Let me begin by explaining exactly what a social media influencer is. Contrary to popular belief, blogger and influencer are not interchangeable terms. While most of the time you will find that they are one in the same, it does not always hold true that a blogger is an influencer and an influencer is a blogger. Bloggers may simply blog as a hobby and influencers may use just one or several social media platforms but do not have a blog. Today we are talking specifically about influencers. "A Social Media Influencer is a user on social media who has established credibility in a specific industry. A social media influencer has access to a large audience and can persuade others by virtue of their authenticity and reach." - Pixlee.com
I've only been an influencer for a few months now but I have begun to receive questions almost daily about how the whole gig works. So I thought it was time to go behind the scenes and I've asked a few friends to contribute with their personal experience as well. While being a social media influencer may look like an easy way to get free stuff and make a few extra bucks, this insider information will quickly let you in on the secret that it's not all that simple. If you've been curious about what we actually do, how we do it, why we do it or how you can do it too, grab your coffee and start scrolling.
Instagram is a social media platform I've been using for several years. My account used to be private, just for family and friends to see, and I had no idea there was a whole other world beyond my little bubble. I made my account public about 2 years ago when my blog, that was just a fun hobby at the time, started to grow a following. When your account is public is means that anyone can find your page and follow along without asking permission. Followers started coming in as I tracked my pregnancy and became a first time mom. But I wasn't introduced to the world of social media influencing until Fallon was about 6 months old. I had started to have pictures where I tagged items from small shops reposted on their pages. Accounts I followed who seemed to be posting similar pictures to mine started following me back. And then one day I was asked to join a group of mamas in a chat group and that's where my influencer life all began.
I quickly learned that these women were all moms who were getting free items from shops in exchange for posting pictures featuring these products on their Instagram pages and/or blogs. I was intrigued with the concept and wanted in! Around this time I received a message from a small shop requesting to collaborate. I had just learned this meant they wanted to send me free items for Fallon so that I would post pictures of her wearing/using them aka marketing for the shop. After that first collaboration I started asking more questions of my friends. We all began chatting about shops we liked and researching their pages and websites to get contact information for collaborations. I had no idea that many shops actually have specific e-mails for social media influencers! This is where things just sort of took off.
I began to e-mail and message shops I wanted to work and I was receiving invitations simultaneously. It all seemed kind of glamorous and exciting at first, but I quickly realized that there is a whole lot of work that goes on behind the scenes. Different companies have different requirements and requests for each collaboration. There can be negotiations as far as how many posts will be agreed upon and if payment is a factor in addition to free product/services. Pictures have to be taken in a professional looking manner featuring the gifted items then edited and captioned in a way to market the product. Blog posts are even more involved with additional photos and reviews. Of course all of this adds up to a lot more time and effort than I ever imagined. And we all know how unpredictable baby models can be, so sometimes even if the sun is in just the right spot for a picture, your kid just wants to run away screaming instead of smiling for the camera.
As influencers we have to wear many hats: photographer, editor, marketing specialist, account manager. Essentially you create and build your own personal brand. And that can become overwhelming when you find yourself staring at deadlines with a cranky, teething baby, a mountain of laundry and hardly a second to catch your breath from running around all day. The hardest part for me has been managing my time since I'm not always promised nap time. What I've learned is that at the end of the day, I'm my own boss. And although I do mostly have fun taking pictures of Fallon, seeing the end result of my editing efforts and sharing products I love with my social community, I have to keep my priorities in line. It was a hard lesson biting off more than I could chew when I was captured by the allure of free things I wanted and monetary compensation. But when I was trying to do all the things all the time I was starting to fail (in my mind) at everything. So I took a step back to reevaluate. And now I feel confident with where I stand. When presented with an opportunity I take time to decide if the offer of just product is worth all my efforts or if I will only take it on with the addition of payment. I only reach out to companies I truly love already or feel would be a great fit for my brand.
In the beginning it's a little difficult to be choosy because you're at the bottom of the totem pole. I certainly don't recommend representing any brand or product you do not support, however sometimes you have to get your foot in the door. So promoting products you may not have had interest in using otherwise is like paying your dues. Once you have proven yourself as a successful influencer, then it's appropriate to be more selective and make your own demands. I may spend 2-4 hours, sometimes more, on a single collaboration. So I factor all of that time and effort into my conversations with potential partners. You have to be your own advocate, know what you want and not be afraid to ask for it.
