Have you ever considered influencing as a side hustle? If yes, then instagram might be a good place to start, but how do you make the most of this free platform, and just how easy is it? I talk to three successful influencers from the worlds of fashion, fitness and nutrition to get their stories and top tips
This article features interviews with Fliss Noakes (@flissnoakes), a fashion influencer, Georgie Baker (@fitnessbymegeorgieb), a fitness/nutritional influencer and Issy Sedgwick (@issythevegan), an influencer who focuses on veganism
This is Fliss, Fashion
“I’ve learned so many skills, from being my own CEO, to completing administrative tasks, juggling contracts and photography.”
Instagram Name: This is Fliss (@flissnoakes)
Focus: Fashion
Number of Posts: 906
Highest Number of Followers: 12.8K
Most Liked Photo: 4,587
Most Liked Reel: 7,259
What would you say are the benefits of being an influencer?
'I would say there are so many pros to being an influencer. My favourite thing about starting my Instagram page has to be being part of and connecting with such an inspiring community. It sounds cliché I know, but considering I only started this year I’ve already met (albeit virtually as with anything this year) so many really lovely people. Working with brands I’ve loved for years is always so exciting and every new collaboration always feels like such a ‘pinch me’ moment to me. I’ve learned so many skills, from being my own CEO, to completing administrative tasks, juggling contracts and photography. As weird as it might sound, I’ve actually found that I have a much better relationship with my phone now. I literally go on there to engage with my audience and others in the community and then I put my phone down. I feel like it has more of a purpose now and I don’t find myself just scrolling aimlessly anymore'.
So what do you think are the main drawbacks of being an influencer?
'The drawback to being an influencer is the misconceptions surrounding it. It’s a lot harder than it looks and takes up almost all of my spare time. Don’t get me wrong, I love it and I wouldn’t change a thing but it definitely requires a lot of dedication. I have tried to create a space for people to come and escape the hustle and bustle of life or browse through outfits if they’re after some styling inspiration. Constantly analysing the success of your posts and always being present online can be really draining and it’s also really easy to find yourself comparing yourself to others, which can sometimes be disheartening. It’s important to remember that everyone’s journey is different and you don’t need to share every little aspect of your life'.
"One of the main questions that pops into my DM's is how I grew my following"
How did you grow your Instagram following?
'One of the main questions that pops into my DM's is how I grew my following. There is no single answer to this. I grew my following organically, which in my opinion is the best way to go about it. It’s so important to build an audience that follows you because they want to and growing a loyal active audience takes time. I always get asked why I started my page and I think the answer is I’ve always loved getting dressed up and enjoyed sharing the odd outfit pic here and there, but I think lockdown gave me the push I really needed to get started. I was definitely inspired by other bloggers to just go for it and I just thought why not give it a go? If you don’t try you’ll never know!'
How long did it take to you to grow your following?
'It has taken me the best part of a year (around 8 months or so) to grow my following, but it has required constant dedication. Answering DM’s and replying to comments all takes a lot longer than you think, but I love getting back to everyone, it’s one of the highlights for me. I hate it if there’s a day where I just don’t have time to reply to everyone but sometimes life just gets in the way. Consistency is key, thinking about what you post and when you post. I have seen some people who have been influencing for 6 months and have 70k followers and some who have 3k followers. It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers, but everyone will have a different journey and experience. It needs to be something you enjoy and if you’re passionate about the content you’re creating then that will come across in your work and you’ll entice new followers'.
"If you’re organised then influencing is definitely possible as a side hustle, but you also need to be prepared to give up your evenings and weekends for creating content and engaging with others".
Do you find certain posts get higher engagement?
'I find my engagement can be so up and down. Obviously it feels amazing when I post something that gets good engagement, but as I said before it’s not all about the numbers. I always plan my outfits on a rail so that I can easily visualise the whole look. Then one day, I decided to share one of the rails and my audience loved it! It was my first post to reach over 1k likes (I couldn’t believe it) and so I decided to create the hashtag #outfitrailsbyfliss and still post them every now and then. I post mainly indoor content as I’m such a home girl, so I think it’s just about finding what performs well for you and resonates with your audience'.
Influencing as a side hustle?
'If you’re organised then influencing is definitely possible as a side hustle, but you also need to be prepared to give up your evenings and weekends for creating content and engaging with others. It’s all about finding a balance. I’m currently completing my Science PhD, so work in a lab full time during the week. I find it much more manageable to plan ahead and bulk shoot content in advance. It’s also unrealistic to expect yourself to get content after a long day at work, especially in the winter when it’s dark in the evenings! It can be profitable and as with anything I would say you get back what you put in. I find one of the best ways to earn is through commissionable links, where brands pay you a small percentage from a sale. There are a few platforms for doing this, my two favourites are 21Buttons and RewardStyle (LIKEtoKNOW.it). 21Buttons is available for anyone to use, just sign up, start posting and you’re good to go. RewardStyle (LIKEtoKNOW.it) is an exclusive platform which you need to submit an application to. Working with brands is one of the best parts of the job, but make sure you can meet the deadlines and don’t take on more than you can manage. Definitely invest in a good notebook or planner!'
