CI Magazine - February 2020

F E BRUA RY/ M A RC H 2 0 2 0 I S S UE N O . 0 2

W H Y Y O U S H O U LD W R I TE Y O U R S E LF A L O VE LE TTE R 5 S I M P L E W AY S TO E N CO U R A G E S E LF-LO V E

Personal trainer

Tally Rye on intuitive exercising

f l e S

NEW

PRO SECTION

Influencer Marketing

How to launch your brand like a successful Instagram influencer

MA R I E K O N D O A N D TH E A R T O F F O L D I NG

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FOREWORD

E DITO R’ S NOTE Self-love

Rebranding taught me a lot about self-love (believe it or not!). I underestimated the mental pressure and physical exhaustion this sort of work entails.

Do not get me wrong, I knew it was not going to be an easy ride, yet, I had this naive idea that my head would not be affected by it.

Rebranding is not something I’d recommend you do on a whim. Yet, if you feel stuck, it could be a way to give you a fresh perceptive about your work.

What I was not expecting was it helping me understand how I can nurture myself more.

The name of your brand means so much.

Take it from someone who is called Fab. With great names comes great responsibility.

For over six years, my company was called Health Bloggers Community. Needless to say, it pigeon-holed us almost too much into this idea. The idea that we are a community (read free) of bloggers (incredibly specific) in health (a concept that quickly became outdated in the wellness industry). The new name of the brand had to be somewhat timeless.

Not only that, it had to stand on its two own feet without having people asking (true story). ”It’s a community of bloggers, but what is the actual name?” Eyeroll.

The second hurdle when it comes to the name presented itself as I was now trying to find a name that would stand out in an industry that previously was an infant.

Everyone and their mothers were either using “well-“ or “wellness” or “collective”.

I remember sending both my colleague and my boyfriend ideas (“OMG this is it”) and receive the most lukewarm responses.

Eventually, the name just happened.

And by happened I mean my colleague just went 180 with the concept and mixed the idea of “creative” with the name of my first book Make an Impact.

Could be the rebranding, could be the general head constantly spinning with a

million questions, but I realised I created an umbrella of services to help others sharing my expertise, my knowledge, and experience.

The business side of my work has been seeping into the creative side, and the creative side has been DYING to come out.

I am a creative, and that is how I nurture myself. My earliest outlets have been writing, photographing and drawing. What if Fab the founder gives Fab the creative a break?

What if I indulge myself in creating for the sake of creating?

Rebranding is teaching me as I want the Creative Impact Co to be my way to help others, maybe I want my personal brand to reflect the way I create to express my journey as an entrepreneur.

Eight years in business and I just now realised the power of never taking your brand for granted.

Editorial

Contribution Editor Amy Lanza

Fab Giovanetti Editor in Chief

Lead Designer Michael Cavalli Stock photography Unsplash Affiliate links Amazon Associates

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• STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD •

Listen to season one of Make an Impact Show SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES LEARN HOW TO GROW YOUR BRAND AND CREATE A LEGACY ONLINE

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CONTENTS

Contents ISSUE NO. 02

12

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020

08

Monthly calendars

10

From the creative Impact collective

12

Cover feature: Self-Love with Tally Rye

18

Why you should write yourself a love letter

22

‘Dirty’ beauty with UpCircle

26

5 Steps to self-love bliss

43

New Pro Section Influencer marketing

28

Why valuing yourself is key

44

Management platforms vs marketplaces

31

Creative Impact Show highlights

46

Nano, micro or macro-influencers?

32

Big interview with Sonal Ambasna

50

What to look for in a brief

35

Marie Kondo helps you declutter

54

Measuring your efforts

40

Expert profile with Tracy Rafit

57

How to create a media kit

Creative Impact Mag is part of Creative Impact group For inquiries or suggestions, contact us at: Website https://creativeimpact.group

Email info@creativeimpact.group

Social icon

Circle

@CreativeImpactC

Only use blue and/or white.

For more details check out our Brand Guidelines.

@CreativeImpactC

@creativeimpactco

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DIGITAL TOOLS

Best tools for your website Is it just us, or February is the new January?

If you are just starting to think about launching a new website, creating a new digital product or service, these tools will be a great way to create solid foundations for your new shiny home.

We use all of these tools in Creative Impact, and some of them have been in our toolkit since day one!

Website hosting

Form and feedback

Make websites smart

Smart landing pages

Bluehost is our go-to hosting platform for all of our websites, and the one we recommend to all our members. It’s simple to use, integrates with Wordpress and is perfect for websites with good traffic and starting out.

I’ve used Typeform for just over four years now.

We use it across our business in a variety of ways (applications, nominations for awards and much more). The best form creation tool in town, and beautifullooking ones.

From referrals to social proof, Notifia can make your websites smart, for real! Our favourite tool for creating smarter websites and tap into marketing on-site. From pop-ups to notification messages, it’s a gamechanger for our courses.

Leadpages is the best software for creating beautiful landing pages, as well as websites for your brand. It can be handy for people looking to launch a new digital product or supercharge lead generation via emails.

CLICK HERE TO TRY

CLICK HERE TO TRY

CLICK HERE FOR A TRIAL

CLICK HERE TO TRY

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COMING UP

Monthly calendars Monthly social media calendars

MONTH-LO NG C E L E B R A T IO NS

FEBRUARY 2020 Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Self-love

Friday

Saturday

01

Sunday

02 GROUNDHOG DAY

03

10

04

11

05

06

07

08

09

TR A C Y R A FT L Q&A with a branding and web 12 designer

13

14

15

16

GALENTINE DAY

ST VALENTINE DAY

20

21

22

23

27

28

29

01

Find out more about Tracy on P40

17

18

COLLECTIVE MEMBERS EXPERT CALL

RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS

24

19

25

26

MARDI GRAS

PODCAST SEASON TWO LAUNCHES

CREATIVE IMPACT SUMMIT

MAKE AN IMPACT SHOW SEASON TWO LAUNCHES

CREATIVE IMPACT SUMMIT 2020

The season will include both solo podcasts and interviews aimed at creatives looking to boost their brand.

Join us for a whole evening of talks and workshops aimed at giving you a strategy to grow.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE

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CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

COMING UP

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING BIBLE Learn how to set up a system that allows you to save up to 20 hours per month on social media whilst growing your FIND OUT MORE HERE business on auto-pilot.

MARCH 2020 Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

01

02

28

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING BIBLE RELAUNCHES

16

03

10

04

11

A N A SA N TO S 05 Join us for another Q&A expert call

12

06

07

08

SLEEP SHOW LONDON

SLEEP SHOW LONDON

INT WOMEN’S DAY

13

14

15

20

21

22

27

28

29

COLLECTIVE MEMBERS EXPERT CALL

17

18

19 FIRST DAY OF SPRING!

23

24

25

26

NATIONAL PUPPY DAY

30

NATIONAL HOT TUB DAY

31

01

02

03

04

05

NOT A MEMBER YET? CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

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MISSION STATEMENTS

What’s your mission?

We asked our collective members what’s their mission and how they are looking to make a positive impact on other people and the planet, and here’s what they had to say.

Bridgette Macilwaine

Rachel Mar

Lucie Simon

www.instagram.com/hyper_health_nut

www.instagram.com/rachelofthesea

www.eatfreshandfeelgood.com

My aim is to help others feel their best and have more energy by encouraging them to understand how each of our bodies works with and responds to our food, our thoughts, and our activities, by hosting fun, positive and motivational events for everyone!

I want to help people live a positive and integrative life. My goal is do this by giving them tips & resources as well as encouragement to help them improve their mental, physical and spiritual health.

Hopefully, by doing this, they will learn to love themselves more and realize the impact they make on others and the world!

My mission is to get people eating fresh and feeling good in their bodies.

Through online Nutritional therapy and simple feel-good recipes, my mission is to encourage a positive, nurturing relationship with food.

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BOOKSHELF

WHAT WE’RE READING

Top books to inspire your self-love

Click on

book to get sales link

Train Happy

Sleep Smarter

TALLY RYE

Confidence, happiness and an intuitive approach to exercise.

