The Ultimate Guide To Becoming An Influencer (While Staying True To Yourself)
'Remember that Instagram is not necessarily a reflection of real life and it’s important to be authentic.'
Welcome to the Collective World Careers Newsletter. Collective World is a one-of-a-kind creative network powered by the minds and voices behind The Thought & Expression Company. We’re so glad you’re here.
Today, we’re talking to poet and influencer Kelly Peacock about navigating brand deals and curating your social media presence, all while staying true to yourself.
Many career paths have a straightforward trajectory. This is not always the case for becoming an influencer (and many creative fields, for that matter). That said, can you give us a brief history of your professional journey and when you felt you could call yourself an influencer?
When I was in college, I figured it would be a good idea to start sharing some of my poetry on Instagram—I just didn’t know how to go about it. None of my friends or the people I was following had a feed that looked the way mine does now—photos of my poems mixed in with influencer-type posts. I was nervous at first, so I made a separate Instagram page for my writing. It worked for a while, but then I neglected it altogether and figured, if someone wants to follow me and get the real, authentic version of me, it will be my personal page: influencer posts and poems and all. I figured, This is my brand and I have to own it: I am a poet and an influencer. Make it work. It took a while for me to get comfortable posting, especially if the poems were more personal, but with every post, it got easier, especially knowing that my writing was actually resonating with people.
When I first moved to New York, right after graduating from college, I got my first brand deal... but kind of accidentally. I had applied for a retail job at a popular jewelry company, but just as they offered me the position, I was offered a position writing at Thought Catalog. Since “being a writer in New York City” was my dream, I didn’t accept the retail job. However, they so graciously sent me free jewelry and offered me an ambassador role too. To be honest, it wasn’t until a year or so ago that I really started to get an influx of brand deals.
So many brands rely on influencers’ audiences to sell their product, so they’re usually sensitive to an account’s following count. How did you grow your online audience to get to this point?
It was a very, very gradual thing. I started taking my Instagram seriously in late 2019 and I’m still trying to grow. I’ve spent a lot of time following other micro influencers who typically follow back. I also had my writing shared on Thought Catalog and Collective World, so I gained a lot from that too. I have a good balance of followers who support my writing or my influencing content.
How do you know a brand aligns with your personal brand? How do you know if a brand does not?
I’m always trying to live a sustainable lifestyle and support eco-friendly, sustainable, authentic brands and businesses. I am a supporter of small businesses or companies that are women and/or BIPOC-owned and led, too. I don’t want to be an influencer who accepts every brand proposal outreach just so I can say “oooh I got sent these items!” nor do I want to be an influencer who works with fast fashion brands. I only want to work with brands who align with my values—and my aesthetic, too!
Do you ever worry about coming across as inauthentic with sponsored content? If so, how do you combat that feeling?
As I said before, I don’t want to work with brands that don’t align with my values... or my aesthetic. I couldn’t accept or share photos of a pair of earrings from a jewelry company that doesn’t fit my style preference or even my brand because I know I couldn’t promote something I don’t like. I like my content to be authentic.
How do you navigate pricing sponsored content? (Or, if you aren’t specifically being paid, what would that transaction look like?)
It wasn’t until recently that I was offered my first-ever paid content. I’ve only been paid for content a few times during my time as an influencer. Most of the time, it’s an exchange of posts for products, which is great if I actually want to use and keep the products. I’ve heard from other influencers that you have to ask for your worth in content pricing, but to be completely honest, I don’t even know how I would go about establishing that. That’s something I’m still trying to navigate.
How do you get in contact with brands you’re interested in working with?
I’m still trying to navigate the whole reaching-out-to-brands thing. It’s a confidence thing, I think, ha. Brands typically reach out to me, either through Instagram or my business email. If I can see that they’re authentic in their message to me and I’m interested in working with them (I like the products, I like their branding and mission statements, I could actually see myself posting about it), I’ll let them know and ask how to get started. They then follow up with me about a shipping address, deliverables, turn around time, and all that fun stuff!
What is your advice for someone who’s never had brand experience before but would like to start working with sponsored content?
Stay true to yourself and what you believe in. Try your best not to work with brands that don’t align with your values or that you feel you can’t authentically promote. (You wouldn’t want to share a skin care product saying it’s the best thing you’ve put on your face when in reality, it gave you a rash right after you tried it!) Reach out to brands for paid or unpaid collaborations and don’t sell yourself short.
How do you make space on your feed to showcase both influencer-style posts alongside your art?
I’m a perfectionist, so it’s taken quite some time for me to curate my feed to my liking. I also romanticize every aspect of my life—the coffee I drink, the cafes and bookstores I spend hours in, my messy bed. I wanted my writing to blend in naturally with the rest of my content, which was really hard for me to figure out at first. I didn’t want the poetry content to be too jarring or awkward with the rest of my feed, which is why my poems are handwritten instead of typed. To me, it feels more natural that way.
Do you have any last comments or advice you’d like to share?
Post whatever you want to post on your Instagram because it is, in fact, yours. Post the photo dump, the poems, the cute outfit you’re wearing, the coffee you’re drinking. Remember that Instagram is not necessarily a reflection of real life and it’s important to be authentic.
For more from Kelly, check her out on Shop Catalog and Instagram.