When it comes to the wildly overpopulated world of social media, a space where billions are waving their hands and hoping to be seen, it can be hard to imagine making an impact.
This is one of many reasons Kim Kardashian stands out.
With 313 million followers on Instagram and 72.5 million followers on Twitter at last check, the 41-year-old is in the top 10 most followed accounts in the world, frequently amassing thousands of comments on each of her posts.
The mother of four has also built an empire that's made her a billionaire, including a massively successful mobile game, a beauty line, a perfume line, and shapewear brand Skims, among others.
But while people know her best on those platforms today, Kardashian says in an interview with Sports Illustrated that her social media beginnings came on an even earlier platform, which she says friends urged her to join.
"MySpace was everything. I loved it," Kardashian said.
As social media evolved, Kardashian's interest in it did as well, and she found her way onto Twitter (TWTR) and Instagram (FB) (thanks to the recommendation of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" producer Ryan Seacrest).
"He told my mom I should get on," Kardashian said. "Didn't really know what it was about, got on, and realized I could talk to people all over the world and someone would respond at any time."
But it wasn't just making new connections that fascinated Kardashian. She quickly discovered that what she had access to because of these platforms was even more exciting.
"And that's when I realized it could be the most amazing free focus group," she said. "If I couldn't figure out what product I wanted to launch with or what color or I needed specific advice, I could get back an answer immediately and get such an accurate answer. So I started to use it for that."
Kardashian goes on to say that the process also made the consumer feel part of the creation of a new product:
"Consumers started to feel like they were a part of the brand, and they helped create it and they helped create the fragrance because they picked the color."
While Kardashian's social media presence is undeniable, she seems less than sure about TikTok.
"TikTok is a lot," she said. "I love it, but it's very young."
Kardashian's recent shoot for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, taken in the Dominican Republic, is her first appearance on the cover.
To create her style for the shoot, her team worked with Georgian fashion designer Denma, the creative director of Balenciaga, to find a look that would express the futuristic flavor of the looks Kardashian has been wearing in real life.
\What they came up with was a marriage of sporty fashion, motocross pieces, and black leather, as well as pieces from Kardashian's swimsuit line, Skims.
You can view the shoot here, as well as read Kardashian's in-depth interview with Sports Illustrated here. (AREN)
