My Page Focuses Mostly on Style and Travel

In terms of influencing, I think expertise and attitude is EVERYTHING. I kid you not, there are some people I follow that I look forward to being influenced by, just because of their vibe!

1. Tell us about your background and journey:

I was born and raised in Missouri; Branson and Nixa to be exact. I am the oldest of 3, and also the shortest! Life is cruel, man.

We didn’t have much growing up, but creativity and entertainment were very rich in my family. As long as I constantly had an outlet for one of those two things I was a happy kid. Even today I’m constantly searching for creative outlets to challenge myself!

My parents divorced when I was in elementary school, and we moved to Kingsport, Tennessee a few years later when my mom married my step-dad. I initially didn’t adjust well to the move, but after a few years, I became more comfortable. In sophomore year I met (and started dating) my husband until we tied the knot in 2016.

We currently live in a super cute townhouse with 2 cats and a dog that we might as well refer to as our kids (they have our hearts and they KNOW it). We are both chemical operators at Eastman Chemical Company.

We work in the global headquarters plant and we are constantly reminding ourselves how blessed we are to have these jobs.

Other random things about me: I am left-handed, I’m a classic rock n’ roll junkie, I have the worst habit of misplacing or forgetting things, ice cream is everything, I love to sing, I can’t dance, fall and winter are the best, Tarzan is my favorite Disney movie, I love vintage things, flying would be my superpower, I don’t have a favorite color, I have a phobia of ants, I am a people pleaser, and sometimes I can be too sarcastic for my own good.

There might be a quiz later.

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

Funny enough, it wasn’t originally a plan. I had a normal Instagram page years before I started taking content creating and influencing seriously. I hardly even knew what all that was until it started happening to me! Around the summer of 2018, my page started to grow larger and I was trying to figure out why.

I noticed more people commenting on my outfits, asking me if I had any advice on what to do in cities I traveled to, and benefiting from my captions and stories (especially regarding topics of anxiety and how I cope with it).

So around January of 2019, it started to click that I was building a community on Instagram. I became more mindful and purposeful of the posts I made, focusing on bringing more value to my followers, and I began to experiment with the creative side of content creating in order to stand out a little more.

In the midst of this, I realized I had a HUGE passion for content creation, and I’ve been running with it ever since!

Today my page focuses mostly on style and travel, and I’m having so much fun with it!

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

An influencer is someone who has built a key audience of people interested in their niche. They are able to use their expertise and authenticity to persuade people.

Bloggers have a website that they regularly post on.

The term influencer is very broad and can refer to an Instagrammer, YouTuber, Podcaster, celebrity, motivational speaker, athlete, etc. So it is possible that bloggers can be influencers, too.

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

Boy is that a loaded question! There could be a whole separate interview just on this topic. The easy answer, it can be. But it requires a ton of work before someone can get to that point.

Rates per campaign vary so much depending on your engagement rate, content quality, length of the campaign, etc. I wouldn’t consider it to be financially sustainable as someone’s only source of income until they’ve spent a few years building credibility with their followers and brands.

Once that is established, it can be easier to sustain a full-time income through revolving campaigns with brands that have a history with you already, new brands coming in, affiliate link commission, etc.

5. What do you think influences consumer behavior?

There can be many different answers depending on who is asked. What might appeal to me as a consumer might not appeal to someone else.

I might be looking for someone who is an expert in their niche to sway me on a product, while someone else could be looking at a person's social status to be swayed into buying the same product.

In terms of influencing, I think expertise and attitude is EVERYTHING. I kid you not, there are some people I follow that I look forward to being influenced by, just because of their vibe!

I seem to naturally gravitate to their attitude and I benefit from the value they provide, which makes it easy for me to be influenced as a consumer by their recommendations, tips, etc.

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

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.” A little cliche I know, but I swear by this. It’s how I feel at my core. When I love what I’m doing, I feel on top of the world. I could be a millionaire with a job I hated and I would feel like I failed at my whole life because I didn’t pursue what I truly loved.

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

I have to be honest, I feel like I don’t have the best advice for that! I am still so “micro” in the world of influencing and content creation. However, I strongly believe that if you want to succeed with it but you have a “get rich quick” mindset you will fail. It’s so much more than posting a picture and making money.

Think about it, your favorite influencers (other than celebrities) are probably your favorite because they engage with you regularly, connect with you in some way, and keep you coming back to their page because of the value they provide for you.

Be genuine and find your niche. Enjoy the simple act of sharing what you love and the followers will come to you. Passion before popularity!

8. Which is your favorite book and why?

I don’t care how old I am, I will always answer this question with the Harry Potter book series. But on a more recent note, I have been reading a lot of self-help and history books. I can’t pick just one favorite book, but one that I’ve read more than once lately is Girl, Wash Your Face.

Instagram ID - @hannahfraysier