My Page Is a Place for Fashion and Beauty Creators

1. Tell us about your background and journey.

I’m a New York City-based fashion and beauty content creator. I got my start working as an editor for print magazines and I have been blogging for 8 years.

After my role as an editor, I spent a year and a half as a freelancer where I was really able to focus on creating video content for my YouTube channel, pitching brands, and becoming more confident about what I could do as a blogger. I wrote an e-book Right on Pitch to share my pitching techniques with my audience.

2. What led you to start your page on Instagram and what is it about?

I downloaded Instagram in 2012 just for fun! Now my page is a place for fashion and beauty creators to come and get inspiration for content ideas, how to negotiate their collaborations, and how to monetize their influence.

I try to post high-quality examples of fashion and beauty content to show what creators should focus on to attract brands.

3. How would you distinguish the term blogger from an influencer?

I love this question! I think to me, they have both come to mean the same thing now but a blogger is someone who has a website that they regularly update and an influencer is someone who has a following on a social media platform.

I recommend that all influencers also have websites because you don’t own your following on social platforms and at any moment an algorithm could change or your account could get blocked so it’s important to have an audience that you truly own.

4. Is it financially sustainable to be an influencer today?

I believe that it is! But I would suggest creating your own products and services so that you’re not solely dependent on income from brand deals.

Also, join affiliate programs and sign up for Google Adsense on YouTube or work towards qualifying for an ad network for your blog to make passive income when people visit your channel or website.

5. What do you think influences consumer behavior?

I think consumers value transparency and information so that’s why in my beauty product review videos on YouTube I try to always share information about the ingredients in products, the packaging, and the brand overall and give tangible details about what the product is like.

6. What is your idea of success or your mantra in life?

Just start! I was hesitant to start a YouTube channel because I was worried the production quality wouldn’t be good and for the first few months it wasn’t great but I learned and got better. If you don’t start, you don’t have anything to improve upon.

7. How can someone become a successful social media influencer?

Start sharing your life online in a way that feels authentic to you. Whether it’s posting a few Instagram stories of your nighttime skincare routine or sharing a vlog of a family trip on YouTube think about how you can share your life with an online audience and find an interesting way to tell your story.

Follow creators who inspire you and listen to lots of podcasts.

8. Which is your favorite book and why?

This is totally unrelated to influencer stuff, but The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. She’s such an unbelievable writer.

Instagram ID - @austentosone

Austen Tosone

New York City-based fashion and beauty content creator
Website: austentosone.com, Blog: keepcalmandchiffon.com

Interviewed By - Sandeep Virothu