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What Does It Take To Be A Social Media Influencer And Instagram Star?

This article is more than 4 years old.

What does it take to be a social media influencer and Instagram star?

For Patrick Koenig, 40, it took quitting a high-paying job, buying a recreational vehicle (RV) and traveling to 47 states in a year to play golf.

“Most people don’t have the balls to quit their job, put their stuff in storage and move into an RV for a year,” admits Koenig. “It was a ludicrous thing to do.”

Koenig paid $60,000 for a “recreational golf vehicle” and budgeted $60,000 to make the tour. The funny thing was, it cost a lot less than that. The ludicrous idea turned into a fun and lucrative career.

Along the way he turned the passion into a profit. Koenig is a golf course photographer who began to post photos on Instagram. Invitations to play golf poured in from courses who also were willing to pay for his photographs. He also picked up paying sponsors like tourism bureaus, destination resorts and even a medical product company.

I caught up with Koenig and fellow golf social media celebrity, the vivacious professional golfer and golf media personality Tisha Alyn, at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament in February of 2020. Tisha is an “AT&T ambassador” who was at the tournament to appear at sponsorship activation events like The AT&T Loft, a two-story lounge that offers stunning views of the course. In addition to cutting-edge technology and games to enjoy, golf fans could meet and greet with Alyn.

Koenig, who was married when he started the cross-country golf tour but is single now, said it was like putting together a “fun, magical puzzle.” His fame has led to fantastic experiences like playing golf with actor Bill Murray, a perennial favorite at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, at a historic course in Scotland. Koenig blogs about his travels and posts photos and videos on Instagram.

As a social media star, sponsors will pay the pair to mention the clients, brands, and campaigns in Instagram posts, tweets and blogs.

“I live my life on social media,” Alyn, 26, who is careful to note when what she is sharing is actually a paid advertisement for a sponsor like Cobra or Puma, who both endorse the golfer. She is noted for her interaction with her online fans, which is no doubt a key to her popularity.

According to Koenig, the key to being a social media star is to believe in what you are doing. He was a successful sales rep before beginning his golf odyssey. Koenig, who became a scratch golfer in the process, never wanted to regret not quitting his job and following his golf dream.

“I love golf courses more than the average golfer,” says Koenig. “I know it is obsessive to spend many a night sleeping in a Walmart parking lot. I found I don’t need a lot stuff to be happy. I didn’t miss anything that I put in storage. I have a much richer life than before.”

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