How many of you have already grown a substantial follower base, and are thinking of adding other sources of revenue to your channels? Something that seems to be a successful way of earning money is to start your own brand. Think of it this way, you already have a potential list of clients who follow you every day, and that is already a lot more than what a shop in the street has the day they first open, because your followers not only follow you, they care and are engaged and like your style.
We spoke with fashion entrepreneur and influencer Marie-Charlotte De Borrekens to learn more about how she grew her community online and we were so impressed by her approach to fashion that we decided to have her as a guest in our blog. She is the perfect example for those influencers who tired of creating content for other brands, decided to start their own fashion firm and test the waters.
In the case of Marie-Charlotte this has brought her a great understanding of what it is like to be an entrepreneur, but she also gives us an insight of one of the biggest struggles influencers have: knowing how to draw the line between what´'s public and private to her audience.
Let's get the interview started:
1. Who are you and why do people know you on Social Media?
Hi, I'm Marie-Charlotte de Borrekens and I started to create content about my lifestyle, art and fashion several years ago on Instagram. I'm also very interested in literature so I always make sure to share my favourite books and poetry with my community.
2. Can you tell us how the moment you realised you went viral was? How did you react?
I went viral about three years ago when I started to work with a lot of new brands. This turning point allowed me to reach a larger audience. Besides, I recently launched my prêt-à-porter brand for women, Marysh (https://maryshstudio.com), this also has helped me to broaden my influence on social media through the brand, and vice versa. Of course I felt very grateful because my community was really interested in the content I created and shared, and I had the great feeling that I brought something new to them.
3. What is the best part of being an influencer?
I believe the best part of being an influencer is meeting interesting people, discovering new places and learning about different sectors! Besides, I think it's also a beautiful way to reach people and spread messages across the globe.
4. What is the worst part of being an influencer?
The worst part is probably oversharing and having an equilibrated private life balance. I tend to notice that people always expect to see more and I think it's important to find a good balance between what I am sharing and what I'm not.
5. When an agency or brand approaches you, what things make you say YES to a collaboration?
As I think it's important to remain authentic and true to my values and principles, I only accept collaborations I am really interested in or that could bring something new or an added value to my audience.
6. 3 things you hate brands and agencies do when working with you?
I think every influencer has its own way of creating content and in my opinion this is what makes it so unique because we would otherwise see the same everywhere. So I think getting too severe guidelines from brands or agencies is an obstacle to creativity.
7. What is something you really appreciate from agencies and brands?
What I really appreciate about brands and agencies is building strong relationships and eventually growing together. I've been working with some people for years and it makes me proud to follow their growth and to see how they are evolving in their respective businesses. Influencer Marketing is a very small world and I think it's important to support each other to be successful and develop expertise in what you do.
8. What have been your top 3 paid collaborations? Why did you enjoy each one?
My favourite collaborations were with Roberto Coin, the IQ Collection and Silk Maison
9. What brands would you like to work with in the future?
Brands I would like to work with include Pomellato, because every piece they create is a piece of art. I would also like to work with Dior because their designs are timeless and sophisticated. And finally with Diego Estrada because the brand perfectly embodies Spanish elegance and traditional savoir faire.
10. What influencer within your circle, would you like to nominate to the next interview?
I would definitely recommend Olivia Tps, Emilie Gharbi and Natalia Cebrian.
We hope you enjoyed Marie-Charlotte's interview and if you'd like to find her on instagram, don't forget to check our interview highlights in our instagram page where we will tag her IG handle!
With love,
Andrea
