Talk briefly about influencer marketing and what that entails exactly?
Influencer marketing is a form of media no different than any other form of media. It is essentially word-of-mouth marketing, as it is real people recommending the things that they love, and they’re being paid for it. It carries the same weight and has replaced the traditional magazine. People still do love to hold and read a great magazine, but influencers and bloggers have sort of been that girlfriend you can talk to and will tell you her favorite skin care products and secrets, where and when the best sales are, and the latest on-trend fashion to buy. It’s traditional media and editorial married and personified.
When an influencer is negotiating a brand deal- how can a good one from a bad one be differentiated? And when should they walk away, table it, or proceed?
We have established rates that we have in place for influencers, and typically if a brand comes close to your rate, and it makes sense for you and aligns with your ethos and it’s a brand that you genuinely love, then you should say yes! You should walk away when the value that you are offering and the price that the brand is paying is too vast of a difference. It is different for everyone. There are some people that their dream brand is working with Chanel and the value of working with their brand and aligning with them is so high that they are willing to work with them for free. Whereas a partnership with Uniqlo, which is a great brand, but may not necessarily be a dream brand for influencers- they would need that brand to come close to their asking price, for it to make sense for them. And if it doesn’t make sense with the content you’re creating and the value you’re providing- with the price that the brand is paying, and it’s a stretch between the numbers, then at that point you should walk away.
How important is the Black female influencer to the fashion industry?
I think that we are the blueprint. The latest trends and ideas stem from very powerful, innovative, and creative Black women. We move the culture and inspire what you see on the runways. We inspire ideas. We’re o storyboards and mood boards. We’re on Pinterest pages inspiring and moving the culture. In so many ways, whether it’s beauty, hair, fashion, or fashion styling- honestly, there are very few things that are really original and unique that doesn’t have a Black woman involved along the lines.
Talk briefly about “The Glow Up” and its purpose in the social media space.
The Glow Up is essentially a sisterhood or community, a safe space for Black women to be able to share their thoughts, opportunities, and ideas and to feel safe doing so. We would talk about rates and negotiations and topics that are not discussed publicly. As a result of that, it allowed so many of us to level up. So many of us realized we were not charging our worth. We realized we were undervaluing ourselves based on the conversations we were having in The Glow Up. This brought about our next level- changing all our lives forever. Forbes did an article on what we were doing in The Glow Up, and The Glow Up was life changing for everyone that was a part of our group.
What advice would you give to brands looking to work with influencers? Specifically Black women.
“Don’t tokenize us” would be one, and also don’t just use us because it is Black History Month. Black women are not the buzzword; reach out to us year-round. Realize too that we move the needle. Realize that we convert. Black women have spending power. Black women shop luxury and spend tens of thousands of dollars per year on luxury items. Treat us accordingly. We should be represented in your advertising and considered in your marketing efforts. We should be a part of the conversation when it comes to ideating how you are going to market your campaign. On top of that, the people that are internal at your company should hopefully be reflective of what the world looks like outside, and if not, there should be a genuine plan in place to try and make it that way. It is a great business model when you consider everyone and you’re truly inclusive when it comes to race, gender, sexual orientation, and everything that the real world emulates.
What strategic advice would you give to emerging influencers who are trying to gain a following on social media?
Join Tik Tok immediately! It is the fastest growing app where you can gain followers and grow and cultivate a community faster than any other app I’ve seen in our generation. The window for opportunity with that is closing, and it is such an equal opportunity app that every time you post, your content is shown to new audience. The app is set up for discoverability. It’s not set up to service the people that follow you, it’s set up for new people to find you. Find what makes you unique and what your distinct point of view is and spend some time on the app. Watch other people and find out what their niche is, then figure out how you want to show up on the app. Then just start posting! You never know what piece of content will find your people. Video content first! Photos are not dead, but people want authenticity. Authenticity is key and it is difficult to find out who you are via a photo. It is so important now to show up on video and show your personality, let people in just a little bit more.
If you could describe yourself in one word-what would it be?
Persistent.
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