Hell yeah to that! Join our cover girl Tally as she helps you to ditch diet culture and all its associations with fitness.

Gain knowledge and tools that enable you to navigate your path to a health first, holistic approach to fitness which includes insights from leading experts in body image, mental health and intuitive eating.

P12 Read more about Tally in this months cover feature

The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary CATHERINE GRAY

A personal favourite of our founder Fab, Catherine Gray is an author you should definitely have on your radar.

With her latest book, she explores why ordinary is not that bad. Actually, it’s pretty good. Watch Gray exploding ‘extraordinary-seeking’ myths such as big bucks means big happiness, expensive weddings predict future happiness, high intensity exercise is the best kind, and the workaday is less important than the showreel.

SHAWN STEVENSON

Can sleep also be a form of self-love? Good sleep helps you shed fat for good, stave off disease, stay productive, and improve virtually every function of your mind and body. That’s what Shawn Stevenson learned when a degenerative bone disease crushed his dream of becoming a professional athlete.

From his inspiring story, all the way to hacks you can use in your daily life, this book is gold.

Am I Ugly?

MICHELLE ELMAN

A heart-felt account of a life story, Am I Ugly explores the journey of Elman to body positivity and self love. With all this pressure to strive for ‘perfection’ aesthetically, it is easy to forget how damaging this can be psychologically.

Michelle Elman is a leading part of the body positivity movement that has been gathering momentum to liberate people from these unrealistic standards, recognise that all bodies are equally valuable and broaden the billboard definitions of beauty.

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COVER FEATURE

Self

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COVER FEATURE: SELF-LOVE

How to

Train Happy with Tally Rye

As February is our self-love month, we sat down with Tally Rye to talk about her new book

J

Written by Amy Lanza

anuary may seem like a distant memory, so how are your new year fitness goals going? Are you determined to get yourself in shape to feel your best? That’s where Tally Rye and hew new book Train Happy can help. Are you ready to find out her secrets and find fun in fitness?

Tally is a Personal Trainer, training clients and teaching class in London for over 5 years. She is co-host of the Fit & Fearless podcast with BBC 5 Live which is now in the fifth season. She is passionate about helping people ditch diet culture and find the fun in fitness so it becomes a sustainable and enjoyable part of their life.

“I wasn’t a sporty kid at school, but after I

left school at 18 I started full-time Musical

theatre training. I hoped I would be singing, dancing and acting as my career and so I

needed to build strength and stamina to be

PHOTO CREDIT: CLAIRE PEPPER

the best performer I could be.”

Early in my twenties I started to take fitness a lot more seriously and looked to social media for motivation and ideas. Here I incorrectly learned that fitness and health meant weight loss and restriction. On reflection, this led to an obsessive relationship with food and fitness but at the time I thought I was just ‘being healthy’.

As I discovered fitness I started sharing that on Instagram, with an account called @cleanfitlifestyle which I have now changed to my name @tallyrye.

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COVER FEATURE: SELF-LOVE

After leaving drama school over 5 years ago I soon qualified as a Personal Trainer as fitness had become my passion.

Throughout this time I have been on a path with food and fitness that has been about shifting my intentions from being focused on weight and aesthetics to now building trust with my body, enjoying the physical and psychological benefits of regular exercise and ultimately feeling good.

“When it comes to working out, if

you truly hate what you’re doing don’t do it.”

Instead, work on shifting your intention from exercise being a tool of self-punishment, body control and something you dread to using it as a tool of self-care, self-expression and something to look forward to!

Perhaps the gym isn’t your thing? Write a long list of all the different ways to move your body (swimming, hiking, dancing, climbing etc) and try as many as you can until you find the one that feels good for you.

Ultimately the best workout for you is the one you enjoy and can repeatedly come back to.

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Do you think we need to put more emphasis on diversity in the fitness industry? If so, how can we do that as creatives?

Absolutely! For so long the fitness industry has praised and upheld a very narrow body ideal that you traditionally see on the cover of fitness magazines; slim, lean and white. This can feel very intimidating, unachievable and alienating to many. Ultimately for people to feel welcome and included in fitness they need to see more to be more.

By showing that fit bodies are diverse and come in all shapes and sizes it sends a powerful message to those on the sidelines that they belong and deserve to enjoy the benefits of regular movement.

As creatives, it is important that we always consider that all voices are being seen, heard and included in discussions. From artwork to podcasts, to imagery online - there are so many awesome opportunities to push for more diversity and inclusion in fitness.

Who do you hope to inspire through your work?

I create the content I wish I had when I was starting my own fitness journey. My relationship with food and exercise was disordered for a long time when it didn’t

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COVER FEATURE: SELF-LOVE

“For so long the fitness industry has praised and upheld a very narrow body ideal that you traditionally see on the cover of fitness magazines; slim, lean and white” TALLY RYE

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COVER FEATURE: SELF-LOVE

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have to be that way. My hope is that I can encourage people to consider how fitness can be a supportive and fun part of their life and doesn’t have to be something we ‘have’ to do just to feel less guilty.

Tell us about your new book, Train Happy: An Intuitive Exercise Plan for Every Body - what’s it about in a nutshell?

Train Happy is not your average fitness book. The focus is on how the reader can create a positive and sustainable relationship with movement through moving away from diet culture and towards an intuitive approach to fitness.

We cover 3 aspects; Happy section where we discuss mental health and body image, Eat where we introduce the reader to Intuitive Eating and Train where we discuss how we can build an intuitive relationship with fitness. This leads into the 10-week training plan for those who want to build strength and stamina and don’t know where to start.

There is a deliberate use of sketches as well as a variety of models so I hope those open the book and see a person that looks like them.

What are the three main take-homes from the book?

• Diet Culture has played a big part in shaping our relationships with fitness, food and our bodies.

• The physical and psychological benefits of regular movement are amazing and yet we don’t hear about them enough!

“The physical and psychological benefits of regular movement are amazing and yet we don’t hear about them enough!”

TALLY RYE

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COVER FEATURE: SELF-LOVE

• Fitness can and should be fun, enjoyable and something that makes you feel good. I hope Train Happy helps to increase awareness of Diet Culture to those who may not have realised how prevalent it is and help them to realise if they can approach fitness in a different way that puts your overall wellbeing at the fore. I want to show people that it is simple to live a happier life, too: • Be part of a community and put time and energy into spending time with people that uplift you. Joining a local sports team, a running club or even going to a class at your local gym can be a great way to do that.

• Act more accepting - of yourself and of those around you. Social media is a great opportunity to follow people with a diverse range of interests, bodies and backgrounds.

• Set boundaries and make time for yourself. Be firm with how you want to be treated and make sure to put aside time each week to invest back into yourself, whether that be through a workout or curling up with a book on the sofa.

Eat Train or Happy? which one keeps you talking all day long?

I would say Happy - food, fitness as well as other aspects of my life all contribute to my overall happiness and that I believe is most important.

Take a look at Tally’s new book Train Happy: An Intuitive Exercise Plan for Every Body

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LOVE MESSAGES

T h e s u rp ri s in g re a s o n w h y

You should write r e tt e l e v o l a f l e s r you Written by Kristin Savage

S

elf-love, self-care and mindfulness. 3 things we should all practice a little more frequently. So what happens when your heart is broken and self-love seems a little more difficult? Perhaps it’s about time you wrote yourself a love letter.

get thought this. Here’s how you can encourage yourself to do it.

Only those who had their heart broken know how much it hurts. Only they recognize that paralyzing pain that comes from knowing that the person you loved, the person you shared your thoughts and emotions is no longer yours.

What you probably don’t know is that this is a very useful technique that many before you have already practiced.

As much as you want to run away from the pain and suffering, locking all that away will only make you numb for a short period. And then, when you least expect, it will all come back like a tornado and crush you completely. That is why you need to deal with it. Face your emotions and help yourself heal.

If you truly want to get better and learn to love your life you need to start with the most important part – self-love. Write yourself a love letter that will help you see that loving yourself is the only way you can

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Read open letters

Making the first step is always the hardest.

At first, writing yourself a love letter can sound bizarre to some of you.

If you need some motivation to embrace this little task, you can take a look at other people’s love letters to themselves. After that, you’ll understand that you are not alone.

