Find your VOICE

Find your

VOICE

KATRINE ANKER-NILSSEN CHATS TO FOUR LOCAL INFLUENCERS TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEIR ROLE IN OUR COMMUNITY

ABOVE: Teri-Jane Row Instagram: @choosearow Facebook: Choose a Row www.choosearow.com

Teri-Jane started her blog during a difficult time in her life. “I was battling with infertility, and needed an outlet, to reach out and share my thoughts with like-minded people,” she says.

“When it seemed like all was lost, I gave up. It was only when I was pregnant with my daughter that the flame to write and share was ignited again.”

While pregnant with her first child, Teri-Jane lost her mom to cancer. “I felt lost as a new mom, and I reached out to other moms from all over the world and found a community of women who supported me – and I them.”

“The whole point of social media is to be ‘social’ and not just post photos,” says Teri-Jane – who found her voice again and felt inspired to share her journey. Teri- Jane’s posts are focused on parenting, her own journey as a mom, travels, social media tips and products she and her family love and recommend.

Although anyone can become an influencer, it all comes down to the quality of posts and the level of engagement you get from your audience. “Marketing agencies like to work with influencers as they are able to review their products and reach audiences in an authentic way. Within the community influencers are able to help small businesses reach new markets by sharing their products in a unique way, or within the home environment.

“People will follow you because you resonate with them, and brands will want to work with you if they believe you fit their target audience and can promote their products effectively,” continues Teri-Jane. “I think I have an advantage in some areas, as I come from a marketing background

and run social media pages for businesses. I am able to understand the business side of being an influencer, and the objectives of clients and what they would like to achieve from their campaigns.”

Ninety percent of influencers in South Africa are not able to make a full-time living off being an influencer. “You can’t really pay your bills with a product exchange, but if you are lucky you may get paid for a campaign,” says Teri-Jane. “Paid campaigns are growing in momentum as agencies are realising the worth of influencers,” she continues. “Some people may not understand why an influencer would get paid and receive a product to review.

But there are a lot of costs involved – such as website hosting fees, the camera/phone you use, the extra items you may buy for a shoot, and boosting of posts to reach a bigger audience. There’s also the time you put into it – from conceptualising the post and taking the photo or video, to writing the caption and then engaging with your audience and answering all the questions you may get on that campaign.”

Diana Thompson Instagram: @the_housewife_diaries Facebook: The Housewife Diaries www.thehousewifediaries.co.za

“If I love a product and use it continually, I want the world to know how it is helping me in my everyday life,” says Diana – who strives to instil a trust in her followers on the subjects and messages sent out. “If you are successful in your stories, you will develop a relationship with your followers and receive positive feedback as they experience the same things you have shared. It’s not about how many followers you have, it’s more about the quality of the connection you have with your followers.

“I do it for the love of it, and if I improve even just one person’s day, then I have had a positive influence – which means the most to me. After all there is no better referral than a referral from a friend, and I see my followers as my

friends,” says Diana – who keeps it real at all times. “I also keep it simple and entertaining, with lots of laughs.

“The focus of The Housewife Diaries is not about making a living from it, it centres around my passion for the subjects that I cover – family, cooking, beauty and travel. There are some benefits, like gifts that get sent to me to try out – and if enjoy them, they are shared with my followers. I only share things that I truly believe in and use in my own home.”

Shan Fourie Instagram: @shanfourie.coza Facebook: ShanFourie.coza www.shanfourie.co.za

Shan’s biggest passion is the upliftment of women. “I believe there are so many women dealing with deep wounds of feeling less-than, not good enough and even insignificant. My hope is that in some small way I can help them find strength to put the false words aside and step into the people they were made to be. When a woman truly finds and lives out her worth, beautiful things happen around her,” she says.

According to Shan anyone who has built a reputation for knowledge and expertise on a specific topic can be an influencer. “We develop a relationship of trust with our community, and with that in mind we are able to honestly share our experiences, thoughts and feelings around services, products, causes and brands with its members.

We have the opportunity to bring awareness to new brands, therefore assisting and uplifting businesses. And we are able to guide consumers in such a way that they are better able to make informed choices prior to purchase,” says Shan – adding that the most important role of all is to uplift, empower and inspire.

“There are so many wonderful South African influencers. There is a lot of originality and authenticity coming out of SA bloggers and content creators,” says Shan. “For me this is not a job, it is a passion. I only work with brands that I truly love and believe in, and in so doing I think I have developed a relationship of trust with my followers. This is something I hold in the highest regard – because if I ever lose that trust, I have lost everything.”

A mom to three, Shan also runs a marketing agency, is a Luxuria South Africa Brand Ambassador and co-founder of MomSpo South Africa and POP the Party App. “I want to inspire moms to know that no matter how hard or busy life and motherhood is, we are the only ones who put limits on ourselves. We can do anything we set our mind to.

“Some brands pay me for a number of posts, and the pricing varies across my platforms in relation to the exposure received,” explains Shan. “However my preferred way of working is an affiliate partnership. That way the brand and I both benefit should sales result from my content, and if not then no one loses out – therefore both parties experience a fair trade.”

Jo Hill Instagram: pullupsandpeanutbutter Facebook: @pullupsandpeanutbutter www.pullupsandpeanutbutter.co.za

Jo started with a Facebook page where she shared healthy recipes – inspired by her love of baking and fitness. She now also has an Instagram page, a website and a blog. “I use these platforms to teach others that the only way to diet and reach your goals is NOT to diet,” she says. “I share what I have learnt about different diets out there, my own experiences with disordered eating, products I have found, cooking and baking tips, as well as tricks and random rambles. I believe that we can have our cake and eat it, we just need to know how.

“I have amazing followers and have been fortunate to work with some incredible brands. I would never work with a brand or company that I don’t fully believe in,” says Jo – adding that she values being genuine, relatable and trustworthy. “I have been lucky enough to work on amazing campaigns, which either means that I have been gifted some incredible things, or I have been paid to be a part of the campaign.

“I didn’t start my social media platforms to build a following. I am actually an extremely shy person, but my love for helping others and sharing what I have learnt has pushed me out of my comfort zone,” says Jo. “I am also a very honest person, so if I don’t like something I will never say that I do. I feel that people appreciate that.”

Jo has a full-time job as a remedial teacher, so Pull Ups & Peanut Butter is a hobby which has helped her pursue a dream – namely launching her own recipe book, Balance.