brand ethos.
Remain True To Your Brand's Vision. It sounds obvious, and it is. Margolis counsels, "Once you gain traction, there are a million things coming at you and it's tempting to go for the easy money or misapprehend a potential opportunity. It's better to work for free on something that builds your identity than take a lot of money to sell mermaid blankets to the masses."
Overheard's main business right now is advertising, but as a brand they limit partnerships and give their platform over to artists and non-profits as well. They strategically bid their time to create more verticals, from merchandise to TV, or to find something completely out of the box. So should you.
Talk To Humans. As the Overheard business grew, Margolis realized personal interaction was a critical component in moving the brand forward. Expressing what many other founders are discovering, "The people you meet through business are both annoying and amazing—totally disingenuous and complete visionaries. It isn't always clear and it often changes. But what I've learned is that you should never be too busy to take a call, grab a coffee with someone who may not be as relevant today as they were in 1997, or meet with people who show interest but don't necessarily know what they want out of it. People change jobs. Things evolve. And even though you're overwhelmed and trying to run a business, try to remember that the annoying producer who keeps emailing you for coffee may end up as a billionaire cannabis entrepreneur... or not. Just be nice.
Finally, Margolis advises "have a conversation with your audience. " Readily admitting, "This is a weak spot for Overheard, mostly because the brand is not a 'person' who shares and connects with an audience the way many inspiring influencers (and annoying vegan bloggers who won't shut up about coconut yogurt) do. But many of these micro-influencers, celebrities, bloggers and youtubers have a real impact on the lives and habits of the people that follow them. Whether you're an illustrator who paints on denim or an alternative health practitioner trying to educate through social media, you have to converse and interact with the people that support you."