Your friends and family can be your greatest support in life, but writing this letter is something that you need to face alone. Before you start writing, go somewhere

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where no one can bother you. You need to be at peace with yourself. Find a safe place where you can openly express your emotions. If you feel like you want to cry – cry. If you feel like you want to laugh – laugh. Don’t hold back at any moment. This is not the time to suppress your emotions.

Take a pen and paper

Researchers found that the act of writing your own story leads to people feeling happier. You are only one that can bring out the happiness in you again, so writing can be the first step.

LOVE MESSAGES

You can use your laptop or phone if that is more convenient for you, but doing it in the old fashioned way is the best choice.

There is just something about writing a letter. It evokes romance and nostalgia.

It shows dedication and appreciation.

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LOVE MESSAGES

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“Take yourself back to the time when you were completely happy with who you are.”

And that is exactly what you deserve. No matter what you think at this moment, but the reality is that you do deserve the best.

You do deserve a handwritten love letter and here is your chance to receive it.

This is no time for you to think about how you don’t like your thighs or how you could be funnier or smarter. Those are not facts, those are your insecurities. It might sound like a cheesy phrase, but you are perfect the way you are. You are unique. That laugh you don’t like or your freckles that you trying to hide makes you who you are.

Try to forget about all those bad thoughts that usually come rushing in when you want to feel confident. Forget about them only for a moment and allow your self-love to flourish.

Evoke the child within you

Children don’t analyze themselves and aren’t living their life with self-grudge. Take yourself back to the time when you were completely happy with who you are.

Remember your story, remember who you are. You probably changed a lot, but there are still some childlike characteristics in you that will put a smile on your face.

When you leave all the insecurities behind, you’ll find that there are so many things that make you special. Write down every little thing that makes you unique and worthy of love. You’ll see that none of what has happened is your fault. You are an amazing being who deserves the best and nothing or no one should make you feel like that is not the truth.

Remember what your friends love about you

For some, it can be hard to write down what they love about themselves. So, start thinking about what your friends or your family love about you.

Every person that is in your life is there for a reason. Whether you always know how to brighten their day, whether you give them the best advice, or whether your sarcastic comments put a smile on their face.

It doesn’t matter if they ever said anything to you or they didn’t’, but you’ll know. Deep down you know that there are so many reasons why those people love you and want you in their life.

Be your own admirer

Self-love basics: channel your inner best friend and become your own secret admirer.

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LOVE MESSAGES

Imagine that you are someone from the outside. Someone who knows you deeply but has never expressed his or her lovely feelings. Play pretend just for this little task.

You deserve to be admired and you should always be your own admirer.

If you need some prompts to encourage you, here are a few examples: • Dearest you…

• I decided I need to express my feelings because…

• I love you from the bottom of my heart because…

• You make my day when you…

• I’m really proud of you because…

• What makes you different from anyone else is…

• I’m grateful to you because…

• What I wish for you is…

Read the letter as many times as you need

Writing is the first part, but reading it will hit you just as hard. Realizing all those amazing things that make you who you are can help you understand that you can get through this. You can get through anything and that is why you need to read this love letter as many times as you need until you accept how strong and unbelievable you are. Show yourself some self-love and keep reading your letters.

Author bio

Kristin Savage nourishes, sparks and empowers using the magic of a word. Along with pursuing her degree in Creative Writing, Kristin was gaining experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in marketing strategy for publishers and authors. Now she works as a freelance writer at BestEssayEducation and GrabMyEssay.

Kristin runs her own FlyWriting blog https://flywriting.com/

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Self-love rituals & the dirty truth with UpCircle

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Written by Amy Lanza

eet the faces who are taking the beauty world by storm... using “dirty” leftovers.

That’s exactly what Anna and her brother William from UpCircle are doing by transforming used coffee grounds into vegan, ethical and sustainable skincare.

With a passion for skincare and previous experience in logistics and management, it seemed like a no brainer for Anna to join forces with her brother William and take the change the face of the beauty industry in 2016 with UpCircle. The sibling co-founders have launched their by-product beauty range with Boots, Sainsbury’s, Holland & Barrett, Ocado, Urban Outfitters, Beauty Bay, Whole Foods, As Nature Intended, House of Fraser, Feel Unique, Farmdrop, Revital and many more!

Nothing is safe from being UpCircled – only our imagination can limit us! You get out what you put in, after all.

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“No other beauty brand is doing what we do. ”

What is the story behind UpCircle? What does it mean?

At UpCircle, we elevate leftover natural ingredients, bringing them back to life as beauty products your skin will love. Our brand name encapsulates our core purpose: sustainability and promoting the power of the circular economy.

The circular economy sits at the heart of what we do. UpCircle also hints at ‘upcycling’, the process of making something better from things that already exist. Our ultimate mission is to leave the world better than we found it by transforming ingredients that would otherwise be discarded into natural, organic beauty products – better for you, better for the world.

Working with your brother must be interesting?! How do you two get on?

Interesting is one way of putting it!! It’s certainly not always plain sailing! But I actually think one of the main reasons our business works is because of how different we are - I don’t think either of us would have managed without the other! What William is good at, I am terrible at and vice versa.

One life lesson I have learned is to just to roll with the punches. I’ve developed an unfaltering ability to dust myself off and keep going no matter how big, or how frequent, the disasters!

There’s no denying that working alongside a sibling is quite the experience – we’ve had our fair share of flare-ups. It took us a little

while to establish who would do what, but now I think we’ve nailed the balance! Dragons’ Den was the perfect example – there’s no way we would have walked out with such success if we had gone in without the other sibling!

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DIRTY BEAUTY

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What other beauty brands can claim that their products have saved literally hundreds of tonnes of valuable ingredients from ending up in landfill?

Our products are natural, organic, vegan, cruelty-free, palm oil-free, sustainable, handmade in the UK and housed in 100% recyclable packaging. But the key point of difference between us and other brands is that each of our products is made with a core re-purposed ingredient. “Natural” is the new “normal” – we go a step further with our waste-fighting formulations.

No other beauty brand is doing what we do, we are pioneering the by-product beauty movement.

I see by-product beauty as a big thing for 2020 in the industry!

Although I am of course biased!

Aside from this, I would also say that waterless skincare formulations will be a big trend as well as brands implementing returns schemes for their packaging.

“Sleep is the main factor in my general well-being and happiness. ”

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Start-up life can be tough - how do you find time for a little TLC? Time with my friends and family is crucial to my happiness so I always try to weave my work life around that. William and I work together to ensure that we support each other so that our personal lives and our out of work priorities are unaffected – it’s one of the major perks of owning a business with a family member.

What are your favourite forms of self-love?

It may seem too obvious but honestly, the biggest one for me is ensuring that I get a good night’s sleep. Sleep is the main factor in my general well-being and happiness. I cannot enjoy anything if I am exhausted and I cannot propel my brand forward if I have no energy either. It took me a while to figure this one out… but it’s SO important. I also love my bed. And dreams.

And being cosy. So… sleep is definitely my fave one!!

DIRTY BEAUTY

Do you have any daily non-negotiable that make you feel like your best?

I live next to Battersea Park, so when I get in I like to go for a jog around the park just to unwind. Running allows me time to think - and makes me feel amazing when I’m done! It’s my favourite form of exercise (although I am also partial to a spin class too!).

“Our soaps are organic, 100% natural and made with a coconut oil base, so they don’t leave your skin feeling tight or stripped of moisture. ” What are your three favourite UpCircle products and how will they help up show a little self-love?

1 I use our soaps as my daily cleanser (I vary the scents on a loop!).

What I love about our soaps is that they smell beautiful, they last ages and they don’t dry my skin out at all. Our soaps are organic, 100% natural and made with a coconut oil base, so they don’t leave your skin feeling tight or stripped of moisture. They’re also gentle enough to be used on either the face or body so they’re really versatile too. Our soaps are the first thing I pack in my wash bag when I go on holiday!

2 Second fave is our moisturiser – I just think the texture is unbeatable. It’s so light and yet deeply hydrating. It doesn’t feel greasy and makeup sits really well on top of it.

