Rosalía's latest tour, the Motomami World Tour, has been the definitive blessing to Hurricane TikTok. And so, the staging of their concerts is an audiovisual experience that drinks from the internet in each song and that, at pure decibel, invokes again and again the omnipresent Chinese social network. A bacchanal tailored to Generation Z that breathes, thinks and lives in vertical format. Well, vertical is the TikTok universe, vertical are the screens on the stage of the Motomami Tour and the virtual world in which we inhabit is increasingly vertical. And if Rosalía saw it first, she who has taken the digital seams to flamenco, she who has shot a selfie in each verse, she who has taken San Cugat to the whole world, so be it, well. Word of influencer.

No one doubts Rosalia's visionary character, even speculated, and her talent to stay ahead of trends. But the singer is not alone in this earthquake 2.0. Take note: according to the latest report by IABE Spain, the world's largest association of communication, advertising and digital marketing on the planet, in Spain there are more than one and a half million influencers on Instagram, TikTok and Youtube. And of these, 37% reside in Madrid. Specifically, 577,000 people who from the pulpit of their social networks advise, recommend, influence, move. And his millionaire community of followers observes, listens, admires and obeys. A cream, a skirt, a low-calorie recipe, the most fabulous gin and tonic of all time. The capital has become the great laboratory of these gurus of the XXI century. And the business fabric, supported by hundreds of brands looking for new ways to promote themselves, is no stranger to this unstoppable phenomenon.

"Madrid has everything it takes for an influencer to develop their activity better, because here most of the jobs are concentrated, large companies, fashion showrooms or events that are part of their actions, which can be from the premiere of a film to the opening of a clothing store, an awards ceremony, A video game congress... (Almost) everything happens in Madrid."

Paloma Miranda, founder and CEO of GO, a pioneer in the influencer marketing and management sector, speaks. To understand us, it is the link between companies and influencers, whom it represents. And so, his agency is present throughout the process of the campaigns, from the definition of the strategy to the final content that we, mere mortals, will see in the social networks of our idols. Its client portfolio includes 2,000 micro-influencers (those profiles that have up to 10,000 followers) and the real stars of the agency: 80 top content creators who work exclusively for them. Because yes, the word influencer has been abused so much that the term begins to be reviled; So much so, that some prefer to talk about "digital talents" or, as we said, "content creators". (Gentlemen of the RAE, take note).

Rodri Fuertes is one of these "digital talents" who has found in TikTok and Instagram a way to make a living. Indeed, behind the 15-second dances, the sexy poses at a zebra crossing or that sip to a fabulous cocktail in the trendy nightclub nothing is casual. Everything is designed to the millimeter, measured in terms of marketing and audiences, launched into the cyberspace of our smartphones at the exact moment. Gasoline 5.0 a la carte to keep the wheel turning. Rodri rose to fame six years ago after competing on Big Brother, the most famous televised house in the world. And what at first was a simple diversion (selfie goes, selfie comes) has ended up becoming a very well-paid job. "When I was 23 years old, I lived in Paris for 12 months, but I think my place is here, in Madrid," explains Rodri, whose content focuses on fashion, sports and lifestyle and who also has an aesthetic medicine clinic in the capital.

Rodri Fuertes rose to fame in 'Big Brother'.@RODRIFUERTESPUCH

The case of Rodri is, perhaps, the paradigm to which the chavalería aspires that wants to succeed in networks. Boy competes in a reality, boy achieves that Warholian fame of the five minutes, boy becomes an internet superstar, boy becomes gold for advertising all kinds of deluxe china shop on social networks. Clothing brands, fitness paraphernalia or hotels in paradise underpin Rodri's Instagram account.

But at this point in globalization, you can be an influencer of anything that exists on the face of the earth. "The creators of fashion, sports and beauty are the most media and those who make the most noise," says Manuel Moreno, an expert in social networks and director of TreceBits.com. "Can there be carpentry influencers? Of course. Or lawyers, or for animal lovers. And thanks to their cat account on Instagram, brands like Whiskas or Purina pay them to upload certain content."

There will be those who think that the life of the influencer is a bacchanal of parties and posturing. And yet, behind the final photo or video there is a lot of work, a lot of dialogue with brands and, above all, a lot of money. "I have come to charge 7,000 euros for a collaboration," says Rodri. Attention to this data: the investment that companies dedicate to influencer marketing increased by 22.8% in 2022, reaching a volume of 63.9 million euros. Before, the advertising pie was divided between the press, radio and television. But these new players also want their share of the pie; No one is oblivious to the power of social networks and their 'stars' when it comes to publicizing a product.

