Bethany Heykoop
Bethany Heykoop
Co-Founder of Sociologee / Micro Influencer Curator
Los Angeles, CA
bet@sociologee.com
www.sociologee.com
instagram.com/bettheknee
So, what does Bethany do?
“I decided to leave a career in tech at Snapchat to focus on helping companies strengthen their micro influencer marketing strategies using actual data (sociologee.com)”
I created an algorithm that scientifically ranks micro influencers to cut through the fake followers and pair creatives with companies that are like minded. It’s called the Sociologee Score.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST GOAL WITH SOCIOLOGEE?
Be able to pair micro influencers with companies who believe in their creative voice enough to support them in a relationship. It’s hard for smaller companies (and there are so many in LA) to pay a ton for quality influencer partnerships. I like that our model is more accessible to all the gorgeous brands here, but also creates great partnerships with the right creatives before they hit their major tipping point.
What is your biggest goal in terms of streamlining a process?
Being able to take a situation or be presented with a problem in a process and identify bottlenecks. My goal is to clear those up in a way that is best for those it directly affects. I just love process and cleaning shit up. :)
What do you wish you could do more often?
Go on crystal excursions.
What are all the tools (digital or physical) you use on a regular basis?
Keynote. Insta. Excel. Selenite crystals. Carnelian stones. Boy Smells candles.
What is frustrating you right now? What is making your project hard to move forward?
I think there are a few manual pieces we haven’t sorted out. They’re also the most important because they involve hand selecting the best people to connect with companies or brands. I like to share a lot of content like this, so I’m always looking for more people both for interesting teaser articles but also for projects.
What are you putting off right now, but you know you have to get to, but you haven’t had the time?
I wouldn’t say I don’t have the time - I just think I didn’t have the thick enough skin. I want to reach out to more people I admire behind brands to get to know the soul of a product or brand and what their creator has to share about it.
If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Definitely helping craft content via the listicles we create. Also help curate relationships with some influencers to take the agency a step further and closer in the direction of the content creators themselves.
If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
Completely, 100%, a geologist.
What's next?
What opportunities are you looking for right now?
Definitely opportunities to do list and program build outs with companies - I love the discovery process of what the hell to do with a new brand or program that needs to get some legs and fast. Influencers provide such a delicious bridge, but ultimately I love understanding what the brand’s soul is and what they need to accomplish first. Then moving on to the next evolution of what we discovered.
How are you looking for these opportunities/projects right now?
Our articles generate a lot of direct interest with people just doing basic searches - no one is really creating a dialogue right now with influencers, so it’s helpful to increase that traffic by giving the people what they want.
Describe your ideal job?
“My ideal collaboration would be with someone that is chasing their dreams and needs someone with a pinky toe on the ground to get shit done. A job where I could put out more than I take in terms of creative juices and execution. Also, anything to do with qualitative research.”
Describe a client/job/partner you would rather not have. What are your deal breakers?
Deal breakers are people who aren’t direct or people who are not kind. I’m a firm believer that no matter who you are - a goldfish trainer or a CEO (or both?) - we’re all just people and no one person is better than the other.
Are there any signals or even common phrases that this Dealbreaker would you use?
Great question. I’ll go off of [literally] things that people have said to me. “Well we’ve always done it this way so if you want to try something else good luck.” “There’s just so much to say I don’t know how to simplify it, so no I can’t help you.” “I mean if that’s what you want to do…” Usually these answers happen when I ask for areas of expertise or experiences to partner together and create something new. Oh, and passive aggressiveness. That’s literally just the worst.
While these (for me) are shitty things to hear when we’re trying to get something done, I usually work with the person to ask more clarifying questions and come to some common ground in working together.
How should someone approach you about working with you?
bet@sociologee.com. Be sure to include gifs of Jonathan Van Ness.
This member profile was originally published on November 2014, Updated August 2018