I Want to Become an Influencer? (Plus How I Landed My First Sponsorship on Instagram)
Little ol’ me? An influencer? Yep. That’s right folks. I am on a journey to becoming a full fledge influencer by the end of 2022. This was the goal at the beginning of 2020 but we all know how that year played us for a fool. I am willing to let bygones be bygones and push forward with stepping out of my comfort zone and into the social media limelight.
Some of my readers may be wondering why would I want to cross over from blogger to influencer? Well, I actually don’t plan to leave blogging but instead add influencing to my repertoire. I enjoy social media for the good that it brings in this world like sharing recipes and life hacks, finding new places to visit and seeing what other people are wearing.
I want to be a part of the magic of storytelling, sharing bits and pieces of my life as I try to navigate my way around adulthood, motherhood and working a 9-to-5. While I am loving the #blackgirlsinluxury movement, I want to create a lane for us normal Black girls as well.
And yes, the financial aspect of being a social media influencer is quite appealing. But don’t look at me like that. “The Blogger Next Dior” goes all the way back to 2014. You can check out my archives here. My original blog, “Candy Coated Cashmere” goes back even further, 2011 to be exact, thus proving that I’ve been “influencing” before it ever became a thing.
My goal for the end of Quarter 1 of 2022 is to have at least 500 followers on Instagram. At the time of me drafting this post (March 22nd) I am 10 followers away from this goal. I won’t lie. I am hella nervous about not reaching this goal because I am so close. I’m hoping to post a reel each day (or every other day) until the end month as I think this will be the quickest way to reach this first of many follower count threshold.
Getting my first sponsorship was a goal of Quarter 3 in 2022. So imagine my surprise when a brand reached out to me at the end of January. Now this isn’t the first brand to reach out to me. Usually though it’s a proposal where I receive a discount on my first order from the brand. This sponsorship was different though as it was region specific. I highly recommend having your location (city or state) in your Instagram bio or when tagging your posts.
Click here if you’re interested in the Instagram Reel I posted as part of the collaboration and keep scrolling to see pictures of items at the event that caught my eye but unfortunately were not in my size.
I think I will post updates here at the end of each quarter for anyone interested in joining me in the influencer arena. Similar to this one, in those posts I will talk about which of my goals for the prior three months were accomplished. I’m no expert and being both shy and introverted doesn’t help either but like they say, “If a goal doesn’t scare you, you’re not dreaming big enough.”