For five years, Stephanie Caron and Josh Krasnecky have made their living producing short social media posts highlighting public parks, restaurants, shopping plazas and quaint New England villages.
As “The New England Couple,” Caron and Krasnecky have built sizable followings online, with more than 45,000 followers on TikTok and 340,000 on Facebook, along with additional audiences on other platforms.
Now, businesses, municipalities and nonprofits looking to advertise on social media through content produced by the pair — or other Connecticut online personalities — can use a new state-sponsored directory of social media influencers.
The Connecticut Content Creator Collaborative, available at CTCollab.com, launched Tuesday.
“This is an amazing opportunity for small business owners and content creators in Connecticut,” Caron said Tuesday at a launch party at the New Britain Museum of American Art. “This is a massive thing that no other state is doing. So, you are giving business access to marketing that has never been reached before.”
The online directory is one of the final initiatives announced by outgoing Connecticut Chief Marketing Officer Anthony Anthony, who is stepping down in February, nearly three years after becoming the state’s first marketing chief.
Influencers will self-register on the site, but entries will be vetted by state staff before they go live, Anthony said.
“They are no longer just another voice,” Anthony said of content creators. “They are a strategy for people to connect.”
Ten content creators, including The New England Couple, set up tables at Tuesday’s event and met with about 200 attendees. Another dozen or so creators mingled with the crowd.
The goal, Anthony said, is to connect the stories of Connecticut businesses, nonprofits and organizations with the storytelling skills — and reach — of digital creators.
“It’s about connectivity, it’s about a new form of partnership that we need to support our professions and our home that we all love,” Anthony said.
Visitors to the site can search for content creators by target audience age, areas of interest, social media platforms and other criteria.
“It’s really helpful for businesses in Connecticut to find creators,” said Kathleen Roche, of Connecticut Bucket List. “Before, you had to really get involved on Instagram, really get to know your community and find your target audience. It takes a lot of time, and not all businesses have that time. So, to have this online directory is really such a streamlined way to find creators that their audiences are exactly our target audience.”
Roche’s content highlights spas, restaurants, hikes and nonprofits, among other attractions. She said she typically charges about $1,500 to begin working with a specific business.
“I’m just really excited the state is being such a great advocate for this community and connecting everyone with small business,” Roche said.