3 The mention of makeup brings me nicely onto my third top pick – our Cleansing Balm. The balm melts onto your skin as you massage it in, lifting off dirt, grime and all traces of makeup – including mascara. It’s magic! It leaves my skin glowing, I’m obsessed.

You can find the full UpCircle range online and check out their social media, too, for the latest product news and happy customers.

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Simple Ways to Encourage Self-Love From our Collective Written by Amy Lanza

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ental health, mindfulness, selflove... terms that get thrown around daily in the wellness sphere. So, what does "looking after yourself" actually look like in practice?

Perhaps you love going on holidays, treating yourself so a well-deserved week offline. Sadly, we can't all be on a beach right now, but there are plenty of small actions we can take every day. Mine involve matcha lattes, candle-lit bubble baths and switching my phone off at 9 pm - a small saving grace each and every day.

A Mindful Routine A common thread when encouraging self-love and self-care is setting up a good routine to encourage yourself to look after your body. Writing in diaries either first thing in the morning as an affirmation-style exercise or at the end of the day as a reflection on the last few hours can really settle the mind.

"I write in this before bed and document my day. I pour myself into the pages and let go" says Jessica Ward.

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Routine for Jess will also involve moving her body in a way that she loves, from weight-lifting to walking. Body movement isn't about punishing your body but celebrating it. In the same way, food is not a restrictive tool for control and punishment.

Eating foods that love and fuel your body will enable you to feel healthy, nourished and soothed.

Eating is much more than the food itself, the very act of cooking can be fully immersive and allow you to let go. Sonal finds that carrying out each task in the kitchen purposefully allows the thoughts of the day to fall away - and the food tastes even better. Who said mindful eating could only be achieved by chewing your food 30 times?

The Importance of Silence Mindfulness is often linked to meditation, which is, in essence, a silent practice. A lot of people are put off by meditation as they envisage having to sit for hours in silence, watching their thoughts run wild. The idea of sitting still doesn't have to be as intimidating and as all-encompassing.

Sonal Ambasna embraces silence.

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02

5 STEPS TO SELF-LOVING

Create a top 3 list

If your to-do list is often pages long which feels overwhelming and freezes you into doing nothing, choose the 3 most important things to get done. Focus on those first and everything else is a bonus.

01

Put down your phone

It’s easy to overstimulate your brain watching TV whilst mindlessly scrolling the gram, a podcast on in the background whilst responding to emails, reading a book & listening to your music. Our brains have such a hard time keeping up with all this information. Let’s focus on one thing at a time.

04

03

Reflection

The 6-minute diary from @createurbestself encourages just 6 minutes a day to pause and reflect and set your intentions for the day.

Take days off

As business owners, freelancers and creatives, we often fall into the trap of filling every free moment with work. It’s time to embrace weekends again!

By escaping the noise of daily life, other people & my to-do list(!), I find a little time each day to be quiet and engulf myself in stillness. I find the best ideas/solutions come to me then!

But how do we find time for stillness and self-love when we are rushing around at a million miles an hour? Being constantly on the go, multitasking and always connected to technology are just three barriers to a mindful lifestyle.

We're a generation that believes we need to be busy all the time. Never taking the time to switch off, be still and reflect on the day gone by.

Jodie Relf notes that she is learning to "calm the f@#k down" and think about what makes her happy or sad on any given day. Tuning into your emotions can have effects on your mental health to feel more productive, less forgetful and much happier with a greater sense of self-love.

05

Meditation

Start with just 10 minutes 2-3 times a week (if committing every day seems too ambitious right now) and check out mindful apps like @calm, too.

Thank you to our collective members who contributed to this article on self-love.

For more information on joining the collective, take a look here.

CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 27

SELF-EVALUATION

CREATIVE IMPACT CO

f l e s r u o y e t Celebra day every

Why valuing yourself is KEY to your ultimate health

S

o, you survived 2019 and are kicking off the New Year? You survive it only to be met by the prospect of New Year’s resolutions. Don’t be too hard on yourself! This article shows how good health begins with valuing yourself. We are more likely to look after the things we value, now is the time to improve your relationship with you, so you can take care of your physical and mental health.

Good health starts within you so grab and pen and paper and follow these small steps to a healthier and happier you.

Written by Chris Pinner

Forget diets, fitness fads, dry January, unrealistic resolutions…Good health begins with you. Having a healthy relationship with yourself is the key to managing stress levels, relationships with others and everything modern-day life has to throw in your direction.

Letting go of negativity

Holding on to past anxieties, beating yourself up about what could or should have occurred is at best pointless, and at worst, damaging. Take any learning points for a better future, but remember that

Author bio

Before becoming a Personal Trainer, Chris worked at a top US investment bank, Strategy Consultancy and Sports Marketing agency. He founded Innerfit to improve workplace wellbeing and set out on a mission to transform how organisations approach wellbeing: Innerfit https://www.innerfit.co.uk/

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nobody is perfect, and let it go. If you need to write down the things you are holding on to and throw each thing into the bin, so be it.

Recognising Super You

Now is the time to focus on you, set aside time to do this, as much as it needs. Start with all the things you do well. Mind blank?

Don’t worry, there are plenty. If you are shy at blowing your own trumpet, ask others who know you well to have a go-to get you thinking along the right lines.

Think of a challenging situation that you overcame, what did you do to overcome it?

Try to identify the skills you used, write them down. Think of something you have achieved. What skills did you need to be able to do it? Add them to your list. Think of any way you have been complimented by others, write down what it was that people saw in you. Think of the things you do every

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day with or without difficulty, what you see as routine, others may see as impressive.

You may need to train your mind to notice but that’s all part of the fun. Read through your list, allow yourself to think freely and generously, add other skills and qualities as you think of them.

As you begin to appreciate your skills and value yourself more, begin to focus on your physical and mental health. What things cause you stress? You may not be able to eliminate them, but you can change the way you view them or deal with them.

Discuss them with someone you trust for a different viewpoint.

Now it’s time to think about what things cause you problems physically? There will be ways to take charge of your health to build a stronger, fitter, healthier you, a you that can cope with whatever life offers more easily.

Next steps

Keep your list somewhere that is easily accessible, you should read it, and add to it often. When something causes you stress, take a mental step back, acknowledge the feeling but don’t allow it to control you.

Pause before reacting and think about ways you could handle the situation differently. Looking after your health can be easy, and doesn’t have to be expensive.

Make sure you also take time to list ideas to nurture your health.

Once you have established a healthier and happier relationship with yourself, you will find that other facets of life slot into place.

Developing this won’t come overnight, but good things are worth striving for. Small, but definite positive steps is the key.

SELF-EVALUATION

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO YOUR PROBLEMS MAY INCLUDE: • Discussion • Delegation • Asking for help • Altering your viewpoint • Research • Writing it down

HERE ARE A FEW IDEAS TO PRIORITISE YOUR HEALTH • Getting off the tube/train or bus a stop or two early • Use the stairs • Lunchtime power walks • Hook up with an exercise buddy • Speak with HR about providing workplace wellbeing activities • Walk faster • Keep mobile, get up from your desk and add in some desk-based activities

CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 29

CREATIVE IMPACT CO

PODCASTS

FROM THE PODCAST ARCHIVE

Are you looking to make a bigger impact on other people and the planet?

Join the team behind the Creative Impact Co to hear the stories of three amazing creatives inspiring thousands online.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE

Click on

pictures to

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Be a successful freelance content creator with Romy LDN

Finding balance in life as a blogger and yoga teacher with Sarah Malcolm

Be a successful freelance content creator with Emily’s Journal

SEASON 1, EPISODE 2

SEASON 1, EPISODE 7

SEASON 1, EPISODE 8

In this episode you get a double whammy. First we start with a chat among the HBC team about taking photos with a camera or using your phone. After that, we talk to the lovely Romy about freelancing and her career as a content creator.

Since starting her blog in 2015, Romy has been proving that going vegan doesn’t mean you’re missing out on anything.

Balancing life on the mat and on Instagram: is it possible? We talk with the ever-so-gorgeous Sarah Malcolm (yoga teacher, blogger, Instagrammer and overall creator or inspiring content) about her journey to become a yoga teacher whilst still working in the digital world. Not only Sarah’s voice is incredibly soothing, but her soul is as bright and warm.

