A WORD ON GIFTS/SPONSORED POSTS
/I wanted to take some time to clarify what sponsored posts and gifted items mean for me and for my audience. Building trust is really the only thing that matters to being a successful “influencer” (always in quotes) and as The Glowtrotter expands and I develop relationships with new brands, it’s even more important that I keep you guys in the loop!
ON GIFTS
I do receive generously gifted items, and these are the items I post on my Instastories in unboxing type videos before I’ve had a chance to try them. Every item that I post in an actual Instagram post is a product I actually use and love, whether those products are gifted or purchased. Occasionally I will agree to receiving a gifted item with the understanding that I will at some point include that item in a static post, and in those cases I will make it clear that I need some time to try it out first and make sure I genuinely like the product (these posts usually just say #partner since they’re not technically an advertisement). I have on a few occasions written back to brands to tell them I didn’t love their product and couldn’t include it in a post, along with an offer to send it back. I’d much rather do that than recommend something that I didn’t vibe with.
ON SPONSORED POSTS
In terms of sponsored posts, I try not to take on multiple at any given time in order to maintain the authenticity of my feed. The sponsored posts I take on are brands and products I have tried, loved, and would wholeheartedly recommend to a friend. They will always say #sponsored or #ad. Full disclosure: I am a full time graduate student and these sponsored posts are my primary source of income, however I know The Glowtrotter would never be sustainable if I recommended garbage on my account (skinny tea, anyone?). I’m not doing this for a quick buck, I’m doing this to build a brand and hopefully a few loyal patients once I’m a practicing dermatology NP! The success of these collaborations are based on engagement with a particular post, so it means the world to me when you guys like and comment on those posts.
Anything specific I say about a product or treatment: “it doesn’t break me out,” “it gives me a nice glow,” “it doesn’t hurt” —all of these things are true, always (at the time of posting anyway, my skin is infamously bipolar). I’ve waxed poetic about my difficult skin and I actually think it’s one of the things that makes me unique as a skincare blogger. However, I’m not a review account either and if I don’t like something, I’ll often opt to leave it out of a post entirely instead of calling them out. If you have questions about a specific brand or product, DM me and I’ll tell you privately how I really feel about it ;)
WHO MAKES THE FIRST MOVE?
Both. Typically brands reach out to me for paid partnerships and gifting. However, if I already love a particular brand that I know would be a great fit on my account I’ll reach out to them to see if they have room in their budget for a paid campaign. Similarly, if I’m curious to try a particular brand, I’ll reach out to ask if they’re willing to send me some of their best loved products to try out.
HOW DO YOU MAKE MONEY DOING THIS?
I charge a fee for sponsored posts and Instagram takeovers. Many influencers use affiliate links, meaning that they get a paid percentage every time you click and/or buy a link that they’ve posted (or through services such at LikeToKnowIt). I don’t currently do this, I tried it once last year with Amazon and it wasn’t really worth it. I could see myself doing it in the future though, assuming I’m recommending something that I would have anyway.
WOULD YOU EVER DO THIS FULL TIME?
No. That was never the goal, it’s more of a passion project for me and I feel incredibly lucky that I can earn a modest income from blogging/Instagramming. I can’t imagine basing my life’s work on something as new and tumultuous (and materialistic) as social media. You pretty much have to sell your soul to beat the Instagram #algo and make it big as a blogger these days (or have truly picture-perfect content, or just get really, really lucky), and I don’t want to feel like I need to live my life on Instagram. Plus, I don’t want a career that I can’t explain to my grandma.