Rivet Rant: An Open Letter to PR || Rivet Licker

An open letter to brands and PR agencies who use influencer marketing.

A portfolio can speak far more words than a number of followers.

I wrote this around the same time that I published my first Rivet Rant on this topic, but it has become way more relevant now that I have reached out to some new brands and got knocked back because of my following. Not everybody will agree with me, but time and audience growth isn't the same for everybody.

First and foremost, I need to mention that blogging is pretty much everything non-study that I focus on. Blogging is a hobby for many, but not for me, this is why I voice my concerns in such a way. I may sound like I'm complaining to some, and yes, it's something I do often, however, it cannot be ignored that so many bloggers who are doing this as a hobby and are taking it seriously, are unable to financially support their content.

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THE LETTER

We get it, you have budget constraints in advertising. Word of mouth is one method used to get your products noticed and sold. Every print and digital editor is taken care of – they will probably talk about the product in their publication. Then there is the influencer, which for some brands is the key source of W.O.M advertising.

These influencers have huge followings and surely enough, have the influence to get your product sold. These influencers can make a whole advertising campaign in itself, but when you rely solely on influencers who have large followings, it just means you see numbers and not an audience; on top of that, not the engagement of the audience or the quality of the content.

Here comes the bombshell – there are content creators who have EXCELLENT engagement and smaller audiences. We're struggling in the under 10k mark, some of us even in the under 2k mark. I want to tell you about my audience and why my content is just as important to your influencer marketing, even though my Instagram following is a mere 1.6k.

My content is Australia-centric, and this is what makes it important for the target market – people living in Australia. As for age, 25-34 is my largest demographic, so I really cater for people my age on the prevention of ageing. I also cater to people on a budget, because like myself, money isn't free-flowing. I don't have a specific gender I cater to, because I don't believe that beauty needs to have a targeted gender, but because it's important to surveyors; it's obviously mostly female.

The traffic on my blog isn't much, but I'll tell you it's mostly Australian, and most of those are from Sydney. There is absolutely no point in trying to use me to tell the American public about new releases, because my target audience is not US based. I did get lucky with one blog post being shared around the joint, bringing new readers to my blog from all over the world, but for the most part, I'm trying to communicate to a local audience.

On Instagram, I may only have a smartphone for a camera and no professional setup, but I am still capable of creating great multimedia content. My photos don't have to be professional quality to get the point across; I can create makeup looks and photograph them with consistency and show the makeup look, and part of the person behind it. As for the flatlays, I'm as capable as any 10k, 50k, or 250k influencer at capturing a moment of products accidentally laid out in a fancy fashion with other accessories – in my own way. Of course, not as many people will see it, but it will be seen by a whole lot of the audience you're targeting anyway, because that's MY audience.

These same circumstances apply to so many other micro-influencers out there, that they're just not getting a break. They're creating great content and getting minimal recognition because the algorithms work only for those who already have large followings (or are willing to pay for sponsored posts). The engagement and intimate connections with their audiences are driving W.O.M advertising through the roof.

I ask that us small timers be given a chance and that minimums, even as small as 3k or 5k, be given opportunities. Give us a chance to talk about your products on our platforms as influencers, or take part in sponsored campaigns for things we willingly want to be involved in, even only if a few hundred people rather than thousands see it. We are already hiding on your blogger lists. Check out our work to see what we can do for you. You might just be surprised when an influx of people buy your product in the end because you decided to choose a bunch of us than one big name. Ask for our portfolios and works!

I'm going to say this time and time again; we have something to offer. If we can provide you with the good content, we can get your products sold, it is just our mission to simply inform an audience about what we think of your products!

xx

Lara

PS - To the PR teams I currently and have previously worked with, I could never throw you under the bus for being wonderful! You do amazing work.