In this episode we talk to content creator, freelance digital marketing manager and incredible athlete Emily Young. We talk to Emily about her journey towards the ‘freelance lifestyle’ - what she learned in the process, as well as the obstacle along the way. We discuss time management, photography experiences and everything in between.

CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 31

INTERVIEW

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BEHIND THE CONTENT

SONAL AMBASNA If you could share with us who you are and what’s your mission, what would you say?

Hey folks, I’m Sonal, the Founder of Nourish - Food for Life and a Nutrition & Wellness Coach. I’m passionate about helping busy people prioritise their wellbeing by eating well and living better. I’m a firm believer in the power of food - both on the plate and in our minds - and create bespoke food coaching packages to educate, empower and support my clients in making sustainable lifestyle changes.

How do you choose the content that goes into your accounts?

There is so much pressure to “do” social media in a certain way. When to post, how often to post, when to share stories, to go live… When I first started using social media, I really felt this pressure to be visible, to be seen and to be heard. A couple of years down the line, I’m dancing to my

own tune and being far more authentic.

Yes, I’d like to be more purposeful with my social media content but no, I won’t be doing it at the expense of my peace of mind! There is a balance to be struck and I’m working to find it.

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What has been a career highlight so far?

Helping a client with numerous allergies and intolerances to reconnect with food in a positive way and regain kitchen confidence.

When it comes to health and wellness, how is the content you are creating helping to make a bigger impact in the world?

My motto is to “keep it real” and this, I hope, comes through in my content.

Rather than working towards an external view of what wellness looks like, I want to inspire my audience to explore what wellness means to them and to pursue that even if it isn’t considered hip.

Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

The one thing I’ve learnt the hard way is that pricing matters! When I was starting out, I felt really icky talking about money

and didn’t feel comfortable charging what I knew was fair for all the work I was putting into my food coaching. I shied away from articulating just how much work goes into what I do and the value I bring. Big mistake!

By undervaluing myself I allowed others free reign to do the same. I’m a lot more confident about my offering now and know that I can make a difference to my clients lives and shouldn’t be afraid to charge my worth.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My first business mentor, Sharn Khaira of the Asian Female Entrepreneur Collective, is someone I’m incredibly thankful for.

I connected with Sharn at a time when I knew what I wanted to do but not how to do it! Through her Mastermind and amazing community of women, I’ve learnt so much.

INTERVIEW

Her support, encouragement and straighttalking really helped to get Nourish - Food for Life off the ground. Thank you Sharn!

What is your favourite thing about being a member of Creative Impact?

Fab is quite simply FAB! I love that she’s always one step ahead, bringing us the best (and most relevant) wellness content, inspiring and empowering us whilst “keeping it real”. Creative Impact is a unique value-led wellness community and I’m so pleased to be a part of it.

You can find out more about Sonal, and her work on social media.

CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 33

ARE YOU LOOKING TO SET BETTER INSTAGRAM GOALS THIS YEAR? CLICK BELOW TO TAKE OUR FREE CLASS TAKE THE CLASS

DECLUTTERING TIPS

IT’S ALL IN THE FOLD How guru Marie Kondo can inspire your Spring clean Written by Fab Giovanetti

M

y name is Fab and I am Netflix binger – there is no way to go about it or hide it even. I can get lost in anything from horror movies to cooking shows and questionable hotel-review shows (not massively proud of that one).

However, there is a Netflix crush that took the world by storm and I am personally excited about – especially since minimalism and better living will be 2019 trends to look out for.

Welcome Marie Kondo – an adorable, pocket-sized Japanese lady who took the world by storm with her incredible book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying” -first published in 2011, reached number one on the New York Times bestselling books list.

It’s since sold more than six million copies worldwide with her Mari Kondo Method.

CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 35

DECLUTTERING TIPS

Kondo has also accumulated a huge online following, amassing 778,000 followers on Instagram, 319,000 likes on Facebook and more than 58,000 followers on Twitter.

One of her Amazon reviews reads: “I used it to do our whole house 15 bags for recycling and 13 for charity and 3 bin bags. My family was supportive and we have found it has given us more time to do things as everything has its place and gets put back.”

Yes, Marie Kondo is onto something.

Her unique tidying technique, the KonMari Method, has received such widespread acclaim that she’s now collaborated with Netflix on a brand new series, Tidying up with Marie Kondo.

5

01

DECLUTTERING TIPS

TACKLE CATEGORIES, NOT ROOMS

One of Kondo’s rules is to tidy by category—deal with every single one of your books at once, for example, in order to see everything you own. Clothing is another big category, as well as papers. The idea is to pile it all up – yes, slightly overwhelming I know – and tackle it in one big go.

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02

START GATHERING BOXES

Boxes are one of Marie’s favourite prop, as she really likes folding – more on this in a second. Make sure you have loads of different boxes to make the most of your drawers – from kitchens to bathrooms, as well as your closet, boxes will help you tidy and fold accordingly. I will confess, I got a bit carried away and started buying loads of softboxes like this one. Organisers and boxes like this handy set of six below can definitely help you making the most of your space.

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DECLUTTERING TIPS

So much so that it is unsurprising to see Netflix commissioning a whole show where Marie and her translator Iida head to the houses of hoarders and people needing help ‘uncluttering’ their lives, and sparks joy all around.

What is the KonMari Method?

The method was coined by Marie Kondo and is based on organising your things by placing your possessions in certain categories. There is so much to cover from both the series and the books, however, here’s a few tips I particularly enjoyed.

Find out more about Marie Kondo on Instagram at @mariekondo

03

FOLDING IS AN ART

In the series, Marie shows you how to fold anything from vests to underpants (I know, right?) It took me a while to get the hang of it, but it’s definitely the best tip I have actioned so far. I also managed to fold everything upright so that I can see everything I own at a glance, another important concept Marie highlights multiple times.

04

DO NOT RUSH THE PROCESS

05

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

Go through each item one by one and ask the right question when holding each item. Marie Kondo connects to feeling as much as the objects themselves, and this is what makes the whole system so unique.

It definitely helped me to get rid of a lot of items.

I love how Marie asks loads of questions – after all, you know I love a good question (yes, you can read it in my book, questions are a key tool for influencers).

The two questions she repeats, again and again, are “does it spark joy” and “do you need this in your life going forward?”

Game changers when reviewing items.

CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 37

ETSY HELPS US

CREATIVE IMPACT CO

WORKSPACE IDEAS THAT WON’T BREAK THE BANK

F

ollowing Marie Kondo’s inspiring tips and ideas, we always find that what needs most love in every creative’s life is their workspace.

Especially when working from home, your desk should be the place where magic happens - so let’s inject some magic back into it with some amazing finds from Etsy.

STATIONERY TO KEEP YOU ACCOUNTABLE 2020 Inspirational Lifestyle Planner One of the prettiest and most straight-forward planners.

The planner includes a variety of sections, such as one for you to review 2019, including your highs and lows, lessons and challenges.

You’ll be able to break down your goals month-by-month as you go and write down real action steps and prioritise your tasks and plan your weekly and daily to-do’s to make the most of every day.

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Pen Holder/Pen Clip/ Pen Loop for Notebooks and Planners Ready to take your planning experience to the next level?

How annoying is it to be ready to use your journal, and realise you lost your favourite pen? This pen holder is made with vegan leather loop and brass clip that you can attach to your favourite planners, notebooks and journals. Perfect for busy commuters and people on the go.

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ETSY HELPS US

ALL ROUND INSPIRATION Love is power print Jacqueline is an artist from London, creating gorgeous prints with specialist inks like hand mixed pastel neons and golds that you can’t achieve through digital or Giclée printing. Love is Power uses the symbolism of a growling tiger surrounded by an organic trailing rose. Perfect for Monday morning motivation.

Handmade, so very limited stock!

Essential coffee guide print This is Fab’s kind of print. A minimalist coffee poster featuring the essential coffees from around the world. The coffee poster also functions as a cheat sheet for aspiring baristas. This coffee infographic poster is perfect wall art for your kitchen or living room and also makes a great gift for a coffee lover.

