Influencer

by Brittany Hennessy

—Alexander H. Hennessy (@mralexanderhennessy), cofounder of CreatorsCollective

  What I’ve outlined here may seem like lofty goals, but remember, every single influencer you see achieving great success started with zero followers, including all of our icons. They had to make mistakes and learn the hard way. Not only do you have their career paths to draw inspiration from, but you also have this book to guide you. If you are starting now, you may think you are late to the party, but you’re wrong. There are still thousands of brands trying to figure out influencer marketing and hundreds more spending millions of dollars each year on campaigns. You’re fighting for a piece of the pie, but that pie is only getting bigger. Let’s get to work!

  INFLUENCER ICON

  SONA GASPARIAN

  @sonagasparian + simplysona.com

  Sona is a class act, and every time I’ve worked with her, my coworkers and clients have always been impressed. She has a knack for connecting with her audience, and her beauty school background and experience as a professional makeup artist probably have a little bit to do with that. She has her own cosmetics line, Pérsona Cosmetics (available at personacosmetics.co or at Ulta), and this is just the beginning. Her brand may be Simply Sona, but there’s nothing simple about her.

  ON CHOOSING YOUR BLOG NAME . . .

  This was one of the hardest decisions for me, I wanted the name of my blog to be very welcoming and approachable rather than intimidating and too editorial. I wanted my blog to be a place where everyday women could get helpful tips on beauty, fashion, and lifestyle. I named it Simply Sona because it sounds very friendly, inviting, and relatable, which is key.

  Simply Sona can evolve with me as I grow into different stages of my life. Although my expertise is in beauty, I wanted to share other aspects of my life with my readers. I share fashion posts because I’m 5’ 2” (on a good day) and sharing styling tips with my petite followers is super fun. The reason why I decided to add a lifestyle section to my blog is because that’s where I connect with my readers on a more personal level.

  Sundays with Sona is a series where I chat about my struggles. I’ve shared personal stories from being an immigrant trying to fit in, to struggling with severe acne. You’d be surprised how many women relate to my story and feel more connected to me. I don’t want people to look at my blog or Instagram feed and think, Wow, her life is perfect. I want people to know that I’m human with my own imperfections and insecurities.

  ON YOUR INSTAGRAM CHANNEL . . .

  I used to be so picky about my Instagram and making sure my feed was super curated, but I’ve completely changed that. I think nowadays, people are looking for more genuine content. I even realized that I was tired of the curated feeds; I’d much rather see honest posts. I balance that by sharing high-quality images that are relatable. I don’t spend as much time on fancy flat lays as I used to because I don’t think it’s realistic to have your makeup lay so perfectly.

  As for sponsored content, I always make sure my followers are taking something away from it. For example, if I’m promoting a hairspray, I’ll make sure to give people tips on how to style a certain hairstyle rather than just say how much I love the hairspray. I ask myself, “What value am I offering my followers with this image?” This helps me come up with creative concepts that will benefit my followers as well as the brand.

  ON HAVING A GREAT ON-CAMERA PRESENCE . . .

  I think professionalism comes with preparation, and I always overprepare myself for projects that I get hired for. When I first started on YouTube four years ago, I was so shy and afraid to be myself in front of the camera. I sounded like a robot that was sharing beauty tips and tricks. I honestly don’t think I made personal connections with my viewers until I became more comfortable being myself. That’s why my most important tip is to be yourself while still being professional.

  When I film, regardless if the content is branded or not, I’m 100 percent authentic. If you drop a brush or mispronounce something, roll with it and correct yourself. You don’t need to cut it out of the video. People are able to connect with you a lot more if you show who you really are.

  ON GROWING AS A PROFESSIONAL . . .

  I attended makeup school because I wanted to be a professional makeup artist. YouTube wasn’t around for me back then. Going to makeup school gave me more confidence, but looking back, it didn’t really teach me much. I gained most of my knowledge from working at MAC and being a freelance makeup artist.

  During my time as a makeup artist, I became familiar with different skin tones and textures, so I’ve really learned what works for some people, and what doesn’t. Having this experience helps me share knowledgeable tips with my audience. I don’t think going to beauty school is necessary, especially now when you can learn everything on platforms like YouTube. I do think that practice makes perfect, so working at a counter is probably the best way to learn and perfect the craft.

  ON WORKING WITH YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER . . .

  KB (my husband) is a huge part of the Simply Sona brand. When I first started, I was with an MCN (multi-channel network) and my manager was working with thirty other channels. I got frustrated and eventually left because my emails would get ignored. KB stepped in and managed all of my incoming inquiries from brands that wanted to work with me. It was great because we made personal connections with all the brands without the “middleman.”

  I recently signed with a well-known agency (one of the worst decisions of my career) and after one year, I left. At the end of the day, it’s tough finding the right team to represent you and your brand integrity in this new frontier. It’s a new industry and some players may overlook its intricacies and only focus on the lucrative side of the business.

  My best advice on working with a spouse or significant other is to set boundaries and designate responsibilities. We try to avoid talking about work after 7 P.M. every day.

