On Being an "Influencer"

I don't like the word "influencer". I don't think of myself as someone who influences other people. I like to share my stories and express my opinions. It does feel satisfying when that's helpful to others, but selfishly, I simply enjoy putting myself out there. I prefer the term "content creator" or simply "blogger". But at some point, someone came up with the term "influencer" to describe people on social media with large followings. And now we're stuck with it!

I wanted to write a post that briefly describes how I became an influencer (I'll stop using the quotes around the word), what it's like, and how I feel about it.

From MySpace Blogger to Instagram Creator
I started this blog in 2006 on MySpace. I transitioned it over to the Blogger platform in 2008 as MySpace was starting its decline. I think the world would be a better place if we had stayed on MySpace and hadn't transitioned to Facebook, but that's another post.

For 10 years very few people read my blog. In fact, when people told me they read my blog I was surprised. I had some limited analytics in the blogger platform which revealed a few really popular posts because of the search engines pointing to them. Most of my readers were other bloggers and for a while there was a close-knit blogging community. 

I never tried to attract a wider audience. I mainly wrote the blog for myself. I enjoy writing and journaling (I have kept a journal since I was 7), and the blog is the perfect outlet for that. Why not just keep a private diary? When I know that others will read it, it forces me to articulate myself clearly and make sure I am communicating my thoughts accurately. Otherwise, I might be left with a stream of consciousness.

To this day I still consider myself as my target audience for my blog. I go back and read race reports if I repeat a race. It's helpful to document the various pacing strategies and fueling strategies, and to see how I have evolved mentally. It's good to know what I wore in various conditions and if I was too hot or too cold. These are probably boring details for my readers, but they are helpful to me.

When I came out with my book in 2016, I decided I should promote it on social media. But I had a very small audience. Maybe 400 followers on Instagram. So, using my knowledge of how to grow an audience (I work in marketing full time) I started attracting more followers. It wasn't rocket science and the Instagram algorithm was much simpler back then. Really all I did was post photos of myself running every day with my time, distance and pace, and notes about how the run went.

Post from June 2016

I didn't consider my daily posts to be inspiring or particularly interesting, but they generated thousands of followers in a few months. I did write posts that talked about the content in my book, and I think that was follow-worthy. But of course I couldn't talk about my book every single day; that would have gotten repetitive!

And then the book really took off and people starting following me because they had heard about the book. I learned that my book was being used in book clubs all around the country and my book started to pop up in other people's posts. It was surreal. It's still surreal!

Brand Partnerships
In the spring of 2017, Under Armour sent me an email asking me to participate in the launch of their new line of shoes. They offered me two pairs of shoes, a ton of other gear (sports bras, tanks, tights, shorts) and a cash payment to wear this gear in a few of my Instagram photos. I felt like I had hit the jackpot! They were giving me so much and all I had to do was the same thing I did every day- post a picture with a caption. 

BUT. . . it actually wasn't all that easy. Since this would be an official post for Under Armour, I wanted to make it much better than my normal posts. I wanted to go above and beyond and as a perfectionist, I wanted it to be perfect. This resulted in multiple photo shoots with Greg, multiple video takes, time spent trying to find the best location, writing and re-writing the caption, and more. So it ended up being rather time consuming and suddenly I felt like I was, in fact, earning what I was receiving. 

Under Armour Campaign 2017

Did I love doing it? Yes! This was the definition of getting paid for doing something that I loved.  Did I
felt like I was "selling out" and posting something inauthentic? No, because I did actually wear that gear and I did write an honest review of it.

Since then, I have formed partnerships with multiple brands. Everything from sports detergent to recovery boots to electrolyte popsicles to sunglasses. Some of them have included cash payments but usually it's a simple exchange of free products for exposure on my account. I receive about 10 partnership offers each week. Who knew there were so many nutritional supplement companies and compression sock companies? I only accept about 5% of the offers I receive, and I have a few brands with which I have a longstanding relationship. 

I choose my brand partnerships very carefully because I do not want to cheapen my Instagram account, post anything inauthentic, or write a positive review of a product I genuinely don't like or wouldn't use. Occasionally, I go "shopping" by reaching out to brands that have products I want to try and asking if they partner with influencers. This happened last summer when I saw an ad for TRIHARD chlorine removal shampoo and conditioner and I was swimming every day.

TRIHARD Chlorine Removal

Influencer Haters
I know there are people out there who are against the whole "influencer" thing and I can understand that if the influencer is inauthentic and/or if every post is a commercial. Some people resent that we receive free stuff. Some people resent that we have so many followers even though we aren't elite athletes. The reason non-elite athletes attract so many followers is because people want to hear from runners who are relatable. With goals that might also be attainable for them. I once had a coach who would tell us all how one of his olympic level athletes trained for success. And that honestly wasn't helpful for me because I wasn't trying to go to the olympics. I would have preferred that he shared how the Boston Qualifiers trained, fueled, etc.

As for receiving free products, nothing is ever free. I have worked hard over the years to build my following and when I receive a free product it's not as simple as Greg snapping a photo of me holding it or wearing it. I have to figure out a good location for the photo, take multiple photos so I don't have a weird smile, make sure the lighting is good and then write a thoughtful caption. I have fun with it, but getting a good photo can take a lot of work. 

And let's not forget about the trolls. For every 50 positive comments there is usually one troll or one negative commenter. Usually I just ignore these people or I point out that they are the only unsupportive person out of hundreds of comments. It definitely takes a thick skin, and I'm glad I was able to stop caring about what other people think before I accumulated thousands of followers. 

Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways
Even though this isn't a race report, I feel like it deserves some final thoughts and key takeaways! While my Instagram account began as a way to promote my book, it has become more than that. It's a way for me to document my running journey and share my experiences. I almost never offer advice (because I am not an expert) but I do share what works for me and hopefully it will work for others, too.

Coming up with a new photo and caption (or reel) each day isn't easy, but I enjoy it, and so does Greg. After all, I wouldn't be able to get any of these photos without Greg and his photography skills. Thankfully we run together most days, so it's simply a matter of him getting his camera out at the beginning or the end of the run. Other times it's more orchestrated, like if I'm posing for a giveaway or holding a product in my hands. 

One of the coolest things is when one of my followers recognizes me at a race. There were a few times during the Marshall University Marathon earlier this month when random strangers cheered for me by name and shouted out that they followed me. It also happened walking around Boston the day before the marathon and in NYC's Central Park during a long run. 

It's extremely rewarding to receive messages from followers about how my book has helped them or how my posts have helped them. It's always a little surprising because I don't see myself as particularly helpful, but the hope is always that someone, somewhere will benefit from what I have to say.