2020 Wall Calendar Want to make sure you never forget a birthday ever again. Each painting expresses a bit of everything I love about art and color lately. Great for keeping track of your 2020 birthdays, events, or tasks.

Enjoy it for years or frame the artwork when you are done.

Click on

pictures to

A5 Daily Planner Desk link Pad Work Are you a fan of desk pads?

Not everyone wants a journal, hence why pads have come back in style recently. The motivational desk pad comes with 100 easy-tear pages and a thick cardboard backing. Each daily planner also comes with a handy ‘how to’ guide to help you plan your days. Then simply tear off the pages and stick them on your wall, memo board, fridge or fold and pop in your bag. get sales

Wire wall grid Spice up your desk space with a wall moodboard. The steel structure allows you to mount everything you need with the help of binders and magnets.

Magazine cuttings, favorite photos, phrases, plans and graphics and everything that is so important to you. Also, you can use for glasses and jewelry. Included fasteners and binders.

Good vibes Kit Gorgeous cards to add to your very own moodboard. It’s a mix of uplifting quotes, photos from some magical places around the world and a few beautiful illustrations - all about good vibes only. Make it into a little unique piece of art by adding your own pictures/prints or keep it as it comes as your good vibes moodboard.

CREATIVE IMPACT MAG | 39

IN PROFILE

CREATIVE IMPACT CO

EXPERT PROFILE

TRACY RAFLT I'm Tracy from Little Beast Branding & Design (https://littlebeastdesign.com) - I help women create unique, stand-out brands and websites. I'm now a resident web design expert at the Creative Impact Co, ready to answer any burning questions from the members.

I create stand-out, personality driven branding and websites to help women entrepreneurs gain badass confidence and uplevel their brands.

My design philosophy I think it’s essential that the moment someone hits your website, it’s clearly communicated to them what the site is about and who it’s for. You can do this by putting a one-liner in the first panel of your homepage that says “We do _____ for _______ so they can have ______, _____, and _______. If they don’t understand what your site is about within 5 seconds, they’ll leave. The other major essential is clear Call-to-Action buttons that stand out from the design and direct people

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to what you most want them to do on the website (for example, book a consultation call, or opt-in to your email list) What’s the biggest mistake people make when it comes to design?

The biggest mistake is just having no clue about the foundations of your brand before you try to work with someone to build your website. Who are you serving? What’s your brand’s message? What makes you different? What do you want people to do once they come to your website? Building a website without having these in place is pointless - without it, you can’t create a compelling website that sells your stuff. I make this a mandatory part of my website packages simply because it’s so damn important.

What truly makes a great designerclient experience?

A knowledgeable, expert designer + a committed client + open communication and honesty + sticking to deadlines = design success. Finding a great designer who is a true expert is key, because they will guide you through the entire confusing process so you don’t have to know what you’re doing, but you will have to make a lot of decisions. So when you reach out to a designer, make sure you’re ready to be committed to the process so you can get the best results. Keep communication with your designer open and honest, stick to the deadlines that your designer gives you for reviewing work and submitting content, and you’ll be rewarded with a gorgeous finished product that you love!

CREATIVE IMPACT CO PRESENTS

CREATIVE IMPACT SUMMIT An evening of education, motivation and inspiration

in partnership with live well london 28.02.2020 | LONDON FIND OUT MORE

TO C OM E

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PRO SECTION WELCOME TO OUR PRO SECTION dedicated to giving you the best advice out there about some of the hottest topics in the industry

THI S I SSUE

Influencer marketing NANO, MICRO OR MACRO INFLUENCERS?

MEASURING YOUR EFFORTS

H O W T O CREAT E A MEDI A KI T

The paradigm of what size is the right size, and how different influencers can benefit your brand

How can brands and influencers measure ROI for influencer marketing campaigns?

Three steps to creating a media kit that WOWs potential partners every single time

INFLUENCER MARKETING

Management Platforms

Marketplaces Written by Fab Giovanetti

E

very new solution swears they’re the most incredible influencer marketing platform or the next best influencer marketplace.

What’s the best solution for your needs? Let’s find out.

What is an Influencer marketing platform?

Influencer marketing platforms are fullservice solutions that allow brands (and agencies) to run influencer campaigns from A to Z. These tend to be relatively small (even if Traackr above is an exception) and will usually provide high support levels.

However, it can be hard for influencers to join the platforms (and the price tag for brands is much higher!).

What to look for: • A clear and effective signup solution for influencers looking to join the platform.

• An easy to use and reliable analytics and ROI solution.

• A very clear communication system and payment terms.

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Influencer pros and cons: Because influencer marketing platforms are fullservice solutions, they provide influencers with tools that allow them to easily manage all parts of the collaboration, and they protect the influencer when it comes to creative licence and payment.

Unfortunately, the number of opportunities is much lower than in the marketplaces.

Brand pros and cons: Most platforms allow brands to easily communicate with influencers. They also allow brands to create contracts and review content, and they’ll work with the brand all the way to payment (again, it does depend on the individual platforms). Analytics such as impressions, media value, and other metrics allow brands to gather insight and apply learnings to future campaigns.

INFLUENCER MARKETING

So which solution is right for you?

Ultimately, the best option for you is to do your research and go with trusted sources.

Empowering influencers to work with brands they love on their own terms is what both platforms and marketplaces are striving toward.

Influencer marketplaces Influencer marketplaces like our Creative Impact Marketplace tend to be software that either collects or lists influencers across social media (this can either be via invite or via an affiliated agency).

Brands can then filter through thousands of influencers by demographics such as gender, content type, or location.

Don’t be fooled by the name. If you come across an influencer database or network, chances are they’ll also be marketplaces.

What to look for: • A basic vetting system for influencers.

• Insurance of real followers and engagement check.

• Tools necessary to manage all aspects of influencer relationships.

Influencer pros and cons: Influencer marketplaces aim to provide brands with as many search results as possible.

If a brand chooses influencers solely based on follower count, for example, you may end up with either loads of opportunities or none at all, regardless of the quality of content. Going for smaller marketplaces with better brands that reflect your interests will save you time.

Influencers can manage their campaigns and projects within one all-inclusive solution, and they can also pitch themselves for the latest opportunities.

Brand pros and cons: Influencer marketplaces provide brands with a very, very long list of people to skim through unless you choose a specific niche. Brands are still required to manually manage other aspects of the collaboration process using email and spreadsheets.

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INFLUENCER MARKETING

NANO

MICRO

INFLUEN

CERS

IN F LU E N C E R S

O R C A M

S R E C N E INFLU

What is the difference?

T

Written by Fab Giovanetti

he rise of influencers in virtually every industry has overwhelmed brands, marketers, and influencers, forcing them to confront a rather twisted version of what I call the “Goldilocks Paradigm” (yes, I love a big word every now and again).

The paradigm strikes when it comes to the size of the audience of the influencer — which is, in itself, still not that surprising.

There are three categories (this could easily be turned into five categories, but realistically, I like to keep things simple): nano, macro, and micro.

Each of the three kinds is applicable for different needs — however, in recent days

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the metrics when it comes to the ROI (return of investment) of influencer marketing have shifted.

While there’s not necessarily a one-size-fitsall solution to influencer selection, brands and agencies are now focusing less on the macro influencer — too big — and nano — too small. Instead, they’re targeting the micro-influencer, which is, well, just right.

If I may borrow Seth Godin’s words, marketing on a large scale can sacrifice what makes you special in the first place — and the internet is anything but small.

Instead of going big, says Seth, businesses should look for “the smallest viable audience” of fans and build meaningful and dedicated communities around them.

INFLUENCER MARKETING

SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER TIERS

+ 1 MILLION

MEGA

500K - 1M MACRO

50K - 500K MID-TIER

10K - 50K

MICRO 1K - 10K

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INFLUENCER MARKETING

One thing I want to note, though, is that it’s not all bad for macro and nano influencers.

Macro-influencers can offer celebrity credibility, and they’ve therefore shifted to working with fewer brands and creating longer-term partnerships.

