Hi all!

I recently had the opportunity to speak on a Beauty Fashion panel for the Fashion Group International Chapter in Miami. I was honored to sit amongst fellow a blogger, beauty brands, and stylists. Since I shared so many teasers on my story, I felt it was only right to provide a recap. on my stories but since you couldn’t really hear, I figured I’d share the questions I was asked on here for you all to see.

There have been many times I second guessed my decisions in the blogger/influencer industry. However, this event helped me prove too myself how far I have come by sharing my experiences and lessons learned along the way. It was rewarding to give advice to those just starting their business and knowing I helped bring value to their journey as well.

Here are the questions asked and the answers I prepared.

Q: How does a beauty brand appoint an Influencer that will resonate with their target market?

A: Beauty Brands may approach influencers directly, via PR company’s, and also through affiliate website. There are a number or reasons a brand may choose one influencer over another. For example: Statistics on their Followers, such as their location & demographics. If they have high engagement and are actually influential. Lastly, if the influencer has a compelling story in which their brand fits well in, providing a solution as it could too for the follower.

Q: How do you determine which beauty/ fashion brands you want to associate with?

A. I go with brands I’m excited to work with and that are in line with my brand. The product itself must be effective in its intended purpose and of course ethical; both in ingredients and also packaging. In addition, a partnership must make sense for both parties and so monetarily it must be worth my time.

Q: What are the advantages of selling beauty products through influencer versus traditional shopping environment?

A. Influencer marketing is one of the most effecting marketing strategies. Influencers provide a more authentic angel to advertise the brand vs a traditional ads. For Beauty, there are so many ‘how-to’ YouTubers and Bloggers, thus more opportunities for the brand to be seen. Since online shopping has become more popular than stores, Influencers provide more avenues for online purchases with the swipe up feature. It’s about the ease of use. More impulse purchase.

Q: There are so many bloggers today, how do you stand out in the local market?

A. There are SO many creative people, I like to say I’m unique but there are plenty others that are pushing the bar. I think people are success when they connect with their followers and build a true community. So in order to do so an influencer really needs to be vulnerable, consistent and even a DISRUPTER.

Q: Is there a favorite product you like to work with and why?

A. Well , the ‘type’ of products I prefer to work with are ethical brands. In the skincare & beauty industry specifically, it’s those with organic ingredients that are vegan, have mindful packaging, and are of course effective. Given the opportunity to be influential I want to promote a positive change.  Some examples are: Elf, Beauty Counter, Huda Beauty, Lime Crime, Ren Skincare, Mario Badescu, John Masters Organics.

Q: How do you deal with clients with difficult personalities?

Keep it professional. Ensure you meet all your deliverables on the deadline then don’t work with them again. It’s that simple AND that’s the beauty of it. You pick and choose who is the right fit for you and your audience.

Q: What does the future and influence marketing look like in your eyes?

A. People say the industry is saturated with influencers, but the same stands for beauty products too. I feel that brands will begin working on longer campaigns, and with captive storytelling, rather then transactional exchanges. Different platforms will arise as well so it’ll just be moving with the times and on to the next big thing; like Tiktok.