In the summer of 2022 I started a new Instagram Series (that I eventually switched over to blog posts), called Spill The Tea – Influencer Marketing. The idea was to share my knowledge, ie, spill the tea, about the ins and outs of Influencer Marketing from both sides of the fence… working with clients, and being a content creator.
The posts were going quite well and plenty of followers were engaging with the content I was sharing… when in early 2023, I received a message on LinkedIn from a local marketing professional questioning my “authority” on the topic and asking for my credentials.
It basically shut me down.
At the time, I was going through a bit of a rough time with my mental health and while I should have had all of the confidence in the world about my knowledge, I didn’t. One person questioning my expertise sent me into a bit of a spiral of feeling like a fraud and worrying about “getting something wrong” (did I mention I have a podcast about Imposter Syndrome?) With that one message, I stopped posting my weekly Spill-the-Tea posts.
And honestly, HE ONLY ASKED A QUESTION! Had he said “How do you like your tea?” I would have said “One Milk, No Sugar.”
To be fair… posting weekly MAY have also contributed to the downfall of the series as it was a TON of research and quite possibly, a bit too ambitious to commit to posting EVERY SINGLE WEEK! But, here’s the thing, I really liked researching and writing those posts and on top of that… I have a LOT of knowledge about Influencer Marketing which YUP…rather makes me an “authority” on the topic along with my credentials because:
1.) I have a Business Degree in Information Management,
2.) I have a diploma in Graphic Design,
3.) I’ve been blogging since April, 2010,
4.) I’ve been partnering with brands for over a decade,
5.) I founded the group ECM Media, supporting content creators in Atlantic Canada – that currently has over 160 members,
5.) I’ve managed dozens and dozens of Influencer Campaigns and Events,
6.) I work in Social Media Management,
7.) I’m continually learning and staying up-to-date with what’s going on in the industry and SO MUCH MORE!
While I don’t know everything (because who does) and it’s true, I don’t have a Marketing Degree, I’m pretty qualified to research a topic, share my opinions and first-hand experience, and write blog posts about various topics to do with Influencer Marketing because I’ve been playing in this industry for just about as long as it’s been around!
So… I took a little hiatus from my Spill-the-Tea posts for a few different reasons (mostly because I forgot who I was) and I just wanted to let you know that I’m back! Influencer Marketing is an ever-changing and complex industry and there are a number of topics I’d like to dive into and write blogs posts about!
Besides, I LOVE taking pics at the Mellow Mug of me and those fancy tea cups – which if I’m being really honest, was the reason I started this series to begin with!!!
BRING ON THE TEA PICS!!
Oh, and in case you’d like to catch up, here are a few of the topics I’ve covered so far!
Oh, and stop listening to that brain of yours that tells you you aren’t good enough – follow my podcast, Imposter Sisters, for more tips about that!