"It didn't happen because of one viral moment" - Olivia Dunne weighs in on her social media popularity, reveals why people are fascinated with her

Olivia Dunne did not build her brand overnight or in the wink of an eye but achieved it after toiling and learning social media algorithms for years. After the name, image and likeness update for the NCAA athletes, Dunne used her social media popularity to seal lucrative brand deals and amassed millions per post.

Dunne, 22, joined TikTok in 2020, posting gymnastics videos initially but started covering other aspects of her life, too. In two years, she became the highest-paid NCAA athlete with a collective eight million followers across TikTok and Instagram.

As of October 2024, she has over 13 million followers on social media and is an ambassador of popular brands like Nautica, Vuori, Motorola, L'Oreal, and Forever 21, among others.

Recently, a Flaunt film featured the LSU gymnast in blonde looks, the platform she also used to tell the story of her hard work.

"The social media aspect of it—I worked really hard to get to where I am in building my personal brand, and it didn’t happen in the blink of an eye," Dunne said.

"It didn’t happen in just a year. It didn’t happen because of one viral moment. It happened over years of getting to know my audience, learning the algorithms, and growing my brand to be what it is today. That’s why people are so fascinated with what I’m doing."

She also expressed her dislike for the term "social media influencer," which several fans refer to her as.

Olivia Dunne after her partnership with Passes - "I’m in control of my own destiny"

Olivia Dunne at the 2024 LSU Archive - Source: Getty

In May 2024, Olivia Dunne joined hands with Passes, a platform that helped her monetize creativity and interact directly with her fans. In an exclusive interview with flaunt.com, she shared that the opportunity to set her prices as an entrepreneur and bond with her fans personally delighted her.

"I’m in control of my own destiny," Dunne said. "I don’t need to rely on any algorithms to grow my personal brand. I get to come up with my own prices. It’s super cool to be able to personally connect with the people who follow me and get input from them or teach them about NIL."

Olivia Dunne was part of the title-winning team at the 2023-24 NCAA Championships, the first-ever national title in LSU gymnastics' history.

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