Power of influence: From passion to profession, Ashley Mayo and the world of golf
Influencer [even though she might not exactly consider herself one] Ashley Mayo does an incredible job with some of the most important qualifiers for success on digital platforms— high quality, substantive content - in both information and photography- consistency, and a unique voice [within the golfing community]. Not to mention, she’s likable and aspirational at the same time, aka the total package.
Ashley Mayo is Head of Brand at @8amgolf and Editorial Director at @golf_com. She’s also a former classmate of founder Melissa Blum at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.
Ashley met our founder Melissa at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism in 2009 where they paired up for their cornerstone digital journalism class and built out a multimedia, cross-platform project.
Ashley found the perfect character (on a deadline!) to focus the project on, and Melissa & Ashley spent many late nights perfecting the project. In the end, both received honors in the class -- an award that only goes to two students. Melissa credits Ashley’s great writing/editing skills coupled with her incredible aesthetic taste for much of why they received the honors, and unsurprisingly it is the same qualities that have brought her success on Instagram.
Back in college, Ashley and her twin sister Kira were golfing phenoms on the first-ever women’s golf team at the University of Virginia. After graduation, Ashley dove further into her love of golf by working at Golf Digest, and over more than 10 years, she grew from an assistant editor to brand editor while running the Golf Digest social channels [which currently have over 1.2 million followers on Instagram]. She also cultivated her own editorial voice by writing for the magazine as well as building out her social platforms alongside it. It was a natural and organic fit - her personal brand voice added a human element to the Golf Digest accounts that not only made both brands feel more accessible, but she brought a distinctly feminine quality that covered clothing, equipment and questions uniquely suited to women.
Today she’s Head of Brand at 8am Golf and GOLF Magazine’s Editorial Director, and on her Instagram you’ll find that she’s somehow juggling it all. She produces a magazine-quality personal feed filled with course recommendations, equipment and clothing reviews, in addition to her full-time job, traveling with her hubby, AND is pregnant with her second baby. [We’re exhausted just thinking about it!] She is a total inspiration and an example we share with many clients looking to build out their personal brands on social platforms.
Via @ashleykmayo
Most importantly though, why should you follow her? Well, first off, if you are a fan of golf or aspire to be a golfer, she’s got you covered. From great courses to play all over the world, to clothing and equipment, following her will definitely make you smarter as it pertains to golf. Second, she’s a great photographer as well as editorial director for any photos taken of her. The use of lighting, colors, angles, it’s all visually appealing to take in. And third, she’s the real deal. Recently she and her husband’s golf clubs were stolen out of their car and her documentation of that experience, from stories on the emotional toll, to sourcing her community for recommendations and then the final purchasing of the new ones, was riveting to follow. As followers, we were on that journey with her and it’s that ability to storytell that fully sets Ashley apart from others. We are big fans.
So, if you are also looking to build a high-value, personal brand feed, here’s what you can learn from her:
Being active in a community matters. Rather than stress about the community you eventually want to build, hone in on a community that already exists in the industry you’re focused on. Build real connections, create content that adds value, and showcase what makes you unique + special
High-quality, substantive content makes a difference. Take the time to write content that people actually care about and be ultra discerning with photos and video, as if you are running a magazine. People are busy, there is a lot of noise, high quality will always breakthrough with time + strategy
Being consistent is key. While we always hear about the overnight successes on social media who gain millions of followers, those that are patient, consistent and relentless about quality over time are the ones who will build brands with actual staying power + the ability to monetize
And also, follow Ashley! Watch, learn and notice the tactical things she does because much of it is applicable to just about any industry [we promise it’s true]. And stay open because when ready, the next level up is fully transferring this sentiment to owned platforms and then building a strategy to pivot for anything that comes your way.