Influencer

by Brittany Hennessy

  2. Sex. Influencers who tend to show a lot of skin usually have a lot of followers of the opposite sex. If a brand is trying to promote a new lipstick, and all your followers are men, you’re not the best fit. But what if a brand was trying to promote a new beer, or some other gender-neutral-but-skews-male product? Well, then, you would be the best girl for the job.

  3. Location. This really comes into play for events and special rollouts. I do a lot of campaigns for a luxury mall in California, and they want the influencer’s audience to live close to their locations. Another case is a product that’s only available in certain markets. If you can show me that your audience lives in one of those markets, you’re hired.

  How can you figure out your demographics? On a blog or your YouTube channel, Google Analytics will be your best friend. The easiest way to see your demo numbers on Instagram is to sign up for a business account. (It used to be controversial to switch to a business account because Instagram was still working out the algorithm and a lot of people’s engagement dropped. It’s leveled out, so it’s safe to do so now.) There are also websites like hyprbrands.com that will let you run a free search and pull more detailed information on your audience. They can offer these free services because they make their money from brands that need to run hundreds of these reports when putting together a campaign roster, so it’s definitely a tool you should take advantage of. Some of them even show breakdowns of your audience by ethnicity and household income. This last one is a great figure to have if you want to pitch luxury brands. You can prove to them that your audience can afford to buy their product.

  BRANDS ONLY LIKE INFLUENCERS WHO HAVE GREAT SKILLS

  Skills are important, so you need to spend time and effort honing them. Knowing how to pose for a photographer, speak on camera, and work the red carpet are skills every successful influencer must have.

  YOU BETTER WORK

  One of the trickiest things about booking an influencer for a photoshoot is you don’t know if they can perform when it’s not their personal photographer behind the camera. Sure, your boyfriend can follow you around all day and snap hundreds of photos until you find a few you like, but we don’t have that luxury during a campaign. We sometimes have to shoot ten looks during one shoot and we don’t have all day, so we need the influencer to bring it for every single shot. Now, you don’t need to be a professional model, but when there is a room full of people ready to take your photo, you need to know what to do. Here are some tips:

  • Learn to take direction. Many influencers have photographers who can take decent photos, but they usually don’t give them directions to follow. On set you’ll need to do more than turn left and turn right. Laughing on cue and being able to repeat the same motion in different ways are two of the big ones. I once saw@alexcentomo step out of a tent twenty times, and each time she did it in a different way. Needless to say, she is one of my favorites.

  • Know how to sell a product. The reason you are in this branded content piece is because an advertiser has paid you to help sell its product. If it’s a campaign for a handbag, you need to know how to bring that handbag to life by interacting with it in different ways. If it’s a beauty product, you’ll need to learn to purse your lips and bat your eyelashes in a way that makes the lipstick or mascara pop.

  • Have a go-to look. Every model has that one look that they’re known for. Practice one really great face and body pose that you can whip out in a pinch.

  • But don’t limit yourself to that one look. There are so many influencers who make the same face in every photo. That may work for your Instagram, but it doesn’t work on a professional shoot. You need to know how to look elated, surprised, ecstatic, overjoyed, and other variations of happy. But those faces need to look different and not like Blue Steel, Ferrari, Le Tigre, and Magnum, which are all pretty much the same look. Okay, they’re exactly the same look.

  • Lose the accessories. I once worked with an influencer who didn’t want to take off her sunglasses. No ma’am, that is not going to work here. Now, she had a very prominent nose, and this was how she felt comfortable disguising it. I’m all for anything that makes a woman feel more comfortable in her own skin, and it wasn’t the worst thing because we shot most of the images outside and during the daytime, but what if the concept was a dinner party? Was she really going to wear her sunglasses inside and at night?

  • Relax on the photo editing. I understand there are apps that can slim your face, clear your skin, make your eyes brighter, and plump your lips, but all this editing can make you look like someone else. Sure your photos will look great and consistent, but the last thing you want when you show up on set is for everyone to wonder when the influencer they hired will be arriving.

  EXPERT TIP

  Often the makeup looks we shoot for branded campaigns are different (more natural) from Instagram makeup looks, which tend to be more dramatic and filtered. I would advise beauty influencers to show a variety of natural, unfiltered snaps on their IGs so that editors/ brands have a true idea of their versatility and look. There’s nothing more frustrating for an editor/brand than when an influencer shows up on set looking dramatically different in person than they do on their Instagram feed. Giving an accurate representation of who you are is the best way to guarantee more work.

  —Jennifer Tzeses (@jtzeses), former beauty director, Content Studio at Hearst Magazines Digital Media

  LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

  Teni Panosian, Sona Gasparian, and Jenn Im are three of the best influencers to cast for a video campaign because they all are excellent on camera. Is it a coincidence that they are all YouTubers? I don’t think so. As I mentioned in Chapter 1, even if you’re a blogger with a great Instagram, you should still have a presence on YouTube. Even a channel with 1,000 followers will allow you to: (1) get comfortable in front of the camera, (2) create videos to add into your blog posts for campaigns, and (3) have some examples of your video presence for casting directors to view.

