Happy Fandom Friday!  For the next month, Everly Mag will feature interviews, articles, and stories about the ups and downs of running a fan account for your favorite stars.

Thank you to everyone who read our interview with The Muser Positivity Room, which inspired the Fandom Fridays column.  Last Friday, Everly Mag conducted our first Fandom Friday interview with Lilia Buckingham and Hayley LeBlanc fan accounts.

This Friday, Everly Mag talked to five fan account owners:  Elise, Nicole, Stephanie, Courtney, and Tess.

Do you run a fan account on Instagram, Twitter, or Tumblr and want to be in our next Fandom Friday?  Send us an email with your account name and we’ll try to set something up!  Remember: your account must be appropriate for ages 13 and up.

Meet the Fan Accounts

Elise, owner of @1disnotoverr, a fan account for One Direction.

Nicole, owner of @bratayleeybeans, a fan account for the Bratayley YouTube Channel, which stars Annie and Hayley LeBlanc.

Stephanie, owner of @strangerr.ediits, a fan account for the cast of the Netflix series Stranger Things.

Courtney, owner of @multiobvi, a fan account for many stars, including Annie LeBlanc, Hayley LeBlanc, and Hayden Summerall.

Tess, owner of @zieggystan, a fan account for many stars, including Maddie Ziegler, Mackenzie Ziegler, Lilia Buckingham, and Lauren Orlando.

Everly Mag: What inspired you to start your account?  What were your goals for your account?

Elise: My account was inspired by One Direction.  I felt like I needed to do something to [repay them] for their love toward the fans!  My goal for the account was to post a video edit every day.

Nicole: I always enjoyed following fan accounts and wanted to experience it [for myself].  My goal for the account was to post about Bratayley things and help others join this amazing fandom.

Stephanie: I was passionate about creating edits, so I combined the 2 things I love: Stranger Things (including the cast), and editing.  I really had no goals, but I did want to show everyone what I love to do and who I support the most, and to inspire others.

Courtney: I started my fan account because I had been watching all my favorite YouTubers for years, particularly Bratayley, but I didn’t have an outlet to really express my love for them and meet others who felt the same [way].  So, I made my account in April 2017, and quickly found others who loved the same celebrities I did.  My only goal was to make other people happy with edits of their favorite YouTubers.

Tess: I was inspired to start this account because Maddie and Mackenzie [Ziegler] inspired me every single day of my life.  I love their dancing and personalities with all my heart and thought [the fan page] would be a really cool way to send them love and support them.  I was also inspired by a lot of the big fan accounts, like @stophackingthezieglers, because they got so many positive comments and DMs.  I thought it would be a fun way to not only show support for the Zieglers, but to make friends.

Everly Mag: What’s changed most about your account since you started?

Elise: A lot has changed since I started.  I actually got to see some of the members [of One Direction] live at a concert.  This helped make my feed look more real and inspiring [to] others!

Nicole: My account has been [through] many things – I used to answer the question of the day from every Bratayley vlog and get other people to comment their answer[s].  After about a month, I chose to just be free with my account and post what I felt like posting.

Stephanie: Originally, the account was for my photography.  I am passionate about [photography] as well, but there wasn’t enough inspiration for me anymore, so I [changed the account] into what it is now.

Courtney: A lot has changed about my account, but one thing that I (and others) definitely noticed was how quickly my account gained popularity and how many friends I had made.  I had started out as an account dedicated to Annie LeBlanc and Hayden Summerall, but I recently realized I wanted to edit other celebrities that inspire me as well.  My followers have grown with me throughout all the changes with my account.

Tess: When I first started, it was really hard because no one wanted to be friends with a small account that just started.  Now, I have been in the fandom for over a year, and made friends as my account progressed.  They have really helped me enjoy this account.  Some of them are Crystal, Georgia, Savannah, Sofie, Haz, Coco, and Zhara.

Everly Mag: What’s been the biggest surprise of running your fan account?

Elise: I didn’t think I would meet a lot of other fans, [but] it’s cool knowing you have others’ support when you post.

Nicole: At one point, I had grown 300 followers in only 2 days!  Sadly, I started to lose a lot of those followers.  But, for me, this account isn’t just about getting followers.  I have made great friends through this fandom as well.

Stephanie: The biggest surprise to me, honestly, was how welcoming and kind the fandom was when I started.

Courtney: How happy [my fan account] has made me and how many friends I’ve made!  I never expected for my account to grow [to] as big as it is today, and every comment keeps me going.  All of my followers are so nice and supportive, and it’s like a huge family!

Tess: That people actually followed me and supported me.  When I started, I wasn’t expecting all the followers and friends I have now.  I am so thankful for all of them, but I never expected it [to happen].  I also was very surprised that my idols – Maddie, Ava, Mackenzie, Melissa, Lilia, and more – noticed and followed me.  I didn’t think they would ever see my account, but I was proven wrong.

Everly Mag: What’s the best part of running your account?

Elise: I get to meet many other supporters, have a chance to be featured, and show my love to the boys [of One Direction].

Nicole: Being able to post my opinions freely and not get any hate or judgment.

Stephanie: Meeting new people and receiving nice, kind comments about my edits.

Courtney: Definitely the interaction with others, and the thrill of people appreciating [my] posts.  It’s so rewarding spending time on an edit and [seeing] it get lots of love.

