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Lynn Davis, a 67-year-old retired engineer, never thought she would find fame and fortune on social media. She stumbled into it in the spring of 2020 during the pandemic while she and her family were in lockdown at their home in Holmdel, N.J.
Lynn Davis, a 67-year-old retired engineer, never thought she would find fame and fortune on social media. She stumbled into it in the spring of 2020 during the pandemic while she and her family were in lockdown at their home in Holmdel, N.J.
One day, she says, her son Tim Davis, an out-of-work videographer, asked her to help him shoot some short cooking videos. He needed to do some work to keep his production and editing skills sharp, he said. And it would be fun.
One day, she says, her son Tim Davis, an out-of-work videographer, asked her to help him shoot some short cooking videos. He needed to do some work to keep his production and editing skills sharp, he said. And it would be fun.
In 30 days, the mother and son made 30 short videos and posted them on YouTube, each one a showcase of mom’s quirky sense of humor and cooking skills, and son’s video-production expertise.
Among other things, Lynja, as Lynn Davis calls herself on the show, might be doing some crazy antics in the kitchen such as cutting a watermelon with an ax, cooking a 50-lb. chicken nugget, or dressing up as a turkey while frying one up for Thanksgiving.
Today, “Cooking with Lynja" has nearly 27 million followers across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, Linda Davis says. She says that her large fan base has helped her make deals with brands including Chobani, Impossible Foods and Disney Cruise Line that she adds have pushed her annual income well into six figures. A Chobani representative confirmed the company has worked with Davis. The other two brands didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Sharing their expertise
What the Davises hit upon was the growing appeal of a new cultural phenomenon referred to among marketers as “granfluencers." Seen on TikTok, YouTube and other social media, granfluencers are seniors who share their expertise on a subject through short, lively videos. Popular subjects include cooking, auto repair, fashion, health and life coaching. Most are people who rose from obscurity to stardom in a short time thanks to the quirks of social media.
“The whole concept on aging and what it means to be old is being rebranded," says Jennifer Furlong Sellar, a TV and social-media producer in Hollywood who works with Lydia Christopher, known as Champagne Glamma, an 82-year-old granfluencer who lives in Woodland Hills, Calif., and offers life lessons online based on her experience. Those lessons include how to manage expectations in a relationship, and how to bring joy into your life by changing your mindset.
Brands like the multigenerational fan base that granfluencers enjoy, and their high engagement rates. Looking at the top 10 granfluencers in the U.S., 74% of their followers are 18- to 34-year-olds, according to Activate HQ, an influencer marketing agency based in New York City.
“Fans are drawn to their authenticity, humor, wisdom and unique personalities," says Ryan Detert, CEO of Influential, an influencer-marketing company that has worked on granfluencer campaigns. “They are like unicorns in the social-media world, and they touch all generations."
After Chobani worked with Davis on a video about making Greek yogurt pops in 2020, the video went viral on TikTok within days garnering over three million views, according to a Chobani representative.
Influencers say that nondisclosure agreements prevent them from saying exactly how much the companies pay them, but the amounts are largely based on the number of followers, engagement and demographics, and the formula tends to be the same for everyone, says Rose Meade Hart, a transactional attorney in New York who represents some successful granfluencers, such as Champagne Glamma.
“It doesn’t matter if you are 80, or a 25-year-old in a bikini, it’s a level playing field when it comes to how much they are paid as influencers," Hart says.
Aaron Earls, CEO of Activate HQ, says, “We’re seeing granfluencers receive industry rates comparable to other creators." For megastars with millions of followers, “deals can range from $30,000 to $150,000 or more per post or campaign."
A second act
Many senior influencers who have enjoyed success say it has transformed their lives. Take Lillian Droniak, a 93-year-old widow and retired factory worker who lives in Shelton, Conn. Droniak, who promotes herself as Grandma Droniak, offers funny advice about dating, relationships and living life to the fullest.
She typically shoots her own videos with her cellphone. She started posting videos on TikTok four years ago, she says, because she was bored. Now she has 12 million followers on TikTok and 1.9 million on Instagram.
Droniak boosted her annual income by six figures thanks to brand deals with various companies. “Lillian’s authentic personality and sense of humor really resonates with our diverse customer base," says Adam Kornblum, senior vice president and global head of digital for CeraVe, a skin-care products brand of L’Oréal that has worked with Grandma Droniak on product campaigns.
“It’s been a hoot just horsing around and connecting with young people on social media," Droniak says. “It helps me feel less lonely and keeps me busy. I love the fact that so many of my followers tell me they wish they had a grandma like me."
Scotty Kilmer, who is 70 years old and lives in Clarksville, Tenn., is a granfluencer for car aficionados. On YouTube he uses the handle @scottykilmer. Before moving to YouTube in 2007, he hosted a TV show called “Crank It Up Scotty" on a CBS affiliate in Houston.
Today, Kilmer has 5.94 million YouTube subscribers. His video posts have garnered 2.5 billion views to date, and he says he has earned $23.8 million. (A spokesperson for YouTube, a platform of Google, says the company’s partner program typically pays partners 55% of net revenue from ads that Google displays on public videos or streams on a partner-creator’s “watch page.")
Using a video camera and a tripod, Kilmer began filming videos at his auto shop in Houston, providing practical tips on auto repair and car buying. To his surprise, videos on such topics as five things you should never do with an automatic transmission and how to restore headlights permanently have attracted millions of views.
Kilmer attributes his success to being honest and providing useful content on a topic that interests a wide audience. “I just share my knowledge about the auto market," he says.
More purpose
For some granfluencers, the rewards they reap are about more than making money. Some say they are living life with more purpose.
Kenny Jary, an 81-year-old Navy veteran living in Mahtomedi, Minn., has become a TikTok star known as Patriotic Kenny. He was living alone in Willernie, Minn., two years ago, he says, when he met Amanda Kline, a 38-year-old teacher for the deaf.
Kline says she was fascinated by Jary, who gets around on an electric scooter decorated with U.S. flags because of his health issues. She loved his heartwarming stories. In April 2021, they started shooting and posting videos on TikTok in which Jary talked about patriotism, veterans, learning sign language and spreading joy. Kline learned her social-media skills through her work as a teacher, she says.
Five months later, Jary’s scooter broke, leaving him homebound, which led Kline to post a video on TikTok about his situation. “Within a week, people donated $110,000 on GoFundMe to buy him a new scooter boosting his following to 1 million people," Kline says. Today, Jary has 2.6 million followers on TikTok and nearly 42,000 on Instagram. He has become popular especially among military vets, he says.
Last year, Jary launched the Patriotic Kenny Foundation, a nonprofit that provides mobility scooters for veterans in need.
Most days, Jary says, he is busy shooting videos with Kline or working on campaigns with companies that he says have included Amazon, AARP and Grunt Style, an apparel company. Tim Jensen, chief brand officer for Grunt Style, confirms his company has worked with Jary several times. The other two companies did not respond to requests for comment.
“The No. 1 thing to do in life is spread joy and that’s what I am doing," says Jary, who is currently featured in a TikTok commercial on TV, streaming services and sporting events nationwide. “Being an influencer has changed my life," he says. “I am now happier, healthier and more fulfilled."
Lori Ioannou is a writer in Long Island. She can be reached at reports@wsj.com.
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