I'm an influencer... ask me anything

[DrivingMyBumperCar]

I make my living as an Influencer... ask me anything

[DrivingMyBumperCar]

charityhallet T
I dont have any social media accounts (apart from MN if that counts). What is an influencer please and what is an instastory please? Apologies for the stupid questions!

Is it ok that I almost envy you for your Social Media blackout?! This is a good article about the top end influencers (I'm nowhere near this big!)

www.vogue.co.uk/article/what-is-an-influencer

[DrivingMyBumperCar]

@goingagain
I would love to know what sort of income it generates and from what sources exactly?

I earn about £70k from a few sources: sponsored content on Insta/YouTube/blog, attending events, writing for external blogs.

[DrivingMyBumperCar]

@Brendatheblender
Thanks for answering OP.

I’m so intrigued as to who you are but will respect your anonymity

Thank-you!!

[princesscallie]

Are you as full of yourself as almost all "influencers"? I don't follow too many but I find them so fake and I really can't understand why so many look up to them. Do u prey on people with low self esteemm

[DrivingMyBumperCar]

@scotx

If a brand sent you a free gift in the post that you had no idea was coming to you, but you didn't like it and you knew weren't going to mention it / tag it on your account, would you keep the gift anyway and say nothing. Or would you package it back up and return it to them?

• this happened recently. I offered to send it back but they said I was under no obligation.
  

Do brands (small or large) generally contact you first to say there's something being sent to you or do the gifts just appear?

• yes, which I think is only polite. It gives you the opportunity to refuse

[cameltoeflappyflapflap]

How do you make money from it?

[DrivingMyBumperCar]

@princesscallie
Are you as full of yourself as almost all "influencers"? I don't follow too many but I find them so fake and I really can't understand why so many look up to them. Do u prey on people with low self esteemm

I really hope I'm not full of myself. I'm just a normal person going through normal life things and putting my own spin on them. I absolutely do not prey on people with low self-esteem.

[DrivingMyBumperCar]

@cameltoeflappyflapflap
How do you make money from it?

Sponsored posts on IG/YouTube/Blog, event appearances, speaking gigs, writing.

[ReginaBlitzkreig]

Are you open and honest about having been paid to post? Do you tell your followers that you have been sent products for free and asked to post about them?

[Missbrick1]

Thanks for answering. Do you ever find it all a bit “fake”?

[mirage937]

do you ever read gossip sites (gurugossiper etc) and find it hard to cope with feedback

[chicken2015]

Thank you taking time to ask, one question really which i find fascinating... does your life get influenced not represent real life by being a influencer, for example, if your given a free hoilday or day out and you go because your given it but wouldnt nornally choose? And your memories are things you do or places you go which is because of being influencer not for being an every day mother? I hope that makes sense

[verystressedmum]

Do you feel a pressure to look a certain way ie keep your weight down, get treatments like Botox etc?

[DrivingMyBumperCar]

@ReginaBlitzkreig
Are you open and honest about having been paid to post? Do you tell your followers that you have been sent products for free and asked to post about them?

Always.

@Missbrick1
Thanks for answering. Do you ever find it all a bit “fake”?

YES!!! Hopefully not the stuff I do though.

@mirage937
do you ever read gossip sites (gurugossiper etc) and find it hard to cope with feedback

I haven't suffered much criticism on these sites but yes, if that happened to me I would find it hard to deal with.

[RiojaHaze]

I'm looking for an influencer at the moment to help build my brand, so I'd like to know how is the best way to approach influencers and stand out from all of the emails?

[Missbrick1]

Ha ha, I did some social media work for a brand I worked for. I hated it, liking other people, constant posting & having to pretend I cared about what other people do. Not used my personal one in 6 months as a result!