  ON DEALING WITH HATERS . . .

  In this business, I learned to keep my head down and do my own thing. I’m friendly with everyone, but I don’t allow myself to get too close because I’ve been hurt before. Unfortunately, there is jealousy in every industry and my industry is no exception. As for hateful comments from the public, I’m fortunate to have a very mature audience. I tend to just get constructive criticism from my subscribers, which I really appreciate.

  ON TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL . . .

  I launched Pérsona Cosmetics in December 2016 with the help of my husband. Before social media, the dream of having my own cosmetics line felt too big, but I quickly realized that no dream is too big. I truly felt like I had something different to offer in the beauty space.

  For our first product, I launched a neutral eyeshadow palette designed specifically for brown eyes. There may be hundreds of neutral palettes, but there is nothing like this in the market—a palette especially designed to enhance brown eyes. The success of our first product was truly remarkable, I still get emotional reading all the reviews and feedback from our customers.

  One of the biggest beauty stores, Ulta Beauty, noticed the positive reviews and picked up the Identity Palette. Cool, right? Since then, we’ve grown our brand and are in development stages for multiple products to launch in 2018.

  We’ll see what the future holds, but I know that I’m just getting started. Each year, I’m going to continue to work harder to make my dreams come true, while hopefully raising a family. I think it’s very important to dream big, but it’s most important to set goals to achieve them. Dreams are nothing if you don’t take the necessary actions to make them a reality. Set realistic goals toward your dreams and cross them off the list, one task at a time. It’s also important to surround yourself with a team of people who believe in your vision and want to be a part of your journey.

  ON WOMEN DOMINATING INFLUENCER MARKETING . . .

  I think it’s great that so many women became successful entrepreneurs from platforms like Instagram and YouTube. I do think that most influencers, including myself, can sometimes set
unrealistic goals for women by posting edited photos, but I also believe that people are now educated on the various apps we use to edit them.

  A lot of influencers are open about their editing techniques, and I even shared an entire post on how I edit my Instagram photos and the filters I use to create a cohesive color scheme. My readers really appreciated this because it gave them an insight into how I create my content, which keeps it real. Finding the sweet spot between overediting and raw content is key. Without editing, you wouldn’t have visually compelling imagery. I would tell people who aspire to be content creators to be true to themselves while still producing quality content.

  ON HINDSIGHT BEING 20/20 . . .

  Early on, I wish I knew to be myself and open up more to my viewers. Also, I wish I was more consistent with my content. The market is so saturated now that you have to be consistent and set yourself apart from everyone. The advice I have for aspiring influencers is to not overthink things. Although I think equipment (camera, lighting, microphone, etc.) is important, there are many other things that play a role in the success of your channel.

  You really need to find what you can offer to your viewers that is different. It can be something small, like creating a channel in a different language or having a unique intro. Be yourself and make connections with people.

  Conclusion

  “Why not me?” is the question I have asked myself more than any other. Even if it’s something as small as entering a raffle for a free lunch if you drop your business card into a fishbowl, I always say to myself, “They have to pick someone, why not me?” I think above all else, that’s the reason why I’ve had such an exciting and successful career. More than having the right degree, or making the right connections, three simple words are the reason why you are holding this book in your hands right now: Why. Not. Me?

  They say men will apply for a job if they feel like they can do 60 percent of the work listed on the job description, but women need to feel like they can do 100 percent of the work before they put themselves out there. This is crazy talk and no way to get ahead in the world. I have had four “real” jobs during my professional career and I wasn’t 100 percent ready for any of them. Why take a job if you’re not going to learn? To stretch? To grow? Sure there might be someone more qualified than I was also in the running, but I’ve always been qualified enough, I’m a fast learner, and I work hard. They have to hire someone, why not me?

  This mantra pretty much explains how this book was born. I was thinking someone ought to write a book that explains how this whole influencer marketing thing works because people are out here acting like they have no idea what’s going on. Someone ought to write a book, why not me?

  After “why not me” there are three other subman-tras, if you will, that have changed my life.

  The first is Say yes and figure out the details later. In 2011, I was offered the chance of a lifetime to serve as a North American ambassador for Nivea’s 100th anniversary. They were going to send me to Germany for three days to hang out on a cruise ship with Rihanna. They were going to pay me and all I needed to do was tweet about it. One small problem: I was offered this gig on Monday, I was leaving on Wednesday, and I did not have a passport.

  But when they asked me if I could go did I say no? Of course not. I said I will be there. I immediately started freaking out because I had never had a passport and didn’t even know if you could get one in 48 hours, but it turns out you could. Not only did I have the best time, but I also met a friend on that trip who was there on behalf of her PR firm. She later started working at Hearst and recommended me to my future boss. That job led to the writing of this book. Imagine where I’d be if I had said no?

