Meet Sander Jennings, the Influencer Helping Stand with Trans Go Viral

The digital strategist on why short-form video is key to growing non-profit brands

Published: August 7, 2024 | Last Updated: August 7, 2024

A new partnership between Stand with Trans and a digital marketing strategist with a penchant for social media is off to a promising start, including a viral TikTok sure to help the Michigan-based organization establish a larger national footprint. For said communications director Sander Jennings, the creative force driving the renewed public relations focus at Stand with Trans, it’s an approach rooted in common sense.

“Stand with Trans does so much incredible work for the community,” Jennings tells Pride Source, “but if people don’t know about it and no one is seeing it…”

Jennings, who personally has 800,000-plus followers on TikTok and over 263,000 on Instagram, applies classic marketing techniques to his modern communications methodology. One example is a TikTok pinned to the Stand with Trans (@standwithtrans) account centered on the organization’s Lifeline Library, an online directory of resources for the trans community, allies, family members and anyone seeking knowledge on transgender topics. Jennings explains that while the TikTok about Lifeline Library is informative in and of itself, the post also serves as a “top of the funnel” lead magnet that draws viewers to the Stand with Trans website. “We’re actually trying to drive traffic through every single piece of content we publish — every single email and other outreach we do, we’re leading people back to our funnel so they can really benefit from what Stand with Trans does,” he explains. So far, the TikTok has nearly 15,000 views and 2,000 likes.

@standwithtrans Check out the Trans Lifeline Library at our website standwithtrans.org for more resources. #standwithtrans #transsupport #transeducation Simplicity - Jon Steinmeier

Jennings’ passion for the Stand with Trans mission is personal — his younger sister is trans advocate Jazz Jennings, who has been in the public spotlight since she was a young child. Her YouTube series “I Am Jazz” led to a TLC reality series of the same name, which has aired for eight seasons since 2015. Jennings says advocating on behalf of his family has been central to carving out his career path. Jazz, he says, has inspired him to keep trying new things and to push through hard times. “I’m grateful that I’m able to support her along the way and to have a best friend through it all,” he says. “We inspire each other, and it means a lot to me that she feels inspired by me.”

Jennings didn’t set out to pursue a career in advocacy. “I knew I wanted to be involved with social media and eventually pursue a career as a digital marketer,” he explains. “But, essentially, I realized that while I always look at myself as supporting Jazz, I was scared about being judged personally. I was scared to be looked at. I kind of sat within my privileges as a cisgender heterosexual white man, and yes, I was supportive, and I was on the TV show… and then one day, I kind of thought about the power of influence.”

Soon after graduating from the University of Florida with his bachelor's degree, Jennings found himself at an influencer-related conference in Las Vegas, where he had an epiphany that led to a master's program focused on digital marketing strategy. “This experience sparked my passion and creativity,” he says, citing the event as the moment where he realized that he had a platform combined with a unique position as the sibling to a transgender person. “There are not very many vocal advocates and allies out there using social media and their voice or their passions to create change,” he says. “I’m passionate about a bunch of different areas, but the one thing I know about myself is I want to help people in life — that’s my number one purpose, and what drove me to start my own agency focused on helping values-based brands, nonprofits and small businesses that have missions or ideas really aimed at helping people.”

In addition to his work with Stand with Trans, Jennings and his digital marketing brand DigiEmpower have partnered with brands like gender-neutral clothing brand and philanthropic organization The Phluid Project and Stealth Bros., a company focused on creating products for underrepresented medical communities including people undergoing gender transition.

Phluid Project CEO and founder Rob Smith tells Pride Source that Jenning is “such an absolute pleasure to work with.” Smith says he’d heard about Jennings long before meeting him and has been impressed by his commitment and dedication to both his sister Jazz and the entire LGBTQ+ community. “Once you meet Sander, you realize his passion is authentic and he cares so much about equality and inclusion,” Smith adds. “He’s also really smart and ambitious and has really helped Phluid identify new possibilities to connect, engage and expand our community. We love Sander.”

Jennings’ strategy for growing Stand with Trans’ impact may hint at an upcoming evolution for similar organizations. “A lot of nonprofits have social media initiatives focused on static images,” he explains. “But it’s a lot harder to grow, and it takes a lot more time to create than short-form video. Everyone’s moving toward this short-form video idea, but a lot of nonprofits miss the mark and are still doing a lot of graphic-based marketing and just posting images. But the way people are consuming content these days is beyond that. It’s actually the visuals and the short-term video aspect.”

Stand with Trans Executive Director Roz Keith notes that the organization has long employed social media strategies to communicate with a target audience that includes people from different generations — Jennings uses his digital marketing expertise to build on that foundation. "Stand with Trans needs to reach young people as well as adult caregivers and allies,” she explains. “This dual audience requires a strategically tailored approach using a combination of email and social media to get the word out. It is also important to utilize multiple platforms as each has a unique and faithful user base. Working with Sander and the DigiEmpower team allows us to benefit from his expertise as a digital marketing strategist and his significant allyship to the trans community."

One key to success, Jennings says, is amplifying individual voices through personal storytelling, a technique he says impacts the community in important ways and which routinely resonates with viewers. “We’ve also started to get our board members and team members involved,” he adds. “They deserve their flowers and kudos, as well.” For example, recent outreach has included TikToks focused on introducing the community to the Stand with Trans Youth Advisory Board.

@standwithtrans Why do we love our Youth Advisory Board? #ProtectTransKids original sound - Stand with Trans

“We want our donors to be able to see how we’re actually utilizing their donations without requiring them to read a blog or a static image that really doesn’t engage them,” Jennings says. “We want to make sure people see that we’re doing the work and we’re also mixing in education and reaching new people. It’s a multi-pronged approach.”