Is there a best time of day to post in your opinion?
'Deciding what time to post is totally dependent on your audience and your preference. I tend to post in the mornings because then it has the entire day to accumulate engagement. My thinking is that I’ll catch people on their commute to work, then on their lunch break and then in the evenings too. (I also find it makes me wake up instead of snoozing my alarm loads of times!)'.
What tips would you give to others starting out?
'I’m no expert, but here’s some of the things that have helped me along the way.
Definitely be patient, it takes a long time to grow and when it comes to shooting content it will take so many attempts to get ‘the’ photo, but just make sure you have fun with it!
Find a niche that suits you and post consistently.
Be prepared to put as much time and effort in as you can. It’s like a 24/7 job.
Only share products that you believe in or would use or purchase yourself, as your audience are putting their trust in you.
Hashtags are a great way to increase your reach, so use them wisely and make sure they fit your content.'
Fitness by me Georgie B, Fitness and Nutrition
Instagram Name: @fitnessbymegeorgieb
Focus: Fitness/Nutrition
Number of Posts: 97
Highest Number of Followers: 11.4k
Most Liked Photo: 2,469
What would you say are the benefits of being an influencer?
'Helping others/providing knowledge'.
So what do you think are the main drawbacks of being an influencer?
'Hard to keep up and stay active/sometimes felt like a chore to post'.
How did you grow your Instagram following?
'I originally set up my page as a slimming world account just to keep myself accountable, I didn’t ever think I would have 11 thousand people following my weight loss journey! Then when I reached my goal weight and starting gymming I decided I want to make my page fitness and nutrition related, as I was no longer on slimming world, and from there my followers just increased - there’s so many fitness accounts out there all looking for inspiration and help and everyone supports everyone! I didn’t set out to have the following I do.'
"I made sure I was posting every day. This was when my following went crazy"
How long did it take to you to grow your following?
'At the beginning I got quite a few followers as there are so many slimming world people looking for food inspiration - which it was I originally started out posting. Then when I was furloughed in the last lockdown, I had nothing else to do than focus on my health and fitness. I made sure I was posting every day. This was when my following went crazy. Before lockdown I think I had about 7000 followers and it grew to 11,400 literally within a couple weeks. However it does take a lot of time and planning to keep your following and since I’ve been back at work, I haven’t had the time to post and have now lost quite a few followers! It’s deffo felt like a full time job!'
Do you find certain posts get higher engagement?
'Definitely! I’ve found that ‘what I eat in a days’ get the most likes and attention however if the first picture is food it doesn’t get an much attention as if it was my body? If that makes sense? I have a few boomerangs and pictures of my ab lines (that don’t exist anymore! ☹) and these got the most likes. I guess people like to see that the person they are following advice from who’s look’s a certain way?'
Influencing as a side hustle? Is it possible, profitable, worth it?
'I think it could be profitable if you had more followers than I did. I never made any money from it, but I wasn’t ever expecting too either! I did work with a couple brands who sent me their products to promote which is good if you actually use the brand however some companies do ask for a lot of and I just don’t have the time for that. I definitely think it’s worth doing if it relates to your full time job. For example I am training to become a PT and Nutritional advisor so once I have qualified I will use my platform to advertise my meal plan, classes etc so in that respect its great and worth all the hard work. But on the side or as a hobby it can take over your life and you can become obsessed with it all! I don’t manage ahah! I really am slacking with my Instagram as I rarely post however now the gyms are open I hope to start recording my workouts and stuff to get my page and interaction back to what it was'.
"social media is so powerful and if you put the time and energy into it - you will more than likely go far!"
Is there a best time of day to post in your opinion?
'Yes! According to my statistics post of my followers are active at around 6pm - so this would be a great time to post..if I was to ever post aha!'
What tips would you give to others starting out?
'If you have a passion in something or a hobby then deffo start an Instagram on it! Social media can open up so many opportunities that you would never get having just a normal Instagram!
I would say, if they are setting out to gain a following, to make sure they have a specific theme, for example fashion, food, music etc - no one wants to follow a page that has loads of different interests!
I would also say to post everyday - followers love to see you regularly and tend to be more invested if you are posting everyday - why follow an account that doesn’t ever post?
Making your account personalise is also a great way to keep followers as well as gain! People love to get to know you. Posting pictures of your face, updating them on your life - they like to feel invested in you and your page.
Engage is another one - it takes up a lot of time to like and comment on everyone’s posts but in order for people to see you, you need to be super active. The more you comment on others photos, the more likely they are to comment when you post and this all enhances your page.
Get involved with the community - in regards to the fitness Instagram family - everyone does a ‘follow Friday’ where they post their favourite pages for their followers to see. This is free advertising and a great way to get your page known. Get to know the industry trends, like hump day, follow Friday, motivation Monday. The more you join in the more you’re seen!
Would deffo recommend to anyone to start an second Instagram account, social media is so powerful and if you put the time and energy into it - you will more than likely go far!'
