His name is not (yet) familiar to you. But you’ve probably already heard of one of his “top talents”, as he calls them. Starting with the most famous of them: Just Riadh. This phenomenon, videographer and actor, starred in 2023 in the film “Under the Stars”. But we could also cite the comedy duo Golo and Ritchie, Fatou Guinea, actress and entrepreneur, Sally, figure of social commitment, or even knz.tv, alias Kenza, the queen of customization. All of these content creators have at least one million subscribers on one of the popular platforms: TikTok, Instagram or YouTube. Just Riadh alone had 15 million as we finished this article, including 7 million on TikTok.
All have the same producer: Galo Diallo and his agency Smile Conseil. This thirty-year-old was portrayed to us as a taciturn man. Married and father of four children, he shuns the light and hates bling-bling. In his cream Tommy Hilfiger tracksuit, he exudes quiet strength. But, behind this apparent relaxation, we can guess the perfectionist. He receives us in a shared office in Levallois-Perret. The building houses the activities of the online media group Webedia, created by Cédric Siré and Guillaume Multrier, a subsidiary of Fimalac since 2013, which Smile Conseil joined in 2021. In the elevator, employees of AlloCiné and Purepeople meet , from MGG, but also the “epicurious” Jamy Gourmaud and the good doctor Michel Cymes.
“I’m originally from Senegal,” he confides. We are Fulani. We have a form of restraint and we value modesty and reflection. »
To better understand Galo Diallo, we must explore his family roots. “I’m originally from Senegal,” he confides. We are Fulani. We have a form of restraint and we value modesty and reflection. » The Diallo come from the Fouta region, in Kobilo. Some of them settled not far from the Thiaroye military camp, where many Senegalese riflemen, recently repatriated, who had demonstrated to obtain payment of their compensation, were killed in 1944. Galo’s father, a specialized worker, arrived in France in 1974. To improve his French, his mother watched the series “The Fires of Love”. The youngest of six brothers and sisters, Galo is interested in the character of Victor Newman, a self-made man from a modest background. “I lacked models of success,” he recalls. Between 16 and 17 years old, while he was enrolled in BEP sales, he stopped his studies and returned to Senegal: “I was in a bubble, I needed to zoom out. » On his return, he got back to work: professional baccalaureate, DUT, master 2 in business school (Inseec Paris). He then specialized in digital communication for businesses.
One of his friends, Rajaa Moussadik, opened him up to the artistic sphere. They are advised by Dawala, founder of the Wati-B label (Sexion d’Assaut). Smile Conseil was born in 2016. The aim is to bring about the emergence of a creative movement bringing together talents from all fields: humor, lifestyle, fashion, cinema, dance… “In a universe where there is so much content, Galo was able to stand out with intelligence, notes Guillaume Lacroix, who launched the online media Brut the same year with Renaud le Van Kim. He was able to build a coherent group with a very clear promise and an emphasis on social impact. » What does this promise consist of? “Around each creator, we try to build an artistic and social project,” explains the boss of Smile Conseil, who insists on this word “content creators”, which he prefers to “influencers”.
Galo Diallo with Just Riadh, his biggest star, who has 15 million subscribers. On the course of Vincennes (Paris 20th century), on November 14.
Paris Match
/
© Julien Faure
There are 150,000 influencers in France. Nearly 80% of them earn less than 4,000 euros per year
According to a report from the Economic Affairs Committee of the National Assembly, there are 150,000 in France. A little less than half of them reach an audience of between 1,000 and 5,000 subscribers – a far cry from the approximately 46 million Squeezie – and 75% are women. Their target? 40% of the people who follow them are aged 15 to 24. Around 80% of these influencers earn less than 4,000 euros per year. Collaboration with brands constitutes their primary source of income.
-The rest after this ad
Thus, Just Riadh participated in the Smile campaign for the LVMH group on professions of excellence. These figures come from Umicc, the Union of Influence Professions and Content Creators, which Galo Diallo co-founded in 2023 and of which he is vice-president. This professional federation was created during discussions around the bill aimed at regulating commercial influence and fighting against excesses on social networks. Heard by deputies and received by the Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire, the entrepreneur wanted to give another image of this sector.
“He has a strong vision for this creator economy. Little by little, he manages to convince people that influence is a real profession”
“Not only is he a facilitator, but he has a strong vision for this creator economy. Little by little, he manages to convince people that influence is a real profession,” says Bénédicte de Kersauson, general delegate of Umicc. There is no shortage of projects, both fiscal and ethical, to professionalize this sector of activity. In September 2024, Gaspard G became the secretary general of the federation. One of its priorities: supporting Umicc in training creators and those around them in journalistic techniques to fight against fake news. A major study on the impact of this sector will soon be launched.
The year 2025 also promises to be important for Galo Diallo. Webedia wants to open Smile internationally. He wishes to develop his initiatives with a strong social impact. “I have no room for error,” he said. My failure could close doors for those like me. » This is why you will be more likely to hear him talk about the distributions of school supplies carried out by his association, Smile Mouvment, than about the audience of his protégés. “Galo is a generous visionary: he has an incredible ability to take people with him,” says Moussa Camara, the founder of the Les Détermés association (supported by Smile), who, like him, comes from the town of Cergy- Pontoise, in the Paris suburbs. The boss of Smile has “only” 41,500 followers on Instagram, but, even in this universe, influence is not measured by popularity.