[DrivingMyBumperCar]

@chicken2015
Thank you taking time to ask, one question really which i find fascinating... does your life get influenced not represent real life by being a influencer, for example, if your given a free hoilday or day out and you go because your given it but wouldnt nornally choose? And your memories are things you do or places you go which is because of being influencer not for being an every day mother? I hope that makes sense

I try not to do stuff that I wouldn't already choose to do with my own money. So for example, for days out I always consider if I'd spend money on it. When it comes to holidays, I've never been sent on one that I wouldn't have been able to afford myself so as long as I'm transparent in the fact it's a freebie I don't feel disingenuous accepting them.

I find that working with some clients has introduced me to some companies, brands and services I now love and adore, though! I worked with one company that I've never heard of 4 years ago (it was a £150 campaign) and have since spent at least £30 with them per month since.

[DrivingMyBumperCar]

@verystressedmum
Do you feel a pressure to look a certain way ie keep your weight down, get treatments like Botox etc?

Not really... there's a push for the 'real mum' look now which I really like! I got offered a review of a botox clinic but said no (for now!)

[DrivingMyBumperCar]

@RiojaHaze
I'm looking for an influencer at the moment to help build my brand, so I'd like to know how is the best way to approach influencers and stand out from all of the emails?

Take your time to pick someone you feel would really resonate with your brand; look at all of their platforms and carefully consider what it would be for you to get a 'successful' campaign out of them. Instagram likes? Clicks to your website? A mention on a video? Look at the brand campaigns they've done before and see what you enjoy about them - pick someone you feel does the #ad thing well and naturally.

Write an email that makes them feel you've considered the reasons you will work well together. Be professional but friendly, and give them an idea of what you want from them and whether or not you have the budget to pay them to work together. Some will work for freebies, some won't.

[DrivingMyBumperCar]

@Missbrick1
Ha ha, I did some social media work for a brand I worked for. I hated it, liking other people, constant posting & having to pretend I cared about what other people do. Not used my personal one in 6 months as a result!

that much interaction is knackering sometimes...

[MargotMoon]

Do you care that the constant pressure via social media to have a 'perfect' life is causing ill mental health in normal people with normal un-glossy lives?

Do you ever find it boring? Or pointless? Or wake up and think that you could be doing something useful with your working day?

[MoanasPig]

@Brendatheblender .. seriously your username is ACE!!

OP, can we have a clue to your identify - I bloody bet I follow you. You seem so lovely from this post.

[DrivingMyBumperCar]

@MargotMoon
Do you care that the constant pressure via social media to have a 'perfect' life is causing ill mental health in normal people with normal un-glossy lives?

• yes! I don't think anyone who portrays themselves as having a 'glossy' lives actually has one, and I have been through periods of poor mental health myself because I haven't felt good enough as a mother, as a wife, as a perfect home-haver. I now follow the Comparison Coach on Instagram and she has been brilliant for the way I think about others online - www.instagram.com/lucysheridan/?hl=en
  

• Do you ever find it boring? Or pointless? Or wake up and think that you could be doing something useful with your working day?
  

Only as much as every other job I've had: I don't like the admin side of things (i get A LOT of emails that require polite responses) and it can be boring and repetitive to schedule social media or collate stats for a brand. I do feel like I'm doing something fairly useful, though. Granted I'm not curing cancer, but having been a pretty lonely new mum myself I've always wanted to reach out to others in that situation and bring a bit of positivity and happiness to their days. I also am really happy to work with charities where I can to raise awareness for causes I believe in, and that's something I've never had the ability to do before.

I also like the fact I'm not toiling away every day for a faceless corporate beast. Every bit of money I earn goes to my family or back into my own one-woman business. So it really doesn't feel like I'm doing a pointless or useless job to me.

[crayoladreamz]

Thank you for doing this AMA. How much do you charge for one fb post or one Instagram post?

I’m in a similar line of business (not for parenting/family tho) and never know what my rates should be. If I’m underselling myself by being too polite to ask for more!

[DrivingMyBumperCar]

@MoanasPig

OP, can we have a clue to your identify - I bloody bet I follow you. You seem so lovely from this post.

Thank you very much! I don't know how to give you a clue without outing myself