Nano-influencers can convert a small audience and are usually the ones you see popping up at events and networking. Back in the early days, brands would allocate huge marketing budgets for just one celebrity or macro-influencer to promote their brand. Today, the rise of microinfluencers has made influencer marketing affordable for everyone.

As I go through the list, I wanted to clarify that I count micro-influencers as content creators with between 1k and 100k followers on their social media accounts.

This makes their services much more affordable, as well as ensuring a much closer relationship with their audience.

Macro and mega TOO BIG

You can fit into these categories bigger influencers and celebrities with a large social media following (think Kim Kardashian and all her sisters).

They reach more people, and they obviously can have a massive impact, but they come with a higher price tag and much less engagement than their micro or nano counterparts.

Another issue is that their demographic is much wider, and probably their following isn’t looking for them to help them with a specific need (for example, fitness tips or cooking inspiration). Instead, their audience is following a “celebrity” trend — I’m totally guilty of that, especially with people like James McAvoy or Ryan Reynolds.

Best for: Longer-term partnerships, partnerships, and product co-creation.

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Nano-influencers TOO SMALL

This category of influencers is made of people with less than 1,000 followers. While they have a smaller reach and a more niche audience, brands are attracted to their cost efficiency and “newness” to the space.

However, brands need to be aware of the significant drawbacks, including the fact that due to their small audiences, their performances are harder to analyse (and most platforms don’t allow influencers with less than 1,000 followers to join).

This means, as a marketer or a brand, you’ll be spending a lot of time on influencer management and engagement if you want content creation oversight and approval on hundreds to thousands of pieces of content.

If you want to drive quantifiable ROI for brands at scale, this may not be the best place to go.

Best for: Events, gifted campaigns.

Micro-influencers JUST RIGHT

Rates for micro-influencers are lower than those with millions of followers, enabling marketers to stretch their budgets further.

Typically, these influencers aren’t celebrities. They’re real people with a deep passion or subject-matter expertise.

They’re often more relatable than big-time influencers, and their content can feel more authentic and personal.

A lot of them are photographers, content creators, and web celebrities that have been authentically and organically born and bred on these platforms and have built an audience over time. Compared to nano-influencers, they have a larger reach and have professional-grade images and video content.

Best for: Specific campaigns, content at scale, ambassadorships.

Who Should I Choose?

All I am saying is, you have a couple of options. You can either manually check the quality of influencers, or use a platform that has a benchmarking system to make sure the influencers you choose are going to be talking to real people.

We ran the same survey two years in a row, and the results were fascinating. In 2018, 30% ranked quantity and quality on almost equal grounds, whilst in early 2019, the same survey saw 75% of brands ranking quality of followers over quantity (based on 500 brands surveyed in 2018 and 2019 on Creative Impact Marketplace).

Regardless of which “size” you want to go for, understanding the “quality” of your influencers will make a huge difference in your strategy going forward.

Whilst doing marketing research for our platform, we did a poll of 500 health and wellness brands and asked how highly they rank the quality of their influencers’ audience over the quantity.

Understanding new, creative ways to reach a key audience within a budget will help you get results that are “just right.”

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INFLUENCER MARKETING

What to look for in a

f e i Br Written by Fab Giovanetti

B

y actually owning a platform, we started realising a few aspects which, otherwise, we may have not noticed about the different aspects of running a campaign. Yes, I’m talking about your brief.

The truth is very simple: Getting influencers’ attention is not as simple as it may look.

We believe in influencer relationship management above everything else, and brands sometimes tend to have this weird presumption that by offering influencers a payment, any campaign would be something they’d eagerly jump at.

However, creating a brilliant campaign requires something more. How can you create a campaign that will spark interest among influencers?

Your brief is what can make or break a campaign!

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INFLUENCER MARKETING

What is a brief, anyway?

The brief has all the information and details required for influencers to join your campaign – it should be easy enough for an influencer to have a look at your brief and decide whether they want to join your campaign or not.

After working with health and wellness brands on individual campaigns as an agency, we learned a lot about creating an engaging brief.

This is why we have key guidelines for our brands about what they should look for in a brief.

• About you: The brief should have a summary of you as a brand and your mission. Talk about the history of the brand, the core messaging, as well as the product you’re looking to promote and the main goal of the campaign.

• About the influencers: You should also define what kind of influencers you’re looking for — we always recommend engagement over followers, where possible. Things such as location, gender, or specific niches and channels should also be taken into account. Marketplaces also allow brands to access all this data as

“Getting influencers’ attention is not as simple as it may look” they create a campaign, saving them loads of time requesting information or looking for info.

• Other info: The first brief should also clearly mention the tasks for the influencers, what’s expected of them, and the specifics of their posts. (We always recommend letting creators go wild with the way the post will look. Instead, talk more with them about mentions and hashtags.)

• Payment and assets: A lot of people seem to forget that compensation or incentives are not all you can expect from a campaign. For example, is the influencer required to buy any product, or will it be sent to them?

The brief should be short, sweet, and to the point. Long enough to entice people but not overwhelm them.

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The terms section

The terms section can be part of the main brief (especially when working with a marketplace) or it can be sent directly to the influencer within the agreement. It should include essential information, such as specific posting details.

These include points like timeframe, hashtags, handles to be mentioned, and an ASA and FTC compliant ad reference, as well as their posting policy.

“Briefs are not a substitute for an agreement between brands and influencers”

Do you expect influencers to submit their content for approval? All of these details must be asked and agreed on before agreeing on a campaign.

Last but not least, it’s essential to agree on logistics, such as the shipment of products and repurposing content going forward.

If you’re not flying solo, remember that different marketplaces and platforms work in different ways. While some marketplaces don’t necessarily require this level of specifics, it might be a good idea just to

ensure that the influencer is doing everything you expect them to before their post goes live.

We personally choose to educate brands to define terms within their initial brief, as a clear aim to educate each member of the marketplace to be responsible for the relationships they build online.

If you’re not working with an external platform, remember that briefs are not a substitute for an agreement between influencers and brands. It’s essential to have a clear brief in order for your campaign to run smoothly, but you’ll also need to work on agreements to make sure both parties are covered legally in case of any misunderstanding.

Summary of influencer marketing briefs Just like any other proposal, an influencer marketing brief needs to entice the influencers and make them want to work with your brand.

Whether it’s a long-term collaboration, content creation, or brand ambassadorship, setting up a good relationship starts from setting up a great, engaging brief.

It’s unsurprising how many brands are looking to dip into influencer marketing and how many platforms are out there.

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MEASURING YOUR EFFORTS Written by Fab Giovanetti

W

hen it comes to working with influencers, brands (and influencers alike) struggle with one very simple thing: tracking results.

This is unsurprising, really.

Even if performance is still something that marketers are struggling to fully quantify since the metrics are still unclear, there’s no doubt that UGC (user-generated content) is

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outperforming brand-created content. This shows that being able to witness your products in real life is as essential as your next photoshoot.

platforms can help influencers (not just brands), allowing them to see their current engagement and analytics without having to calculate them by themselves.

Why do influencers need to know their value?

How can brands measure ROI?

The number of followers is not a viable metric for return of investment anymore.

Influencers will be priced according to their performance in the future, and influencer

One of the more impressive results from the Influencer Marketing Hub survey was the finding that 70% of brands and marketers measure the ROI on their influencer marketing campaigns.

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In the best-case scenario, you won’t reach your desired goals, and in the worst, your account will be flooded with tonnes of bots who drop your reach and damage your reputation as an authentic influencer, as well as not being able to deliver the results promised to a brand.

How can influencers and brands avoid metric and data overwhelm?

One of the initial complaints we heard from our Creative Impact Marketplace brands was that startups found it difficult to determine an ROI on influencer marketing.

“76% of marketers in a Linqia study said that the most significant influencer marketing challenge for 2018 would be determining their campaign ROI.” (9 MindBlowing Influencer Marketing Statistics) Clearly, with influencer marketing now mainstream, businesses now understand the need to customise their ROI metrics to match their campaign needs. They also understand the ease of having a platform that can guide them on how to do so.

Engagement rate comes first

I would always recommend looking at the engagement rate first and foremost.