  But all YouTube experience is not created equal. There are plenty of YouTubers with 1MM+ followers who are not the best fit for campaigns. Sure, they can vlog, but if you take them out of the comfort of their bedroom, their entire persona falls apart. Video shoots are very similar to fashion shoots, in that you’ll need to know how to be “on” at the drop of a hat. The way to bring your best self to a video set is to focus on these three areas:

  • Scripts. When you’re creating a branded content video, there are key points the advertiser wants to come across, but you shouldn’t read the script word for word or you’ll sound like a terrible car commercial. Practice by going on a website for a clothing company or beauty company and reading the descriptions of products and then rereading them right after in your own words.

  • Body Language. For most beauty and hair videos, you’ll be sitting in a chair looking right at the camera while you use the product. You don’t want to look stiff or uptight, but you also don’t want to look sloppy. Practice by reading while looking in a mirror. Little things like arching your eyebrow, tilting your head to the side, and waving at the open and close of a video can be the difference between a video that is boring and a video that is super engaging.

  • Filler Words. Nothing slows a video down faster than “um,” “like,” and “you know.” This is another one of those things that may fly on your YouTube channel but will not work if you’re going to make branded videos. Most web videos are 30 to 60 seconds, and you can’t waste precious time with nonwords. If you’re guilty of this, practice, practice, and practice some more. When you can speak on a subject for 60 seconds without using any of those nonwords, you’re ready.

  AND WE’RE LIVE

  One of the biggest trends is using influencers to cover events and then streaming that coverage via Facebook Live. To be great at this, you’ll need all the skills listed previously and then some. This is an area where you may need to initially offer up the goods for free so you can put together a reel and then start charging for your
services. We’ll talk about how to land those gigs in Chapter 4. But first, here are three things you need to remember when you’re covering a live event:

  1. Do your research. You should be combing the Internet in preparation for the big event. If you’re interviewing a designer, you shouldn’t ask him to tell you about the collection. Dozens of people have already asked that question. Take that knowledge and spin it into a better question like, “You say this collection was inspired by your muse XYZ celeb. What qualities do you admire about her and how did those inform the design process?” Much better question.

  2. Dress appropriately. Of course you want to look camera-ready, but you also need to be comfortable. Shoes that hurt your feet or dresses you cannot breathe in will not do. Ditto for clothing you constantly need to adjust, like skirts that ride up and shirts that slide forward. If you are uncomfortable, it will change your mood, and you will be a bad host for the evening.

  3. Remember, it’s not about you. You see this all the time when watching celebrity YouTube collaborations. There are influencers who understand they’re supposed to interact with the celeb and bring value to their audiences. Then there are influencers who think they ARE the celebs and are completely rude and unprofessional. That is the quickest way to be blacklisted and never invited to work with a brand ever again.

  PRODUCTION MATTERS

  All the tips so far have focused on being on set for a campaign. But how do you develop an edge when an advertiser sends you products and wants you to create content around them? One word: production.

  Let’s say you are doing an organic roundup of your favorite bath products for your blog. You might take some great photos in your bathroom and call it a day. But if you’re doing branded content, and I just gave you $5,000 to do a photoshoot with my product and post an Instagram photo, you better not even THINK about shooting it in your bathroom. I’m pretty sure $5,000 can buy you one night at the nicest hotel in your city, a professional photographer who will bring his own lighting, and a photo editor who can make the advertiser’s products and your skin look amazing. You have a budget because the brand wanted you to step up your game and produce a shoot.

  The ability to deliver great content that can be dropped right onto a website or into a magazine is what separates the good influencers from the great influencers and gets you the highly coveted repeat business.

  EXPERT TIP

  When you’re booked for a campaign, first and foremost be grateful. Influencers are a dime a dozen these days, and you’d be wise to remember that you’re not the only fish in the sea.

  If and when you are booked, set yourself apart from the rest by delivering several more assets—be it images, quotes, etc.—than you’re contractually obligated to provide. It proves you’re flexible, easy to work with, and dedicated to ensuring the editors and brand have more than enough options to work with in order to make the content/feature phenomenal.

  Another pro tip? Read the brand’s correspondence carefully, so you can respond accordingly and promptly. Whether you’re in the early stages of negotiation, or handing off final assets, make sure you and/or your manager are swift and succinct with replies. Time is money—literally.

  —India-Jewel Jackson (@indiajeweljax), former style director, Content Studio at Hearst Magazines Digital Media

  When producing content, the most important thing is location, location, location. If a brand is asking you to style a jacket five ways, you’ll also need five very different locations to make sure each look is fresh and can pique your audience’s interest.