Tess: That I get to talk to so many people and none of them can judge me on my looks or how I dress, because they don’t physically see me.  It’s a great change from school, when all anyone cares about is how you did your hair that day.

Everly Mag: What’s the hardest part of running your account?

Elise: The time – I rarely have time to post.  [But] in all, having a fan account is worth it!

Nicole: Finding things that I really want to post.  I’m currently working on many video edits, so hopefully those will be posted soon!

Stephanie: Seeing people steal others’ edits, or seeing people tear each other down, but I hardly see any of that in the Stranger Things fandom.

Courtney: The hardest part would definitely be dealing with hate and criticism.  People will find a way to bring you down no matter what, but when you rise above [them], the people who truly matter and care about you and your account will always be there.

Tess: The hate comments.  Although I’m not famous, people still hate on my edits.  It’s very disheartening, but I have to remember that I [have] more support than hate.

Everly Mag: What advice do you have for other fan accounts that are just getting started?

Elise: My biggest advice is time and effort.  Many people love seeing originality in your posts.  Having a fan account does take time to polish, but it’s all worth it in the end.

Nicole: Making a fan account was one of the best decisions I have [ever] made.  Fandoms are so much better when you take part in them.  You get to post whatever you want and know that there are other people who agree with you.  You don’t have to worry about people who might judge you for being a fan.

Courtney: Don’t stress yourself out trying to post, and don’t focus on how many followers you have or how many people notice you.  Really connect to others in your fandom and make friends.  Edit or post things you really enjoy posting – don’t worry about how many likes or comments you get.  Because, in the end, we’re all here for one reason: to appreciate our idols.

Tess: I know it’s hard to see other people get noticed, but just give it time and soon you will be noticed, too.  Also, if you ever need a friend in the fandom, just let me know and I’ll be here!

Everly Mag: What message would you want to give to the star you admire?

Elise: My message to 1D – I love you all so much!  You continue to inspire me every single day.  I love being able to know that I have support if I feel down.  You guys have definitely helped me in ways that are out of this world.  My love for you all will never change.  Remember to keep doing what you’re doing – never change!

Nicole: If I could give a message to the LeBlancs (don’t take this in the wrong way), I feel they should try to interact with their fans more.  It is one of the BEST feelings in the world seeing your idol notice you, even if it’s just through them liking your comment or post.

Stephanie: My message to the Stranger Things cast is to continue their hard work and keep being themselves.  When I go home, I watch a few interviews of them, and I can’t stop laughing [and] smiling.  I love and adore them.

Courtney: To the LeBlanc family and other amazing social media influencers: Thank you!  Thank you for being such amazing role models, and giving me the opportunity to meet so many great people in your fandom.  And, a BIG thank you for making me so happy and having a more positive outlook on life.

Tess: To my idols – Thank you for inspiring me every day.  Thank you for making my smile brighter and for inspiring me to dance.  Please keep being you because that’s the girl I love.

Everly Mag: Do you think social media is mostly positive or negative?  How can teens and tweens help make social media a better place?

Elise: I think social media is mostly positive.  It can be negative, but the pros outweigh the cons.  It’s positive because of the support you can get from other accounts.  You may not have [that] support at home, but just texting someone can give you a rush of relief.   You can connect in [so] many ways.  We, [as] teens, can make social media a better place!  We can learn to empower people and support them.  If we start being kind to one another, it can [create] a chain effect.

Nicole: Social media can be both positive and negative.  It is a wonderful place to be able to share pictures and videos, and see your friends’ posts as well.  I personally love [to] keep up with famous people that I love.  It has also been a great place to make Internet friends.  Some people might say Internet friends are “unsafe,” but to me, they are great – as long as you don’t immediately give them all your personal information.  A way [social media] can be negative is [that] sometimes, there is just so much hate.  A solution to this, for me, is to just focus on the good things people and friends say about you, and delete the hate out of your life.

Stephanie: It’s a mix.  There [are] equal amounts of hate and love/support when using social media.  To make social media a better place, [teens can] spread more love than hate and support each other.

Courtney: There are a lot of positive and negative things on social media, but most times, the good outweighs the bad.  While there [are] still horrible words sometimes shared about others on social media, I’m in a fandom where we can all help each other through rough times and make each other laugh through the good [times].  And, all over a screen!  Teens can make social media a better place by just being more positive.  By focusing on the good, instead of bringing each other down, you can truly change lives and make connections with people you’ll remember forever!

Tess: Social media can be so positive when we make it positive, and so negative when we make it negative.  It’s hard to say [if] there’s more hate or love.  I would like to say love…but I don’t know if that’s true.  We can make the Internet a better place by simply thinking before we speak.  Mean comments do nothing but hurt, but kind comments can make you the happiest person on Earth that day.  Remember that, everyone, please.

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Want to be featured in Everly Mag’s next Fandom Friday?  Send us an email, follow us on Instagram, and connect on Twitter.

Do you love Annie LeBlanc, Maddie Ziegler, and Hayley LeBlanc?  See more of them in Everly Mag’s articles about our top celebrity friendships, 20 stars to watch in 2018, 10 stars under 10, and more!

Read more Everly Mag interviews with dancers, actors, singers, and influencers.

Feature Image Credit: Everly Mag