Why I refuse to be ashamed of being an influencer

What this title REALLY means

Hello, I’m Molly and I write about my slow and simple life in the Scottish Highlands. Please subscribe to support my work and if you want to read more of my stories. You can find me on YouTube and shop my Slow Scottish Store.

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I was only partly listening at first. Absorbed in the usual faff of setting up the tech for a hybrid meeting. Then my ears pricked up at the word ‘influencer’. Not a term that I would ever think would be discussed here.

I should have expected it really. The snide comment was just waiting. A far too tempting weapon.

After many minutes of these men slandering all influencers, as ‘lazy’, ‘greedy’ and ‘self-absorbed’, he turned to me.

‘No offence of course, Molly’.

My first instinct was surprise. I had no idea that he was even aware that I created content online. I tend to keep my role as a wildlife conservationist separate from my business. This is one of the reasons why.

My second instinct was pure rage. It angered me that they were allowed to get away with these stereotypic comments. The narrow mind-ness was astounding, yet sadly not surprising.

I deflected the comment. Maintaining cool and professional. But it set my mind whirring. Am I ashamed of being an influencer?

Lets face it, there is a huge amount of bad press surrounding this term.

The Influencer Marketing Hub defines an influencer as someone who has:

• the power to affect the purchasing decisions of others because of his or her authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with his or her audience.

• a following in a distinct niche, with whom he or she actively engages. The size of the following depends on the size of his/her topic of the niche.

They add the caveat:

It is important to note that these individuals are not merely marketing tools, but rather social relationship assets with which brands can collaborate to achieve their marketing objectives.

The influencer industry has grown at a stratospheric rate, from being worth $1.7 billion in 2016 to $16.4 billion in 2022. The majority of marketers (93%) have used influencer marketing. It is clearly an industry here to stay.

The draw to this lifestyle is easy to understand. As an influencer, your income can be exponential. You are often your own boss. And if you believe the Instagram hype, influencers have very glamorous lifestyles, toting designer products and being invited to exclusive high-end events.

But its not that simple…

To be a ‘successful’ influencer, which I’m defining as earning enough money to live on, the range of skills that you need to learn (usually self-taught) is astounding. These skills often include photography, videography, editing, writing, graphic design, SEO, marketing, website design, pitching, merch design - and that’s just the start.

Like many, I never set out to become an influencer. I started my blog, Hippy Highland Living, back in 2020 as a lock-down project. I simply wanted to share my life and connect with others that have similar passions.

Fast forward 3 years and I now have a multi-faceted business, with a successful YouTube channel, a growing Substack and I sell my own products on Etsy and Teemill. Although my income from my business varies widely, it has gradually increased over the years and some months I earn more from this than I do my ‘proper’ job.

Yet, it took me a long time to feel comfortable in using the word influencer. If someone asked about my business, I’d use the safer terms, like content creator or small business owner. More than once I’ve struggled to tick the influencer box when applying to brands and swerved the term on my various online profiles.

Why did I feel this way? I’m not one to let external stereotypes influence my decisions. So why start now?

I needed to define what influencer meant to me. Looking back through my life, I realised I have always been this way, well before I started my business. Again and again I found people in my sphere changing their behaviour purely through spending time with me.

Case and point is, when I first went vegan, all my family ate meat. Now, my mum is a hardcore vegan, one of my brothers is a vegetarian and my dad is a flexitarian. Without meaning to, my influence had resulted in them making significant life changes. If you study your own life, I’m sure you will be able to pick out your own examples. Human beings are all natural influencers.

Now, I am witnessing this first hand with my audience. I am overwhelmed when I hear stories, like someone reading a book for the first time in 10 years and loving it. Or another young person feeling confident in embracing their highly sensitive self. Another cooking a plant based recipe I shared for their family which they all loved. Its the most fulfilling part of my job.

Yes, part of my job does involve sharing brands with my audience, some of which is paid. But I am in complete control of who I work with. Its my decision to promote a brand and I have strict criteria as they have to align with my, and my audience’s, values. The trust of my audience is everything.

I am exceptionally proud of the business I have created. I never would have dreamt that this would have become such a massive part of my life 3 years ago, but I’m so glad it did.

As a women, I refuse to apologise for my success. Its no coincidence in my eyes that over 77% of influencers that are monetising their content are women. No wonder these men in this meeting room felt threatened…

So yes, I am an influencer. I’m also a writer. A bookworm. A dog mum. A nature lover. A daughter, sister, friend and partner. I am a unique and ever-evolving human.

I will no longer be ashamed of being exactly who I am.