  When you’re picking a photographer, find those who can shoot outside in natural light, but can also shoot indoors. If you’re showing how to wear a look for date night, you can’t shoot ALL of your photos outdoors, because most dates take place inside. I have given influencers product to shoot indoors, and the photos have come back absolutely terrible because their photographer didn’t know how to light a room. You may not need that much range for your personal feed, but like I said, producing branded content is a different game. If your personal photographer doesn’t know how to shoot in different environments, hire one who does.

  EXPERT TIP

  When I receive a new project, five ideal locations usually come to mind within seconds after reading the creative brief. The key to a successful photoshoot is scouting your location beforehand and mapping out your shots to maximize your time. The most important element in creating a beautiful image is lighting. Most people instantly look for the right decor or space size when scouting. What they should be looking for is light and how it will be hitting the subject. Be sure to scout a location during the same time frame as you would be conducting your photoshoot. Light changes minute by minute.

  —Hannah Kluckhohn (@hkluck), photo producer, Content Studio at Hearst Magazines Digital Media

  And don’t think you can stroll into any location and just start snapping away. Usually, you’ll need permission. If you’re in a small town you might be able to get away with it, but you’re going to need assistance if you live in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, and other big cities. This is where publicists come in. Their job is to secure placements for their clients—restaurants, hotels, etc.—and if you have a great feed they may want to partner with you. What better way for the venue to get free exposure than to be in an influencer post? Of course, the influencer must be in line with their brand, so they are selective. Publicists cover every vertical, so the more publicists you know, the more access you’ll have to hotels, restaurants, museums, and other cool places they represent.

  Interesting locations, stellar engagement, and a great on-camera presence are all things that will help you stand out from the crowd, but at the end of the day, knowing who you are, what makes you different, and channeling that, is what will really give you an edge.

  INFLUENCER INSIGHT

  The industry is saturated. After a while, every hundred bloggers start looking the same. Your superpower is being you. Use it to your advantage.

  —@thegreylayers

  INFLUENCER ICON

  ALYSSA BOSSIO

  @effortlyss + effortlyss.com

  When I met Alyssa I was completely blown away by her drive and level of professionalism. She is constantly pushing her brand to the next level, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone that she graduated from college and became a full-time influencer. Her audience looks up to her and flocks to her meet and greets for an in-person dose of her positivity. On her Instagram feed you’ll find her standing on the edge of cliffs to get the perfect shot. She’s giving her audience everything she has, and they are loving it.

  ON BECOMING AN INFLUENCER . . .

  I knew I always wanted to do something “different,” but I never knew what because I had so many different passions. I was always interested in the Internet and social media. I was the first one of my friends to have AOL, an email, and a screen name, and I was the first to have Myspace, then Facebook, etc. I was always using different platforms and experimenting, and I loved it. I didn’t have to convince my parents to let me pursue it, but they were definitely skeptical! They believed in me all along, but they were pretty surprised when they saw me move out and be able to afford living on my own.

  ON PIVOTING FROM FITNESS TO LIFESTYLE AND TRAVEL . . .

  I knew I needed to change my overall “direction” because I wasn’t satisfied limiting myself to one particular niche like fitness. I love working out, it’s great and makes me feel amazing, but I truly wasn’t happy only posting fitness-related content. It also made it more difficult to work with brands that weren’t fitness related. So, I decided to transition and slowly incorporate more lifestyle and travel content. I was fortunate enough to have high engagement on those photos, and my audience seemed to love it. Most people were supportive of seeing more high-quality content. Some unfollowed me, but more new people followed me!

  ON PRODUCING HIGH-QUALITY CONTENT . . .

  A lot of different components go into high-quality content. I plan
my outfits, my hair, and my makeup to start. Then, I have to scout out a good location where not a lot of people have been before, or just a really scenic spot that will look the best for the shot. I also had to invest in a good camera, several different lenses, and editing software to make every photo unique and different. And there’s not much of a difference between organic content and brand content; I try to make all of my photos as creative as possible, regardless if I’m being paid or not.

  ON TRAVELING SO OFTEN . . .

  I have a lot of cozy clothes for airplanes, and I stay as hydrated as possible when traveling! It’s actually nice to be able to travel all the time, but it does definitely take a toll on my energy levels and my health at times. Traveling inspires me the most, so I wind up creating a ton of content. I lose a lot of sleep staying up to shoot and edit everything.

  ON BUILDING A POSITIVE AND ENGAGED COMMUNITY . . .

  I used to delete any hateful comments, and now it’s gotten to the point where not many people follow me to hate on me. I think the bigger you grow your brand, the more hate you will receive, but I’ve been lucky enough to grow an overall supportive audience. I do still get some hateful messages, but I ignore all of that now.

  I think it’s just important to be real and to interact with your audience as much as possible to show them you care that they follow you. I message a lot of them randomly, answer their questions, and reply to nearly all of my photo comments. I also make sure my content is always true to my brand, and I am EXTREMELY selective with my partnerships. I don’t post ads on a daily basis for a reason. It looks tacky, and I always want to be true to myself. Meet and greets are another awesome way to connect and make new friends. I think everyone should do them, even if they have a small following.