Whether she’s posting from a sports event, a boutique, the latest entertainment hotspot or her new job, Anna Robb is a Detroit social media star who is ready to take on radio.
Robb is the newest member of “Mojo in the Morning” team. Earlier this month, she joined the 5-11 a.m. morning show on WKQI-FM (95.5), the No. 1 hits iHeart station that, at 25 years strong, is the longest-running FM show in the Motor City region.
An online influencer whose TikTok account alone has more than 60,000 followers, Robb formerly worked as a senior communications strategist at Rock Ventures, and a social media consultant for several companies.
Robb, who’s 29 (“I turn 30 in December and am surprisingly excited about it!,” she says) shared some bio details and social media advice with the Free Press via — what else? — email recently.
QUESTION: Where did you grow up and what schools did you attend?
ANSWER: I grew up in White Lake, Michigan. I went to the same school my entire childhood. It is called Our Lady of the Lakes and is in Waterford. My graduating class had less than 50 kids and I spent all 13 years of school with most of them. Initially after high school, I went to Michigan State. … Go Green! But after my first semester, I transferred to Oakland University and ended up graduating from there.
Q: What’s your most followed social media site?
A: TikTok! I have around 64,000 followers there.
Q: When did you know you wanted to be an influencer?
A: I never wanted to be an influencer. I always wanted to have a voice. When I was younger, I wanted to be a sports broadcaster. I went to school for journalism, and it was around the time social media as a career was becoming a thing. I became interested in it because it combined a lot of different creative methods (photo, video, audio, copywriting, etc.) that allowed me to capture moments and tell stories in a new, exciting way.
Q: What is something key to building a large online following?
A: Consistency and authenticity.
Q: Who are your Instagram/TikTok idols?
A: I really look up to @BunnieXo (Jelly Roll’s wife) I think she has built an incredible brand while staying true to who she is.
Q: Did you grow up listening to Mojo?
A: I did! I remember hearing the show on bus rides to school or I’d listen with my mom when she would drive me to school! We loved listening to Shannon (Murphy) do War of the Roses. It’s still crazy to think I get to sit next to Shannon every day!
Q: How did you wind up going from communications to joining the morning team?
A: When TikTok was on the verge of getting banned at the end of last year and early this year, I was losing a lot of business. Although it was only officially banned for less than a day, the discussion around the ban caused many of my existing paid partnerships to pause or end because of the uncertainty of the app’s future.
That’s when I realized I needed to diversify my portfolio and started looking for opportunities that would pair well with being an influencer. Sadly, I’ve found that a lot of companies don’t support creators with large platforms, but I knew my platform was not something I was willing to give up.
Before this position opened, being a part of the show didn’t even seem like a possibility. But when I heard they were hiring, I instantly thought this could be a perfect fit and a smart way to enhance my brand by letting people hear my personality and connect with me beyond social media while also bringing value to Mojo’s team.
Q: Are you going to be part of the prank calls, and, if so, have you ever pranked someone in real life?
A: One thing I love about this team is that we do most everything together! So far, I’ve been a part of recording a Five Lies to Tell Your Mom and have sat in on a recording of War of the Roses! Growing up, I loved pranks. My dad loves scratch-off lottery tickets, so once when I was younger, I bought a fake million-dollar winner for him to scratch. It was hilarious to see his reaction when he thought he won.
Q: What’s the secret to taking a good selfie?
A: Good lighting!
Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Meet Anna Robb, the newest member of Detroit’s ‘Mojo in the Morning’ radio show
Reporting by Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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