Top 5 Things You Want Your Friends & Family to Know About Being an “Influencer”!
When I told my friends & family that I would be finally starting to develop my brand, Glitz & GlaMOM, I was met with the most support I could have ever asked for. I was told I should be a blogger for a long time. Many people expected that my blog would be about local kids events since I do SO much with the girls! People have called the “mayor” of the town I live in which I think is hysterical!
Really there was no need to design a local mom website, since there are many excellent ones available currently. There are many parts of me that I would want to be included on my website/ in the content that I create. Being pigeonholed into doing just one thing was not for me.
I was lucky, & so fortunate that Glitz & GlaMOM has “taken off” the way that it has. I am almost at my 1-year anniversary & I feel so blessed. That will be detailed more in my anniversary post.
Back to the beginning, I realized that many people had no idea what I was actually doing for a living once I started. My parents, the teachers at my daughters school, my extended family, just lots of people were asking me, “what is it exactly that you do?”
I am considered a content creator. My brand that I have created from the ground up is Glitz & GlaMOM which is made up of different parts.
- The website – This is were you will find my 3 blog posts a week. Monday-Mom Boss Monday, Wednesday-Various, Friday-Fashion.
- Social Media Presence – Social media is NECESSARY to be well rounded as a content creator & build a following.
- Influencer Marketing – I work with brands/businesses (either directly, through their PR company, marketing apps) that I love & support to bring awareness to certain campaigns, products, or services.
Now, here is what I want you to know about my work!
- THIS IS A JOB! – I am making an income, this is my FT JOB. Some people blog as a hobby. That is a huge difference than it being your business/source of income. Because of having a platform, people have asked me constantly to promote this or that for them. It puts me in an uncomfortable spot (they want something for free in terms of advertising). This is a business. It may not be a traditional business, but I do not work for free just like I wouldn’t expect anyone else to!
- THIS WORK IS NOT 9-5. – I do most of my work from home. There is no regular work day though where your day is “done.” There is no clocking out. I can work 24 hours straight & not be finished.
There are:
- Emails. You are working with people around the world & all different time zones. You are sending & receiving emails 24/7.
- Meetings. In-person/on the phone. I have various calls setup all day (& night).
- Social Media – I post 2x a day to Instagram Monday-Friday, take off most Saturdays & 1 post Sunday. These are not just off the cuff posts. They are planned out week to week (as are my blog posts). I also have a shopping group I try to post in multiple times a week plus all the other social media accounts for Glitz & GlaMOM.
- Creating Content – I need to plan out my posts, outfits, accessories. sponsored content. All of this takes TIME. SO MUCH TIME.
- Pitching. I may send out over 100 pitch emails a week. Plus respond to the ones I am sent. Then once we get to a next step, comes contracts, that can be back & forth for a bit. It is all a process that takes a bit of time.
oh PS I am also a full-time stay-at-home mom!
3) PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF G-D STOP SAYING ITS NICE TO GET FREE STUFF! Nothing is free in this world. PR companies do send PR boxes and products to try for the brands they represent. Brands also may directly send you goods to try out. However, in a partnership I may have with a brand/business/company there is not just free goods or services given out. There are deliverables on both ends that must be done. Again, I do not work for free, & neither do the companies I work with!
4) It Is HARD WORK. I believe that many people think it must be so great to be an influencer, get free stuff, how hard can all of this be? Well its HARD. It is the most time-consuming job I ever had. I have to be a tech person, writer, social media manager, accountant, networker, content creator, marketer. This all falls on me. I did recently hire an assistant to help me with some of my work BUT I am still doing 90% of it for now. It is so much work, so, so much! This is a GRIND!
5) It is extremely rewarding, despite all the time & hours it takes to make the business grow. Knowing that I did this all myself, from the ground up, is something I am proud of. In the last year, my family & friends have gotten to have great experience due in part to my work. I got to be able to do some radio shows, podcasts, my own tv show for a few months, & work with some amazing companies. The influencer world is unlike any job I ever had (coming from a world based in counseling). It is not all pretty & glamorous. To be successful you need to be willing to work so HARD, sacrifice, & really go all in
Is there anything you would add to the list?