Honestly, being a social media influencer can be a really fun and rewarding side job. I've found some amazing brands I'll continue to support, met truly good people I call friends and found something I can do to save money and/or earn money for family that I enjoy. But it is a JOB, one I take seriously. And it always has to come second to my single most important role, being mom.
Some friends have generously shared their own personal experiences working as influencers. You can find their social information below if you'd like to learn more about them. Enjoy!
"I think the number one thing I hear when people read or talk to me about my blog or Instagram is how cool all the 'free' stuff I get is. I totally agree with them on how cool the product is that I am receiving. However I wish I could tell them that sometimes that has meant hours of work about a 10 dollar product. Especially as I was just learning. So product isn't free, it's just at times the form of payment I get for my job.
"I think the number one thing I hear when people read or talk to me about my blog or Instagram is how cool all the 'free' stuff I get is. I totally agree with them on how cool the product is that I am receiving. However I wish I could tell them that sometimes that has meant hours of work about a 10 dollar product. Especially as I was just learning. So product isn't free, it's just at times the form of payment I get for my job.
I have really enjoyed diving into the influencer and blogging world this past year, and love the community and world it throws you into. I think there is a balance that I need to learn and that all people doing this have to learn. It's 24/7 if you let it become that, and that is exhausting, but like with anything else with time you learn to set boundaries and gain balance.
If I were to give people looking at doing this as a hobby or career one piece of advice it's to know that it's going to be A LOT of work, and a total rat race. So if they are looking at it as a quick or easy way to earn money, it's probably not the right place to look. But it's also an amazing place to look if you're looking for a way to help your family and work from home with kids!!"
XO Arin
"So you want to be a blogger huh? Seems easy, you post pictures to social media, post on your blog, take pictures. All seems easy to some people. To be an influencer it takes time, lots and lots of time and dedication. When it comes to being an influencer people don't understand how much time is put into just one post. The amount of time it takes to take pictures, edit them, type up the perfect post, submit it for approval if you're collaborating or working on a sponsored post, it's time consuming. I work full time and blog on the side all while caring for my family. I set time aside in the evening after my kids go to bed and on the weekends to get as many posts done and scheduled as I can for the week. Not to mention going through emails, responding to emails, trying to balance social media and at the same time making sure you post on a regular basis, maintaining engagement with your followers so they stay interested, it's exhausting. Some days I ask myself if it's worth it or not but I love being an influencer. But being an influencer is hard af."
- Shelby
Instagram
Blog
"I started blogging as a means of documenting milestones in our family as we began having children. I loved doing my ‘chalkboard’ updates, recapping holidays, and sharing little shopping guides here and there. I remember when I received my first commission check through an affiliate link program; I felt like I had hit the big time! And when I was first asked to do a collaboration, I was so excited I could barely contain myself. What I have learned since then and how I have grown has provided me with quite a bit of understanding as to what goes into being an ‘influencer’.
Blog
"Why did you become an influencer?
Blog
"I started blogging as a means of documenting milestones in our family as we began having children. I loved doing my ‘chalkboard’ updates, recapping holidays, and sharing little shopping guides here and there. I remember when I received my first commission check through an affiliate link program; I felt like I had hit the big time! And when I was first asked to do a collaboration, I was so excited I could barely contain myself. What I have learned since then and how I have grown has provided me with quite a bit of understanding as to what goes into being an ‘influencer’.
First things first, I had a ‘if you build it, they will come’ mentality when starting out. I thought if I put out good, quality content, people would just find it! Of course, that was not the case. I am sure there are those accounts out there that get lucky or catch a break and take off with little to no work, but for the vast majority of us, we are talking hours a week, if not a day, to truly grow an engaged following. Engaging with other accounts, finding likeminded brands to collaborate with, all the while continuing to be innovative and professional in the content you create is hard work. I truly never understood quite how much actually went into all of those collaborations, sponsorships, and ‘free item’ posts I saw other people putting out.
