Priya Srivastava- Fashion & Lifestyle Influencer

Hi! My name is Priya and I run the fashion and lifestyle account @priyasrivastavaofficial on Instagram  

Like many of you  know I’m a mom. I have one handsome kid and a super talented and supportive husband.

I initially started out 4 years ago when my son born and also I moved from India to London.  It was a way for me to journal out my thoughts and keep in touch with my family. As the social media world emerged I really just started sharing my favorite things with my followers, mostly luxury high clothes (like Chanel, Dior, Dolce and Gabana, Fendi, Saint lauren etc) beauty, jewellery and kids items.

When brands started reaching out to me to work with them about 2years ago, I realized “Hey I can make an income doing this while staying home with my kids”, so I decided to go for it and become an influencer

My biggest struggles I had to overcome when I first started out?

My biggest struggle was to not just say “YES” to every brand that wanted to work with me, but to be selective with who I chose to work with. Another thing I struggled with was keeping my eyes focused on my own personal journey, and not comparing other influencers journeys with my own.

How did I grow my following on Instagram?

It didn’t grow overnight that’s for sure. It took a good few years of really focusing on my social media and treating it like my job. I think engaging with your audience is definitely top priority when growing your Instagram. Make sure you reply to every comment and DM that you’re able to, and also go and engage on their page as well. Doing this goes a long way and builds an authentic relationship with your followers. 

I also team up with like-minded influencers and do giveaways. I love giving back to my friends on Instagram. So a group of us will put our money together for an awesome prize and then do a loop giveaway; where in order to win they have to follow each account. Here is an example:

It’s a great way to gain followers who would like your content but probably haven’t come across your profile before. I’ll also team up with others to do Instagram story takeovers or shoutouts to share each others accounts with new audiences.

Hard work has been the cornerstone of my success but because I love what I do, it doesn’t really feel like hard work !

My biggest obstacles?

My biggest obstacles were trying to balance between work and home life. I don’t want to be on my phone all day, so I had to learn to really use my time wisely. I try to stay away from mindless scrolling and only focusing on what will benefits my business; such as engaging with everyone who comments on my posts, as much as possible, as well as answering questions and messages.

Another obstacle for me personally was letting the “No’s” or the “no responses” from companies get to me. It can be discouraging when you see other influencers getting collaborations with brands you want to work with, and they didn’t want to work with you. Don’t let this discourage you! I usually ask them for corrective criticism and if they would mind telling me what I could work on so that I can better my brand.

My first collaboration I got paid for, When I did start getting paid through Instagram?

 My first paid collaboration. I was so excited, it was with Dior. The marketing team who was representing them reached out to me through email.

Pro Tip: Always include your email in your Instagram bio.

The promotion was for their makeup I needed to do a reel post as well as an IG feed post. After that I started getting paid collaborations within the 6 months.

my process of looking/reaching out to other brands to work with 

Both, they reach out as well as I reach out to them. When a brand reaches out to me, the first thing I do is make sure it’s a good fit; Is it in my niche? Is it something my audience would be interested in? Is it something I genuinely want to promote?

Then I look through the contract and see what the deliverables are (how many posts/stories need to be published, what type of content, how the product should be mentioned in the content, what hashtags need to be used, etc.). If I feel like we’re a good fit then I go for it. When I reach out to a brand, it’s because I love what they are offering and think a collaboration would be beneficial to both of us. Even if it’s an unpaid collab, if I love the product, I will just do a gift exchange.

I create content as an influencer (apps I use, strategies, etc.) MY favorite features to use on Instagram

I try to think of unique and creative ways to share content, but there are a lot of us doing this gig, so not everything is going to be unique, unfortunately. First of all, I make sure the picture is of good quality and that the product or message is clearly visible.

My favorite app for editing is lightroom, I use it more than any other app. I think it’s important to keep your feed looking cohesive. I also love to clean up my Instagram every once in a while by using the cleaner app I don’t want fake accounts following me so I go through and delete them every few months.

Pro Tip: Quality over Quantity. You want quality Instagram followers that are following you because they are interested in what you have to offer and are engaging.

I share you about some of the most successful collaborations I had, how I get them, and why they were so successful?

I think the most successful collaborations are the ones where you build a long-time partnership with a brand. Not just a one time post and done situation. I love building connections with the brand and the people that are overseeing the collaboration. When a brand comes back to work with me again I consider it successful.

Pro Tip: Communication is the most important aspect of creating these long time partnerships!

Make sure you’re both on the same page on what is to be expected. If you’re not sure, ask! Don’t just assume. I also am a believer that kindness goes a long way. Be kind and professional with the brands you work with, and give it your best effort. Don’t forget that the person you’re talking to on the other side of the computer is real. 

My future goals as an influencer?

As I look at my goals for the coming year, first of all I want to stay authentic to who I am as a person. I also want to build more long term partnerships with brands, and do a lot more travel focused posts. I would love to one day have a clothing collection with a brand. My dream would be Nordstrom, but I also want to partner with a boutique I love, where I could choose items from and promote. I’ve seen a few influencers do this, and think it would be so fun. I’d also love to do more traveling collaborations with my family. 

My advice for other influencers out there, or ones that are just starting out on how to get paid on Instagram?

Be different, find your niche, enjoy the process, trust your gut and be authentic. When people see your real life and real struggles, they feel like they can relate and feel a connection with you. This connection is made more through Instagram stories ,(Instagram is best place to connect people all over the world) so don’t be afraid to get on there.