“Influence with Impact” No Matter How Many Followers You Have.

Media Monday with Lissette Calveiro

The “influencer space”…It’s a market that has blown up in the last decade, maybe more. There are so many ways to make money as a content creator and Lissette Calveiro has tried many of them.

If you look at her company’s website she describes herself as, “… a Latina digital entrepreneur living in New York City as a consultant, content creator and business coach for influencers & personal brands.”

With her career starting in public relations she believes that helped her become a better content creator because she already understood the industry from behind the scenes. She has more than a decade of experience in PR and social media, working across global and Fortune 500 brands in different genres.

Full disclosure, I took her “Influence with Impact” group coaching mastermind because I felt that Lissette has a great way of communicating with her audience about topics she’s passionate about while providing value and being authentic. A very hard balance to strike in my opinion, that I very much appreciate in people when I see it.

Lissette first landed on my radar when she went viral sharing that she went $10,000 in credit card debt to start her influencer business, and her story really resonated with me. She is now debt-free and helping content creators strike the same balance as she has with her lifestyle as a content creator.

I had a lovely time interviewing her and here are some of her social media tips and where she sees the “content creator” industry going.

KNOW & OWN YOUR STORY

This is important when putting yourself out there online. 

When you become more self-aware of who you are as a brand, you become much more clear in how you show up digitally. This is something I learned and was able to specify for Vision in Focus Media while taking Lissette’s group mastermind course.  

This will also help you build an engaging community rather than just worrying about followers. Who cares about followers if they’re not engaging with you and your content?

Once you’ve become more specific and aware of who you are as a brand, and start building an engaging community this also helps you get over the feeling of self-promotion. 

Why is that? 

Now that you know why you do what you do and who you are talking to, it’s much easier to build authentic and loyal relationships online.

If this is something you struggle with while building your brand I think that reading Simon Sinek’s book Start with Why will be helpful for you. You can also listen to his TED Talk on the impact on brands defining their “Why.”

MORE VIDEO IN THE SHORT TERM

You know I got excited when Lissette said, “You’re going to see way more video.” This is why we see the rise of Instagram reels and TikTok.

Cisco reported a study that by 2022 online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic. In 2020 it was already 80%, and this is why video is so important to any business or brand.

If you need help developing a strategy, reach out and let’s talk about how I can help you get started with a plan.

CALL FOR AUTHENTICITY

Authenticity has been a buzzword for a while, but people still have problems showing up online or on-camera authentically. That’s why Vision in Focus Media started in 2020 mainly doing workshops for On-Camera Confidence and Public Speaking because it takes a lot of practice and some guidance to get more comfortable.

In my experience, many people show up online in ways they think they “should,” rather than showing up how they naturally are. There’s a lot of psychology that goes into this, but I will definitely write a blog on this as well.

ACROSS THE DIGITAL SPACE

Long term Lissette mentioned how she doesn’t think Instagram will die, but that more people will be across the “digital space.”

I think that is the perfect way to put it! In the past, social media users usually preferred one platform and content creators also specialized in one platform. 

Now, a lot more people are on different platforms. TikTok and YouTube are currently the best platforms when it comes to gaining a following that will follow you on your other platforms. If you’re looking to reach a lot of people steadily and more quickly TikTok and YouTube are great for this.

Lissette also highlighted, “…think about connecting with your ideal follower through an ecosystem of digital spaces versus just one platform you’re going to be on and post on.”

I DON’T HAVE 10K FOLLOWERS CAN I WORK WITH BRANDS? YES!

This is a question I get asked, and I know Lissette gets asked all of the time. You most definitely can work with brands whether you are verified or not, and if you have less than 10,000 followers.

One of my clients has less than 1,000 followers and is an ambassador for a huge brand based in Australia where she gets paid to create content for them. Sometimes she was the on-camera personality and other times she was creating how-to videos for this product line to put on their website. Either way, she was getting paid a liveable salary creating content using her personal brand and social media with less than 10K followers. 

I currently have 4,350 followers on my verified Instagram account, and I got paid to create content in 2021 for 17 different brands. For most of the campaigns I was completely behind the scenes, but a few of them I wasn’t. 

REACH OUT FOR HELP!

This is not my bread and butter so I would refer you to someone like Lissette if you’re looking to grow more in the influencer space. I was still able to get so much out of working with her to grow my production company as a content creation brand, even though most of what I do is behind the scenes. 

As someone who owns 2 businesses, reaching out and outsourcing knowledge when you need help is so important. Especially when you feel stuck. 

I love helping people with their media strategy so feel free to reach out if this is something you are looking for help with. Even if I cannot help you, I will find someone in my network that I believe can.