I have also quickly learned that, while a year ago, if I am being honest, I jumped at nearly every opportunity that came my way, it really is important to only take on work that is consistent with the message that you want to convey to those who follow you. I am a young mom who works full time, and I think that is what draws people to me. I sprinkle in things like fashion and home décor, but if I suddenly started taking on working with companies to promote weight loss supplements, or sharing landscape photography mixed into my family themed space, I would likely lose interest. I don’t believe a person has to fit into ONE niche entirely. I love fashion, I love motherhood, I love decorating. These are all different, but I present them in a way that goes together and makes sense. Consistency is so important, as is authenticity. As much as it may be appealing to get paid to promote pantyliners (yes, I have had this opportunity presented), I would feel so inauthentic doing it and have decided some things just aren’t worth the money if it means losing myself and why I started doing this along the way."
- Mackensey
InstagramBlog
"Why did you become an influencer?
It honestly just fell into my lap, some moms that have been following me will ask questions on where Aleia's dress was from until one day the boutique owner asked me if Aleia and I wanted to represent her mommy and me line. From then on, shops will ask and at times I'll email some shops that I really love to see if they would love to work together.
How did you go about becoming one?
It all sort of just happened one day.
How much time do you spend a week doing this?
A LOT. I plan photo shoots, edit a ton as well as constantly emailing back and forth negotiating.
How do you get collaborations?
Companies and shops will email and ask and I email the shops and companies I'm interested in.
What would you want to tell someone who is interested in becoming an influencer?
It takes a lot of time, and at times you are glued to your phone. But try to schedule it with your children are napping and or are busy engaged in something else. These days I have taken a step back and have scheduled my times."
- Jay
"When Payton was around 4 months old, I entered her in a couple of brand rep (enthusiast) searches for small Etsy shops on Instagram. We ended up brand repping for several bow shops, as well as baby clothing. It was fun for awhile but Payton didn't always want to cooperate and the pressure was sometimes too much. I have 2 other kids as well and I missed being able to post pictures of them and our daily life. I wanted to take a step back from solely brand repping and focus more on being a "lifestyle instagrammer". I created a blog 5 months ago (April 2017) and started writing about different motherhood topics and DIY projects. I started networking more with fellow mommy instagrammers who introduced me to the world of being an "influencer". Before creating my blog, I had already had a few companies direct message me about reviewing their products. However, I really feel that establishing a website/blog was what really changed everything. It was at that point, I started being contacted by more companies wanting collaborate. I have found that a lot of the bigger name companies would like a blog post in addition to an instagram post. I love reviewing products and sharing my finds with friends. I do love baby products but my kids won't be little forever, so I have recently branched out into reviewing all types of products...including household items, beauty products and adult apparel! Some collaborations have even started to pay me, which is something I never would've expected! I originally started this journey for fun and as an outside hobby. I have met so many amazing moms through this new venture and love the supportive community!"
- Jackie
"Influencer. I'd have to start by saying that I still don't consider myself one. I mean by no means am I a big blogger or have a huge following. I started doing this and by this I mean making my profile public, using hashtags, tagging pictures and caring more about the quality of pictures I was posting because I thought it would be fun to branch out and meet more moms. Today, this is still why I do it. As I've grown I've had companies want to work with me, changed how I take and edit pictures and loved sharing products or things I love with what I consider my friends. If I were to share with you all something behind the scenes it would be the time I spend taking pictures and posting. I now see walls or places differently. I look for great places to take pictures, and look for how the lighting is. Once taken I then will edit and create a caption to post. The time spent curating a post sometimes takes hours. My only advice would be to do you. Nobody can do you better and that's what people will love."
- Xo Caroline
"I'm Stephanie, a wife of nine years and the mother of two. I became an influencer to help bring in a little extra income for my family and because I thought it looked very glamorous. When you're on the outside looking in, it looks so amazing and exciting, and although I do enjoy it and find it to be a lot of fun, it's hard and stressful too. Companies can be very demanding and particular about photos and sometimes they promise payment that never comes. I typically spend anywhere from 2-4 hours on each collaboration post taking photos, editing, emailing, posting, keeping up with comments, etc, so it's devastating when I do all that work for nothing. I've found that although being an influencer really is a great opportunity for stay at home moms to make a little extra income for their families, not all that glitters is gold. There is a lot of pressure that come along with being on social media, especially when you put yourself out there everyday and share your life with the world. If you're considering jumping into the world of social media marketing, make sure that you've weighed the pros and cons carefully and aren't going into it with rose colored glasses." READ MORE
- Stephanie