The more engagement, the more reach you’ll get. It’s as simple as that.

Engagement isn’t just great for conversions, but it’s also good for genuine conversations and audience insights. It’s incredibly easy to calculate engagement rate — you just need to dust off your math skills.

As a way of comparison, engagement is much higher on Instagram than a platform

like Twitter — including a baffling example of accounts with 1,000 followers at an engagement rate of 7.2% on Instagram, compared with 1.4% on Twitter.

Media value comes next

If you’re looking at brands and influencers to partner with, I’d recommend finding a way to calculate their media value. This is something we made part of our core benchmarking at Whole Influence, and since its launch in 2019, it has been the most effective way to define ROI for our brands — with 82% of brands ranking it as their ROI metric.

There are a host of tools for influencers to calculate their media value — and brands can access this number (usually a percentage) via their influencer marketing platform of choice.

Quality of followers

HypeAuditor is the Instagram analytics and fraud detection tool. Nowadays, everyone wants to be Insta famous and have hundreds of thousands of followers.

But this doesn’t happen instantly.

When you see 750,000 results found on Google, you’re not overwhelmed. You just click on as many as you want as they’re the most relevant ones.

The only reason why people are overwhelmed is that they have to use many tools, many metrics, and lots of manual work to get to the bottom of which influencers to use.

We all know that “likes” will matter less and paid social will be much more efficient thanks to changes to Instagram algorithms of displaying paid partnerships’ posts.

What will matter in the future is finding the most relevant, most authentic influencers.

People who can produce genuine or even viral content that’s appealing to brands’ target audiences and can be tested on influencers’ audiences. If successful, it can be amplified through paid social to all users within the brand’s target group.

Popular creators spend months and years working to achieve meaningful results.

Meanwhile, others are trying to force the growth of their accounts by using ambiguous methods.

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How to create a media kit for yourself Written by Fab Giovanetti

I

’m going to be daring today and put a statement out there: There are things personal brands can learn from creatives and influencers when it comes to sponsorships.

I know I’m biased, and I appreciate that wholeheartedly.

Yet, after having worked with creatives, influencers, bloggers, and personal brands for over six years, I’ve learned a thing or two about the power of a well-presented media kit.

Traditionally, a media kit is a document that tells prospective sponsors and collaborators everything they need to know about sponsorship opportunities with you. I believe that as a personal brand, if you’re looking to sell yourself and/or your services, working on a media kit is essential.

We can argue that a few years back media kits were what you needed to run successful collaborations as creatives. Nowadays, media kits come in different forms, depending on the outcomes and goals you’re looking to achieve. Speakers, writers, and creatives alike should work hard to create a short summary of how they can provide value to potential partners.

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S TEP ON E C HOOSE Y OU R F ORM AT

Traditional PDF media kits The rising of influencer platforms has seriously shifted things in the space.

From our annual report from the industry, it looks like over 70% of brands are looking to join an influencer platform to manage partnerships with influencers

and creatives, taking media kits out of the pitching equation.

However, digital magazines, publications, festivals, and trade events still use media kits for sponsorship opportunities.

Some creatives also use media kits to give a better sense of their personal vibe and experience — yes, a bit like a CV. Pros of traditional media kits: Overall, a PDF media kit can be great if you have a variety of offers when it comes to sponsorships and key work opportunities.

Cons of traditional media kits: Updating a PDF media kit can be incredibly timeconsuming, especially when it comes to rates and stats. This is especially true since now creatives can sign up for a platform that can pull all of that data for them.

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Online portfolios

I personally believe a case study or a simple page on your website combined with a clear email template can be a great way to tap into a potential partner or client.

Whether you sell a particular skill or type of content, as a personal brand, defining your list services is essential to creating an online portfolio that works specifically for you.

If you’re a visual creative, photographer, or developer, then interactive and visual portfolios are best.

You can also create a case study based on a specific client outlining the different ways you supported them.

For speakers and teachers (a bit like me), it’s common to have clips of speaking gigs

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as well as testimonials and a timeline of some key speaking engagements.

Email proposals

If your online portfolio is strong enough, all you need to do is suggest what service would work best for a specific partnership.

Then, you can let the portfolio do the talking.

Regardless of your overall personal brand, you do NOT really need a traditional media kit — as you can use the same content and copy for an email template.

Pros of online portfolios: They can be visually stunning as well as interactive and easy to access. You can have portfolios accessible for everyone to browse, or you can send them to potential partners only.

Cons of online portfolios: If you’re not comfortable with editing, designing, and creating websites, portfolios may become time-consuming and look a bit amateur-ish (and automatically turn into an expensive endeavor).

This is usually a two to three step solution.

An email template works quite similarly to a PDF kit, and it can be easier to update as you go along. Yet, you always want to make sure you get information from potential partners first to tailor each and every proposal.

I always recommend having a few more pieces of information to be shared when a potential partner shows interest.

Afterward, you can send your best link, more copy related to yourself, your services,

key stats, and anything that can help you secure a partnership.

You can also have a series of notes with a specific copy for specific questions or areas of your proposal ready to send accordingly.

Pros of email proposals: Minimal groundwork required. The written copy is what truly shines here.

Cons of email proposals: Email proposals on their own, without a clear visual pitch of you and your brand, may not look as professional as a visual portfolio or PDF media kit.

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S T EP T W O F ILL Y OU R M E D IA K I T

For this section, I thought I’d use our company media kit as a visual example and my own website as an online portfolio example — which we created in Google Slides by the way because time is money, dear reader.

Your bio

Who are you, really?

This is the first thing a brand or partner is going to read when they open your media kit, so you want to make sure that it fully represents you and your brand.

You want to convey your personal tone and style in your bio copy, and ALSO show off your personality, interests, and passion projects.

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“Creatives focusing on visual content should let their pictures speak for themselves” People buy from people, remember?

It doesn’t have to be long, but it does need to be memorable.

Your service

If you want to monetise your writing, you should include things such as your blog’s topics, statistics, collaboration options, and notable articles.

Creatives focusing on visual content should let their pictures speak for themselves. Instagram-driven personal brands will really want to dive deep into analytics. This is essential for making a

good impression and landing more (and higher-paying) collaborations.

Your audience

It’s super important to include information about your audience demographics; this is how brands will determine if your audience is the type of customers they want to be reaching.

When a brand is looking to partner with someone, they’ll want to understand as much as they can about your niche or target audience.

They’ll look at things like geographic distribution (where your followers are located), age breakdown, gender, language, approximate income, and more.

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Any supporting data

Analytics and data are essential to getting partners’ attention. More than ever, people are looking to get the highest return of investment for any collaboration.

For personal brands, these stats would include: • Pageviews per month (from Google Analytics) • Average pageviews (in the last three months) • Unique visitors per month • Audience insights • Subscribers: Instagram, Mailing list, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.

• Engagement rate (especially for Instagram)

Case studies and testimonials

I heavily discuss this when talking about portfolios and case studies. Anything from visual examples to social proof in the form testimonials (written or in video form) reassures potential partners that you know how to work with other people and provide value to them.

Bonus: previous features and media

If you’re using your media kit to get press opportunities as well as new partners, adding previous features and media (also known as the as seen in section) is a great added value for social proof and authority.

ST EP T HREE G ET T O W O R K Media kits, just like a press release, add a certain feeling to your 1personal brand. They show you invested time in wanting to pitch yourself to the right partners.

Even when keeping it simple, you want to make sure your media kit includes a great introduction that makes it clear to people about what they can expect from your brand.

If your proposal and profile do get the interest of a brand, it’s time to discuss the theme, the main topics, and an overall idea of people you have worked with before to see if you’re a good match.

To recap, a proposal can be comprised of one or a combination of the following: • Portfolio page on your website • Email proposals • A profile on a marketing platform • PDF media kit Ideally, whatever format you choose should list a variety of things, and it all depends on what you’re trying to attract more of.

Even when you’re just starting out, you should make sure you follow some simple steps to make your media kit more appealing.

Take it as an opportunity to show off the best of your personal brand: Your personality, your style, and what makes you unique.

Remember, media kits are as much about you as they are about the partners you’re looking to attract and the value you can bring to their business..

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