The Truth About Influencers | Behind the Scenes with Take Me to Target's Amanda Awtrey
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Today’s guest on the podcast is Amanda Awtrey, otherwise known as @takemetotarget on Instagram. Amanda is a 30-something mom of three who is working full-time, growing a profitable side-hustle on Instagram, and prefers Target runs as her form of self-care. Amanda started her journey at the beginning of 2020, right before the pandemic, and has already grown her following to 30k loyal friends with whom she shares her everyday life.
Behind the scenes of an influencer | Are these assumptions true or false?
Assumption #1 Influencers never have to buy clothing or products from brands they like.
FALSE! “Although I do get some stuff for free, it’s because I’ve given them something in exchange for it. It’s not handed to be on a royal platter, I am working for it in some aspect,” Amanda explains.
Assumption #2 You don’t have to work very hard, you just have to post a bunch of pictures on Instagram.
FALSE! Amanda admitted she’s even thought and said this same thing until she got into it. There is a lot of time that goes into good and consistent content. “If someone you follow is making it look easy and effortless, it’s because they’re good at what they do.”
Assumption #3 You get a ton of stuff sent to you that you don’t actually use.
TRUE. Amanda is sent stuff but not everything is right for her so she passes those items off to her mom or friends that would like them. “Not everything is right for everyone.”
Assumption #4 Most influencers are actually introverted in person when you actually meet them.
FALSE (for Amanda)! Some influencers may come across as introverted just because you know more about them than they know about you, which makes them come across as introverted. Amanda shares, “If a stranger walks up to me, they know me A LOT better than I know them. It takes me a while to get warmed up.”
Assumption #5 You have to have a lot of “fake friends” to be an influencer.
TRUE. Engagement helps a lot! But, that doesn’t mean those comments are disingenuous. “I do engage with a lot of Instagram friends. I truly do want to see their content and I like what they’re putting out, and I want to be supportive to them,” Amanda explains.
Assumption #6 All influencers stand funny when trying on clothes.
Amanda’s Answer. People are just working their best angles!
From 0-30k in 18 months
Amanda’s practical steps in becoming an influencer and building her brand.
Step 1: Show up consistently! And, keep it real!
Step 2: Work with a coach. Amanda worked with Megan, Bloom Into Beautiful, for the first 6 months.
Step 3: Keep a schedule and keep weekends for family.
Step 4: Pitch to brands. Amanda shares she’s pitched to brands that she loves and she’ll even low-ball her prices a little just to get the opportunity to work with them.
How to land your dream brand
The secret is to find a good email address. Who can you send your email to to get it read? From there, be consistent in their inbox until someone notices. Amanda reached out to Tula every 3 months, with a lot of prayers, until they said yes.
Advice before you get started
If you’re thinking of becoming an influencer, Amanda’s advice is to tip-toe into it and test the waters. “Try talking to yourself to see if it comes naturally to you, does it give you anxiety or fear, or does it bring you joy,” explains Amanda. She advises to try recording a story or try on before jumping in because you have to be comfortable hopping on your phone at any time. It should come across as natural and not scripted, people like that unscripted feel.
Another great test is to invest in a small mini-course from someone like Megan of Bloom Into Beautiful before spending a lot of money on coaching. This gives you a glimpse into the background and details of what needs to go into being an influencer.
More from Amanda Awtrey
Amanda explains so much more about her journey and experience being an influencer. She’s so genuine and a joy to follow. You can find Amanda on Instagram @takemetotargetblog and online at takemetotarget.com. I hope you’ll hit play on this episode to hear Amanda’s full story on The BrandWell Podcast.
KEEP BRANDING WELL,
Victoria