Issy the Vegan, Veganism
Instagram Name: @issythevegan
Focus: Veganism
Number of Posts: 351 (but I usually post once a day)
Highest Number of Followers: currently at 14.2k but this may change by the time you're reading this!
Most Liked Photo: Around 1,900
What would you say are the benefits of being an influencer?
'Spreading a message your passionate about, helping advice and inspire others, working with amazing brands'.
So what do you think are the main drawbacks of being an influencer?
'It can be very time-consuming and hard to manage with a full-time job as well! You can get nasty comments every now and then as well as people voicing opinions on everything you post or speak about. You just need to remember why you started the page in the first place and stay true to that - it should never become a task. If it does then you need to take a break away!'
"It was just an outlet for me to share what I am passionate about".
How did you grow your Instagram following?
'It was organic and then it became on purpose! I started my page in January 2020 so I stopped spamming my personal page. It was just an outlet for me to share what I am passionate about. I had no idea it would become what it has today! January-March I posted a few times a week, I didn't put a lot of thought into what I posted and didn't engage often. It wasn't until lockdown I started to get a lot more serious about the page. Then by May I was at 1k followers, August 10k followers. My motivations are all around showing that vegan food is amazing and we don't need to miss out as vegans. Veganism isn't just about food, I also want to show amazing vegan beauty and lifestyle products. I am very passionate about helping small independent businesses and through lockdown I started #independentwithissythevegan where I nominated other pages weekly to support small businesses. Starting hashtags and challenges can help you grow your following too as people will be sharing and tagging you, spreading the important messages you want to share.'
How long did it take to you to grow your following?
'It didn't take me too long to grow my following - I was very lucky in terms of the fact lockdown meant that people had a lot more time on their hands. However it does take constant time and dedication. Without the amount of passion I have for my page, vegan food and lifestyle my page would not be successful'.
"Posts that do well are the relatable ones, and ones where you provide solutions or inspiration for people".
Do you find certain posts get higher engagement?
'You need to stick to your main themes - if you slip out of that then your post will not get the engagement you usually get. Posts that do well are the relatable ones, and ones where you provide solutions or inspiration for people. You can keep track of this by checking your reach, like, comments and saves on your pictures, whatever gets the most: stick to it!'
Influencing as a side hustle? Is it possible, profitable, worth it?
'It definitely is! However I didn't create the page because i wanted it to be profitable, it was just a great extra. Your followers can tell if you are just doing ads and campaigns for money, you need to make sure you only work with brands that align with your page and what your followers care about!'
Is there a best time of day to post in your opinion?
'The best thing to do is to check the numbers! I post when my followers are most active which is around 6PM. I also post in the mornings so followers have all day to see the content'.
What tips would you give to others starting out?
'There is no quick and easy magic tip to grow your following. It involves a lot of time, dedication and hard-work!
It is also important to note it is not just about how many followers you have, it is about how engagement your audience is. Your engagement rate is very important as it shows if your followers are active, and care about what you share.
Be yourself, that way your passion and personality will shine through
Make sure your followers have a chance to get to know the person behind the page - show up on stories and try to include content of yourself
Follow and engage with similar pages to you and reply to people's comments on your content as much as possible. Create content that is saveable or shareable, ask questions in your captions for people to comment about.
Set a pattern or theme so your feed is aesthetically pleasing and not messy!
You need to be more passionate about the message behind your page and its purpose rather than how many followers you have. That is not what it is all about.
I would definitely recommend it to others, if you have something you're passionate about and want to share with others, or if you have a business you want to grow'.
"There is no quick and easy magic tip to grow your following. It involves a lot of time, dedication and hard-work!"
The takeaways
I'd firstly like to thank Fliss, Georgie and Issy for making time to answer these questions, as you can tell its not easy to be an influencer at the same time as having a full time job, that's why I valued their knowledge and opinions so much.
My takeaways for you from the above three interviews are as follows:
If you are considering starting a side hustle as an instagram influencer, pick your focus/niche (make sure this is something you are passionate about!) and start researching around this to see whats out there already, what could you add to it?
Once your page is set up, start creating engaging, sharable content and posting regularly, using hashtags suited to your niche.
Engage with pages similar to yours, by following, commenting and saving posts (the instagram algorithm recently changed - click here to see how).
People love to see the face behind the posts too, so showing your face and keeping it real will keep people engaged and invested. This goes for products too, only promote things that you truly believe in as it will increase your audience's trust in you
Remember the three P's...
Prepared - to spend as much time and effort as you can on this (it can be a full time job for some).
Patient - as our interviewees mentioned, it can take a long time to grow
Passionate - if you are passionate about something, you'll prepare, be patient, and make time to work on a hobby/passion of yours, and it won't feel like work!
Finally, if you do decide to go on the influencer journey, try not to get too caught up in the followers, and have fun building your feed, just like Fliss, Georgie and Issy have all done. If you'd like any more information on any of the above, please contact us by filling in the form below and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
In the meantime, stay safe, and do whatever you need to keep yourself sane in these tough times.
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