  The second is Ask for forgiveness not permission. When I first started my blog, I knew I was going to need to make actual money from it if it was ever going to be a full-time thing. I didn’t really have any options, so I decided I was going to fake it until I made it. I had seen banner ads for The Real Housewives of New York on another blog I followed and I saved them and put them on my own site. Forget that banner ads have tracking codes and I was probably ruining someone’s calculations. I was giving the show free press. What’s the worst that could happen? They realize they’re not paying me for those ads and ask me to take them down?

  That didn’t happen, but you know what did? An ad campaign with Svedka for thousands of dollars. They hadn’t seen any advertising on my site before the Housewives ads, so they weren’t sure if I was accepting placements. This buy came right as I was deciding if I was going to stay in law school or try my hand at this whole digital content thing. I dropped out a few months later.

  The third is Give freely and don’t hesitate. Not many people know this, but my husband and I got engaged on our first date. Now, we knew of each other beforehand, we were in the same section in law school, but we weren’t friends. One night after work, I decided to take the long way to the train—it was a perfect summer night for a walk—when I ran into him on the sidewalk. What could have been a quick and awkward small talk moment turned into a 6-hour conversation where we talked about everything from our relationships with our parents and how many kids we wanted to have to our greatest ambitions and why we were still single.

  I went home later that night thinking I had blown my chance with him because women are supposed to be mysterious and there was definitely no mystery left. But the next night, when my friend cancelled on me and I needed a plus one for an event I was covering, I asked him to come along. Before the date was over he looked me right in the eyes and said, “I know what I want, and I’m not one to beat around the bush. I think we should get married.” And I said “Okay!” We did wait two years before walking down the aisle, but if I had been more reserved when I bumped into him or hesitated when he laid it all out on the line for me, I’d probably have ended up like Ryan Gosling’s character in La La Land.

  If you meet someone who is in a position to help you achieve a goal, don’t hold back. If you run into a writer who covers your vertical, tell her you would be forever grateful if she included you in her next influencer roundup. If you’re at a conference with your favorite influencer, tell her you’d love to collaborate with her. If you meet the influencer director for your favorite brand, tell her you want to become her brand ambassador and ask how you can make that happen. Make each and every conversation count and never walk away wishing you would have said more or done more. It won’t always work out, but the only way to get what you want is to go for it.

  * * *

  Now that we have some feel-good stories under our belt, and are ready to dive headfirst into the pool of opportunity, let’s tackle the three big tasks you’ll need to complete if you want to go all in on this journey to becoming a full-time influencer.

  1. Be a vlogger, a blogger, and an Instagram star. Is it hard to edit videos? Yes. Is it hard to consistently write compelling content? Yes. Is it hard to build and maintain an engaged community on Instagram? Yes. Is it extremely hard to do all three? Yes. And that’s exactly why you are going to do it. If you can speak on camera, write, and connect with people online, brands will be lining up to work with you. It may take you longer to perfect all three and you might grow at a slower pace than some of your peers, but you will outlast them all. Someone has to be a triple-threat influencer . . . why not you?

  2. Spend time thinking about your hot-button issue. Plenty of people want women to be able to look great on a budget, and while that beat may have worked in 2009, it won’t fly in 2018. I’m not saying you need to be controversial, but you need to find an angle that keeps you up at night. When you are working a full-time job and creating content in your spare time, nighttime is where all your magic will happen. Don’t pick a topic that will put you to sleep. Iskra Lawrence (@iskra) hated that people photoshopped her body, so her entire platform focuses on body acceptance. Heidi Nazarudin (@theambitionista) didn’t understand why the world thought that being a businesswoman meant you had no style, so she created a com
munity for the corporate go-getter. Olya Hill (@livingnotes) wanted to show the world that you can be a retired ballerina with seven kids and still be killing it. Jackie Aina (@jackieaina) wanted to make videos for girls who looked like her and didn’t think mainstream sites understood that dark-skinned women were beautiful too.

  Think back to a time someone underestimated you or looked down on you and it filled you with rage. They thought you couldn’t do something you were capable of. Tap into that and let it direct your spin on lifestyle content. Someone has to be the voice of your issue . . . why not you?

  3. Write down your biggest goal and work backward. There are influencers who are now actresses and singers. They have fashion collections and beauty lines. Their YouTube shows are now television shows and motion pictures. Their paths may be different, but you know what they all have in common? They all started with zero subscribers, zero page views, and zero followers. Many people think they’re afraid of failure, but they’re actually afraid of success. Afraid of what will happen if that brand does agree to their proposal or if that website does run a profile on them. Success can quickly turn your life upside down, but if you plan for it, you will be prepared. Someone has to build an empire . . . why not you?

  AND THAT’S ALL SHE WROTE

  The contents of this book have given you the foundation you’ll need to succeed in the world of influencer marketing. Whether you’re still building a community, learning to package your brand, or finally monetizing your influence, you are now prepared to leap over any obstacles that may attempt to block your path. Go forth, conquer, and create. Someone has to be part of the next wave of influencer icons . . . why not you?

  GLOSSARY

  The amount of lingo you have to be hip to continues to amaze me. You may be an influencer, but you’re dealing with people who speak legalese, corporate slang, and other dialects of the English language. I present to you, the Glossary.