Meet the Grandfluencers: These Senior Influencers Are Living Their Best Life
October 20, 2022
Who says social media is only for young people? Grandfluencers are making a name for themselves across all social media platforms, especially TikTok and Instagram.
What is a “grandfluencer?” It’s an older adult, generally in their 70s or older, who uses social media to connect with and build a community of like-minded people who want to live like them, learn from them, or get a sneak peek at what to expect when they’re older.
Grandfluencers aren’t just influencing others’ lives. They’re also turning their wisdom and insights into gold, with some grandfluencers like Helen Ruth Elam (@baddiewinkle) making up to $10,000 per post.
Meet the 70s Club
Want to know what it’s like to be part of this club? For starters, it’s not your average bridge club! Here are some grandfluencers in their 70s and beyond who are making a name for themselves on social media, influencing others, and bringing purpose to their own lives.
- Lagetta Wayne – @msgrandmasgarden
Lagetta Wayne’s grandfluencing journey accidentally started when she asked her granddaughter to take pictures of her garden. Her granddaughter put those pictures on TikTok, and now Wayne, 78, has 135,000 followers eager to watch her cook up her tasty vegetables from her garden and share her gardening tips.
- Barbara Costello – @brunchwithbabs
72-year-old Connecticut grandmother, Barbara Costello, entertains her followers with life hacks and grandmotherly advice. She’s best known for her posts, “Did your mom ever tell you?”
- Lyn Slater – @iconaccidental
Lyn Slater shares her tips and life experiences with her 757K followers. She started on her journey as an influencer accidentally when some people photographed her standing outside a building waiting for a friend, mistaking her for a style icon because of her outfit. As an environmentally conscious influencer, the fashion she wears and shares is sustainable. She encourages her followers to think about their impact on the environment.
- Joan MacDonald – @trainwithjoan
At 71, Joan’s health was a mess. She was overweight, experiencing kidney troubles, and on cholesterol and high blood pressure medications. With a big push from her daughter, a fitness coach, Joan got in shape and now shares her experience and bodybuilder’s physique with her 1.4 million Instagram followers.
- Lance Walsh – @dinneranddance
Lance Walsh became an influencer in 2016 when London-based portrait photographer Ben Awin photographed him. The fruit seller had been wearing the famous streetwear brand Supreme. Today, he continues to be a fashionable fruit seller, collaborating with top brands like Burberry. He’s happy to strike a pose for his 45K followers, but he’s even happier when chatting with his customers.
- Shirley Curry
Shirley Curry is an 85-year-old YouTuber. Her gig? She plays video games and shares her gaming sessions on YouTube with 1.04 million followers. Her favorite game is Skyrim, and she even worked out a deal with the developers to have her character immortalized in a future Elder Scrolls title. While she plays, she chats about her family and grandchildren.
- Grece Ghanem – @greceghanem
A former microbiologist turned personal trainer turned grandfluencer, Ghanem’s purpose is to ensure women stay seen as they age. One of the most surprising qualities of her followers is that many of them are women in their 20s and 30s. Younger women enjoy her unapologetic self-confidence and see her as someone they aspire to be.
Becoming a grandfluencer
Older influencers are busting myths that surround aging. They’re showing a side to aging that many younger people don’t realize exists.
As Alison Bryant, senior vice president for AARP, says, “they’re showing that anybody can do these things, that you don’t have to be afraid of aging. The 20 and 30 somethings don’t often think about that… They’re bringing other parts of their lives to it. They’re grandparents and great-grandparents and spouses. They’re more comfortable in their own skins.”
Do you think you might want to be a grandfluencer? Ask yourself these questions before you join a social media platform:
- What is your message?
- What do you like to do?
- What is your purpose?
Answering these questions will point you in a general direction. But mostly, the main criteria for being a grandfluencer is being yourself. Your followers want you to be real and authentic. Be you, and you’ll be influencing more lives than you realize in no time! You might even get that coveted $10K sponsored post. 😉
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