Who's Who on Social Media
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Who is John Derting?

With an adventurous spirit and a lens focused on Alaska's natural splendor, John Derting ranks among the top outdoor influencers in the United States. Best known for his high-resolution landscape content and serene water-centric themes, Derting blends visual storytelling with a strong ecological message.

April 24, 2025
Justine Castany
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John Derting: Capturing Alaska’s Wilderness through Immersive Nature Content

John Derting is an Alaskan nature videographer known for documenting remote regions of Alaska with cinematic drone footage and ambient soundscapes. His work consistently focuses on pristine glacier formations, flowing freshwater sources, and the solitude of untamed wilderness. He uses high-resolution cameras to capture crisp visuals that evoke calm and awe. Each post is a tribute to Alaska’s raw and untouched landscapes.

His trademark style blends natural audio—like running streams or wind through pine trees—with aerial videography from drones and helicopters. This approach creates immersive content without narration, allowing viewers to experience scenes as if firsthand. He often shoots in remote, unpopulated areas, accessible only via helicopter charters or extensive treks. These conditions enhance the exclusivity and authenticity of his visuals.

Into the Ice Cathedral – John Derting's Antarctic Descent Captured in Crystalline Silence (Source: @johnderting, Instagram, February 2025)

John collaborates with Alpine Air Alaska and Mammut, reflecting his connection to wilderness aviation and alpine equipment. His gear is often visible in content, not as promotions but as functional elements of survival and access. This organic integration boosts brand credibility while preserving his content's natural tone. He also flies FPV drones in glacier valleys, adding dynamic perspectives to his storytelling.

Beyond visuals, John involves his audience by asking for suggestions on filming locations and scene types. This dialog fosters loyalty and gives followers a hand in shaping future content. He avoids trends, instead anchoring his identity in Alaska’s environment and seasonal shifts. His profile serves as a real-time nature journal, updated through a consistent lens of exploration and respect for the wild.

An Influencer Active on Social Media

John Derting shares nature-focused visual content across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X, with Instagram and TikTok leading in both influence and audience engagement.

John’s Social Media Strategy Analysis

Instagram: Derting’s Stronghold for Serene Scenery

John Derting’s Instagram is the visual backbone of his brand, where he shares high-resolution photos and reels focused on glacier rivers, alpine terrain, and still-water reflections. He publishes daily at 11 AM EST, which aligns with peak engagement hours for nature-focused audiences. Each post follows a recognizable aesthetic: minimal edits, no music overlays, and focus on color clarity. The consistency builds visual trust with his 4.2M followers, many of whom engage through saves and shares, not just likes.

His storytelling relies entirely on the images themselves, often accompanied by short, contemplative captions or a single quote. For example, captions like “solitude of the Alaska wilderness” mirror the tone of his content and avoid trending hashtags. This strategy emphasizes mood and atmosphere over viral reach, attracting a mature, experience-seeking audience. His engagement rate (5.05%) is sustained by emotionally resonant content rather than hype cycles.

John’s growth on Instagram—+204K followers in 30 days—is driven not by ads or giveaways but by consistent cross-tagging with brands like Mammut and Alpine Air Alaska. These tags serve as visual anchors, not pitches, helping followers discover useful gear through use rather than promotion. He also interacts through DMs and story Q&As, inviting location suggestions and tips from local explorers. This gives his account the feel of a shared expedition log.

He maintains a posting rhythm of 12 posts per month, striking a balance between visibility and intention. Rather than uploading similar shots, he ensures each image showcases a new angle, weather condition, or hidden corner of the Alaskan wild. This editorial mindset gives his feed an archival feel—viewers return not just for inspiration, but for information and topography.

  • Username: @johnderting
  • Influence Score: 97.4/100
  • Followers: 4.2M
  • Activity: 12 posts/month
  • Engagement Rate: 5.05%
  • Growth: +4.93%
  • Average Engagement: 214.4K
  • Posting Habits: Everyday at 11 AM EST

TikTok: A Secondary Channel with Steady Loyalty

John Derting’s TikTok presence is built on FPV drone footage showing vast glacier fields, turquoise meltwater rivers, and fly-throughs of rugged mountain passes. His clips are short, rarely over 30 seconds, and often recorded in real-time wind and water ambiance. He publishes less than one video per week, reflecting a high-effort, low-output model driven by location constraints. Unlike trend-based creators, John avoids lip-syncs and filters, focusing instead on raw visual exposure.

He uses music sparingly, often relying on ambient glacier audio or subtle natural tones recorded on-site. When music is added, it’s typically instrumental and non-vocal, to preserve focus on the visuals. This design makes his videos feel meditative rather than performative, attracting a calm and nature-minded TikTok crowd. His engagement is modest (0.1%), but the follower base of 4.6M remains steady.

John's TikTok engagement often spikes when footage includes rare terrain like crevasse dives or aerial spins over ice fields, as seen in viral clips tagged with #AlaskaDroning. He uses his TikTok as a discovery tool, leading viewers to explore his more detailed Instagram posts or story sets. The platform functions as a top-of-funnel draw rather than a content hub.

His posting habits (once a week, 12 PM EST) coincide with low-competition hours, helping him dominate niche search categories like “glacier FPV” and “Alaska from above.” TikTok is his most passive platform in terms of output, but because each post is cinematic, it remains impactful without frequency.

