We’re back with another featured AMP3 Influencer Insider! Hayden Cohen (@hayderz) is a joy to work with! He is kind, creative, and stays true to himself and his style. Find out what Hayden has to say about being an influencer, measuring his success, and where he sees the space heading.
Missed last week’s insider? Not to worry! You can check out our previous Influencer Insider here.
What are your thoughts on the term influencer? (If you prefer another title, what is it?
I think it’s pretty accurate, I personally prefer the term blogger because it’s more of a known space than the influencer space but I work with both titles.
Tell us a little bit more about what it means to be an influencer/content creator in today’s brand marketing world?
To me, being an influencer and a content creator is about having a specific vision and voice through photography and writing and having that voice resonate with people.
What do you like most about Social Media (Specifically Instagram)?
Being able to connect with people all over the world.
What do you like the least about Social Media (Specifically Instagram)?
Anonymity giving people unwarranted power or control
Can you walk us through what a normal work day is like for you?
I wake up, usually check my emails and Instagram. If it’s a shoot day I’ll go to location and work with photographers on a creative vision for the shoot that day or if its a writing day I’ll go to a coffee shop or my office and write from there. My day is pretty much balanced between my phone, checking emails and instagram, and on my computer writing or editing photos with an occasional meeting, event or collaboration thrown into the mix.
Can you talk a little bit about your experience working with publicists? The importance of those relationships?
I have a lot of relationships working with different publicists and I’ve enjoyed getting to know them all. I come from the PR world and worked as a publicist so most of my contacts come from the time I had there. Those relationships are super important because they connect you to the brands that you’re gonna work with and help you create a vision whether that be through a campaign or a concept.
What do brands tend to get wrong when working with influencers? And what are the top things brands should know about working with you/them (your tips & best practices)?
It has to be a product or a company that I truly believe in, a lot o companies just throw a price tag at you and expect you to go with it but I’m not gonna support something that’s inauthentic just because there’s a check involved. Do your research about the influencer you’re reaching out to, if they don’t know the basic information about me I’m probably not gonna work with them.
How can a new or emerging brand make themselves stand out to you?
By having a message that I can get behind. A lot of companies have social impact causes they support and if a new or emerging brand has one I’m more likely to affiliate myself with that brand.
When working with brands, what do you look for? Is there anything you wouldn’t do?
It has to be something authentic that I’d post regardless of the payment. I’m not gonna throw up something just because someone or some company is giving me money to do so. I have to actually like the product and the company because if I do post something that I’ve never used then how am I gonna influence people to use those products too. My followers know when its B.S.
Would you say that you have a niche? If so, what is it?
My niche isn’t necessary one thing. It’s more of a lifestyle and experiences that my followers follow me for. I do a lot of fashion and travel posts but I’m also super into pop culture and my followers know that.
How do you measure your success? How do you quantify your results for brands?
I measure my success by what my followers think of my content. If I get a lot of comments or likes on a post then I know that is something my followers enjoyed and therefore are more likely to interact with the brand that I worked with on that post(s).
How do you determine what you charge brands for your work?
It depends on how many people are following me at the time we connect, what type of post they want, whether that be featured or sponsored or simply for me to just wear a product. It has a lot of different factors but I usually am in a certain range dependent on those factors.
What’s your favorite part about what you do?
Being able to have a creative outlet and being able to use social media to connect with thousands of people all over the world.
How do you think this career path has changed you? (Has your style changed at all, have you traveled more because of it, etc.)
It’s made me a lot less stressed in my everyday life because it’s something I”m passionate about and it’s a dream of mine. I’ve been able to discover new places and through that discover myself more. I’ve been able to push the boundaries on what I wear which has made me more expressive and interested in fashion.
Where do you think the influencer space is going? What’s next?
The influencer space is taking over – it’s constantly growing as more and more people saturate and call themselves an influencer but it’s hard because so many people aren’t actually influencing anything. I think what’s coming next is more growth for smaller companies who leverage micro-influencers with engaged followings and they’re gonna take over larger corporations because of this.
Quick Qs- Rapid Fire!
- What is the one fashion item that you can’t live without? A staple jacket.
- What is your favorite Phone App? Instagram
- If your life was a movie, what would it be called? Hungry and hungover
- What’s an Instagram photo you would never post? I post a lot of different pictures on my page so I wouldn’t limit myself by saying what I wouldn’t post, plus my aesthetic is always changing.
- Pizza or taco? Taco pizza
- What brand(s) are you loving right now? Urban Outfitters, Lab Series skin products, JackBlack hair products, Adidas and anything athleisure styled.
- One reality that people don’t realize about being an influencer? How much work it actually is – it’s not just posting a photo there’s so much more that goes into it
Check back regularly for more Influencer Insider interviews!
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