From Stans to Strategists: Why Fan Pages Are the Most Underrated Influencers Online
They started as anonymous accounts. Obsessively posting about a favorite actor, singer, show, or sports team. No face, no personal brand, just edits, tweets, memes, and that one emoji they use in every caption.
Fast-forward to 2025—and brands are briefing them for campaigns.
Welcome to the era of fan pages as full-blown influencers.
So, what changed?
For a long time, fan pages lived in a world outside of advertising. They didn’t call themselves creators. They weren’t chasing PR packages or brand deals. But they were building something far more valuable—trust inside a community.
And that community? Fiercely loyal. Hyperactive. Deeply invested.
Now, brands are realising that these accounts don’t just ride waves—they create them. They’ve gone from being fandom hype-machines to some of the most effective media partners on the internet.
Why are fan-run pages winning brand attention?
Because they hit the sweet spot between culture, consistency, and credibility.
Culture: They don’t wait for trends—they start them. They know what their audience is thinking before they say it.
Consistency: These accounts post like clockwork. Multiple times a day. Across platforms. Always in the loop.
Credibility: Their following isn’t built on aesthetics—it’s built on belonging.
Let’s be honest—if a skincare influencer tells you about a product, you might listen. But if your favourite fan page drops a link saying, “This is the lipstick Alia wore in that scene”, you’re buying it. Immediately.
Where it’s already working
At Eleve, we’re seeing this shift play out across categories:
Film & streaming: Instead of going wide with mass campaigns, OTT platforms are leaning into fandom accounts to generate organic edits, reaction content, and episode memes. These pages own the comment section the morning after a drop.
Music & entertainment: K-pop, Bollywood, indie music—they all have thriving fan ecosystems. A small, well-timed collaboration with a fan page often drives more saves and shares than a mainstream influencer post.
Fashion & lifestyle: Pages dedicated to celeb styling are driving affiliate sales simply by tagging lookalikes, dupes, and “inspired by” edits. And they do it without looking like an ad.
But here’s the real unlock
Fan pages don’t behave like influencers—and that’s exactly why they work.
No overproduced videos. No personal branding rules. Just quick, community-driven content that feels like a friend sharing something they’re excited about.
It’s authentic by default. Not by design.
What brands need to understand
This isn’t about “influencer marketing” in the traditional sense. It’s fandom-led storytelling. If you’re still looking at only polished lifestyle pages, you’re missing what real influence looks like in 2025.
It’s happening in stan edits. In Twitter threads. In anonymous Instagram posts with no face but thousands of comments. And it’s ripe for brand collaboration—if you know how to tap in without disrupting the vibe.
At Eleve, we’re building for this
We don’t just find influencers. We find influence.
That means plugging into fan ecosystems, mapping community behavior, and creating campaigns that don’t just look good—but feel inevitable in culture.
Because sometimes, the most powerful creator doesn’t call themselves one.
But their audience is already listening.