  • Username: @johnderting
  • Influence Score: 80.9/100
  • Followers: 4.6M
  • Activity: 0.9 videos/week
  • Engagement Rate: 0.1%
  • Growth: 0%
  • Average Engagement: 4.6K
  • Posting Habits: Once a week at 12 PM EST

YouTube: Dormant but Untapped Potential

John Derting’s YouTube channel is currently inactive, with no new uploads in over a month and a total subscriber base of just 20.6K. The channel holds no recent engagement or growth, which aligns with his absence on the platform. He has never committed to a long-form cadence, and his past content appears to have been one-off nature vignettes. Still, the format fits his style, offering space for uncut glacier hikes or silent drone montages.

His channel’s branding mirrors his Instagram visuals, but without a consistent upload schedule, there's been no traction. Despite YouTube’s algorithm favoring regular content, Derting has used it purely as a visual archive, not an audience funnel. Videos lack CTAs or thumbnails with text—everything is minimalist, which limits appeal outside his loyal base.

The biggest missed opportunity is in educational potential—John could repurpose his footage into tutorials, “behind-the-shot” breakdowns, or gear walkthroughs for wilderness creators. A structured series on Alaskan regions or environmental changes would perform well with his audience. He could also integrate sponsor features in a non-intrusive way, showing product use during backcountry exploration.

His current posting habit (once a year) and 0% engagement rate reflect this strategic neglect. But if revitalized with documentary or tutorial intent, YouTube could become the deepest pillar of his ecosystem—particularly for viewers seeking immersive, long-play visuals in 4K resolution.

  • Username: @JohnDerting
  • Influence Score: 17.9/100
  • Followers: 20.6K
  • Activity: 0 videos/month
  • Engagement Rate: 0%
  • Growth: 0%
  • Average Engagement: 0
  • Posting Habits: Once a year at 7 PM EST

X (formerly Twitter): A Platform Left Behind

John’s X profile, once branded as @_john_derting, has been inactive for 2 years, with a small audience of 4.8K followers. His last tweets were location updates and gear check-ins tied to older projects. Since pivoting to visual-first platforms, he has deprioritized short-form text content. His engagement and growth are both at zero, and platform alignment with his goals is low.

During its active period, John used X primarily for logistics—mentioning upcoming treks, travel partners, or weather conditions. There was minimal community building or threaded storytelling. The tone was always neutral and purely informational, which lacked the immersive draw found on his other platforms. No hashtags, no viral attempts—just static updates.

  • Username: @_john_derting
  • Influence Score: 6.2/100
  • Followers: 4.8K
  • Activity: 0 tweets/week
  • Engagement Rate: 0%
  • Growth: -0.28%
  • Average Engagement: 0
  • Posting Habits: Once a year at 2 PM EST

John Derting’s Social Media Influence Summary

With a Favikon Influence Score of 9,395 pts, John Derting ranks as the #1 travel blogger in the U.S., and #26 worldwide in his category. His Instagram performance lands him in the top 1% nationally, showcasing not just reach, but impact. His combination of brand safety, cheerful tone, and political neutrality makes him a high-potential partner for nature and gear brands. With an engagement rate and growth score outperforming the average creator, Derting has established himself as a key figure in digital nature storytelling.

Learn more about the Favikon Methodology here

Content Strategy: Visual Purity and Audience Connection

John’s content centers around visual immersion, built on high-quality photography, ambient soundscapes, and soothing storytelling. His brand style is labeled “Very Safe” and “Cheerful,” with zero political involvement—ideal for family-friendly and nature-centric partnerships. He posts regularly (13 pieces/month across platforms) with a +2.35% growth trend, suggesting his audience is not only loyal but expanding. His creative direction reflects a blend of technical skill and emotional resonance, drawing people seeking calm and inspiration.

Reachability and Partnerships

John Derting is highly reachable for partnerships in the outdoor, drone, and eco-tourism industries, with past brand tags including Alpine Air Alaska (7x) and Mammut (2x). His collaborations appear organically in content, often integrated into scenes of glacier landings, helicopter gear prep, or mountaineering. He does not run ads or use influencer marketplaces, preferring direct communication via Instagram DMs and email listed in bio. This direct route ensures alignment with his location-based filming logistics and remote production style.

An overview of John’s top influential connections across key industries. (Source: Favikon)

He operates in seasonal windows due to Alaska’s weather cycles, so brand activations must be planned around snow melt, daylight hours, or safe flying conditions. This makes him ideal for advanced bookings and high-touch partnerships, especially with gear requiring cold-weather testing. His estimated post rate ($20K–$80K) places him in the premium creator tier, validated by niche authority and audience trust. John’s network map also shows strong ties to wilderness pilots, drone engineers, and nature photographers, extending brand exposure across aligned creators.

Conclusion: Elevating Wilderness Storytelling with Precision and Purpose

John Derting is more than a nature creator—he’s an Alaskan experience curator. With Instagram as his strongest channel, he leads with originality, serene visuals, and brand-safe storytelling. He’s earned the top travel blogger spot in the U.S. through quality over quantity and trust over trend-chasing. For brands aiming to connect with calm, nature-loving audiences, John Derting is a clear standout.

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Justine Castany

Justine Castany, a student at ESSEC Business School and currently working at Favikon, shines with her love for marketing and dedication to communications. As a dynamic young professional, she serves as Marketing Manager at Favikon, where she brings her expertise to craft and execute cutting-edge strategies. With her creativity and keen eye for trends, Justine stands out in communicating brand messages effectively and making waves on social media.