There is no doubt, then, that we are facing a booming profession. As the CEO of GO points out, "two out of every 100 Spaniards have more than 1000 followers on Instagram. Therefore, it is not surprising that more than 60% of marketing strategies have influencers for their campaigns." And this is where Madrid comes into play. A city where every day a musical is premiered, a restaurant is opened, a film is shot, a concert is held... and that each year receives 4.9 million visitors. Content creators feed on all these trends, and in turn Madrid is launched to the world through their profiles. As Miranda explains, it is a two-way relationship, in a boomerang effect in which everyone wins: "It is a wonderful exhibition of the city that benefits sectors such as tourism, catering, culture ...".

Manuel Moreno goes a step further, and recognizes that "Madrid is waking up in this sense to turn the city into a showcase, into a great set, and not only for well-known influencers but also for anonymous people". There will be those who think that with such a deployment, Madrid is exporting an image too frivolous. Moreno clarifies: "Just as restaurants put a super nice table or a very decorated wall for you to take the photo, upload it and tag it, Madrid is one of the cities that is best doing that work of self-promotion. They have placed the giant sign of Madrid Río thinking about selfies, we have the streets full of Meninas for pedestrians to shoot with their mobiles, all those terraces have been opened on the roofs of hotels so that we can boast of views on our Instagram ... Madrid is a very instagrammable city, and that exhibition is a magnet for tourists." In other words: the capital is becoming a much more influential city than others. And, because of closing the equation, all influencers want to be here.

La influencer Eva Castt.@EVACAST

Manu García del Moral, from Pamplona, saw the potential of the capital before anyone else, and in 2012 he created the blog Secretos de Madrid. Today, under that name has been consolidated a powerful franchise of social networks that drags a community of a million and a half followers. "When people come by sight they always do the same thing: the musical The Lion King, El Prado and chocolate with churros in San Ginés," he explains. "When I moved here I realized that Madrid was a great unknown, so I thought about this as a game: I became a tourist in my own city 365 days a year, and I was sharing every corner, every unique building, every curious story that never ceases to amaze me."

And what does Madrid have that others do not have?

"Madrid has it all," continues García del Moral. -The marked character of its neighborhoods, as microuniverses, each with its own personality. You can choose: today I want a bohemian walk through Las Letras, tomorrow I prefer Malasaña... It's a lot of cities within one.

Secrets of Madrid condenses all that cosmos in the tangle of social networks. Thus, "on Facebook, where the public is more adult, old photos work very well", while on Instagram, oblivious to nostalgia, the best vehicle to show the city "are videos". Some videos that, on the contrary, "on Twitter do not hook". In short, Madrid more 360º than ever.

Ana Moya is another of those profiles that has been recycled to the rhythm of the boom of social networks. "I was a model living between Milan, New York and Miami, uploading content to Instagram for pure pleasure," she explains. "Then they told me to try my luck as an influencer, because after five years away I had 200,000 followers and they believed I could take advantage of it. I introduced myself to Alice Campello [the current wife of footballer Álvaro Morata] at the Go Talents agency, and since then I work with them." Today, in addition to being a model and influencer, Moya is also an entrepreneur and DJ.

All those virtual stars generate many jobs around them – photographers, video editors, makeup artists, stylists, agents who help them get contracts. And they are also a source of huge amounts of money. That is why we are beginning to talk about the need to regulate a sector that, until now, is in limbo. "At the moment there is no legislation in this regard, although certain practices are being adopted to favor transparency," says Moreno. "For example, in some social networks such as Instagram it is mandatory to indicate when an economic transaction has occurred between an influencer and a brand, either in money or because they have been given the latest mobile model."

Andrea Rueda and one of his famous maquillajes.@ANDREARUEDA

Of all the networks that monopolize our mobiles, Instagram remains the most profitable platform, followed by TikTok. But in a scenario where what was modern yesterday tomorrow has already become outdated, experts do not lose sight of other formats: streaming content (live broadcast) and podcasts and videopodcasts are increasingly priced, which grow exponentially. "When I get an email proposing a collaboration, my mind starts looking for ways to create content in the most creative way possible, that differentiates me from the rest, that moves me away from what is already a trend," explains Andrea Rueda, who at 29 years old has managed to gain a foothold in the field of beauty. "I started with fashion, but now I mostly make up videos." Asked about Madrid, she is very clear: "Work is centralized here. The campaigns, the shootings, the events... And almost all the influencers I know, especially those who lived in Barcelona, have ended up moving here. When you enter its maelstrom of a thousand plans it catches you and you can no longer leave."

On the eternal battle between Madrid and Barcelona, Eva Castt is another example of how the first has ended up winning the game to Catalonia, and with just 21 years has ended up trapped in the web of the capital. "I lived in Barcelona and had to come every week," he recalls. "I paid on trains what the rent cost me, so I decided to take the leap." Would you recommend it to future aspiring influencers?" If they have money saved and earn enough to pay the huge rents of Madrid, if they are really convinced, if they want to do it and succeed, go for it. " From Madrid, you know, to heaven... in version 5.0.

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