Tell us a bit more about your background
I’m Evangeline, I’m the one behind the account https://instagram.com/jamesalexandernice.
I’m originally from the Philippines but I have been living in London, UK for 10 years now.
I studied Bachelor of Science in Accounting Management in the Philippines, but haven’t been practicing my degree since I came over here. I used to work as a nanny, caregiver, and front staff receptionist here in London. I am now a full-time mum to James 2.5 yrs old and also managing our IG account. I am a hard-working, self-proclaimed Alpha female. I am addicted to my goal of bettering myself every day; physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Where do you get the ideas for your content?
I think the important thing is choosing and deciding what your grid is going to be from the start. With my niche, it was all about the things close to my heart. So making content is quite easy, it comes naturally.
How do you choose which brands to work with?
I choose which brands I work with by researching things about them first. They need to be aligned with my values and visions. They should have a good reputation. I wouldn’t promote any brand that I don’t trust or any products I don’t use.
How has Your life changed since becoming an influencer?
My life has changed a lot. I gained a lot of friends. Despite all the negativity in social media, I am very thankful and happy to be able to talk to genuine and kind people online. I’ve also learned a lot of things. I have gained a lot of confidence and I have been constantly improving myself and I’m really liking it. It has given me more inspiration to be better at what I’m doing.
How did you grow your channel?
I grew my channel mostly by engaging with people by staying on-trend and creating up-to-date and seasonal content. You have to keep up with Instagram’s algorithm, too. Understanding how Instagram works to promote you organically is vital. You need to make plenty of reels, videos, and talking stories, and be as consistent as possible with content uploads in general. If you stop uploading content on a regular basis, your followers are likely to move on to other channels and your engagement will drop. This is likely to result in less of your content showing up in organic search results, which will slow down your growth. Like most things in life, the more you put in, the more you get out. Whether that is studying, working out, or building a social media following, the principle is the same.
How did You get your start as an influencer and how did you decide on industry focus?
I started it 2 years ago in the summer of 2018 when I was on my maternity leave. I have always wanted to own a platform to share my ideas and knowledge through writing. In fact, I have always wanted to do a blog and will surely start one in the near future. For now, I am focused on our page and quite happy to share our lovely mixed family, our life, and our adventures. My partner and I are quite a camera shy, so we started our page with just James. I was enjoying it but realized that opportunity was quite limited. So I decided to make our page a combination of 3 important aspects of my life, family, food, and adventures.
How did you build that loyalty with followers?
Loyalty reaches its highest peak when followers have personally grown through mentorship. I am priding myself knowing I help people to get out of their comfort zone and do what they are passionate about. Also, I build loyalty by creating entertaining content that is related to the everyday life of my followers.
What’s been Your biggest challenge as an influencer?
I have encountered 3 challenges. First, it was my self-doubt and questioning myself and my ability. Will I make it? Am I good enough? Do I have what it takes? These questions have been constantly playing in my mind from the start. But I just know that I have to give my all before even thinking of quitting.
Second, it was the cultural and language barrier.
English is my second language and I’m always conscious of what I’m writing. Is it good enough? Is my grammar, right? Have I chosen the right word? Will my content please my audience? But, I overcame it soon enough after realizing that people are actually more understanding than I first thought. Also, it is a big world where people are writing in their own languages and to varying abilities, and I have a very diverse audience. As time goes by, it gets easier too.
The third challenge is the time it takes. I admire people who can make content quickly. But because I am not doing it full-time, I have to juggle everything around, being a partner and a mother. I have my son with me every day, so creating content is only possible when he’s napping or at nighttime. I overcame this challenge by talking to my partner, explaining to him that this is my passion and asking for help with I need it. I am lucky he is supportive of what I’m doing.
As an influencer, what do you do to switch off your phone?
This can be hard but is so very important. I get away from my phone by doing housework mostly. Having a toddler in the house, you can only imagine the amount of mess we have and I don’t function in a mess. At night, I always turn my phone off so I don’t get disturbed by notifications. You need to treat it like a job really and learn to schedule time for it.
Do you feel that your online life reflects who you are as a person, or do you feel like you have an internet “persona,” to a degree?
I try to present myself as authentically as possible. For me it is easier to base my Instagram on who I am, rather than creating a new persona. This way the content comes naturally. Of course, everyone loves to show themselves in their best light, but it is important to understand as an micro-influencer, that is exactly what you are doing; influencing people. If you are not true to yourself, you are not being true to your audience. Nobody is perfect and it is important that everyone understands this in life.
What is the best piece of advice that you were ever given?
The best advice I received is to don’t take things personally. I used to get upset if I didn’t get the campaign I applied for and it triggers my self doubt again that maybe I am not good enough. But now, I know that some campaigns are really not for you or some people don’t really like you, but that’s okay. As long as you know you are doing your best and you are happy with what you’re doing then that is good enough. JUST DO YOU!
Do you predict any shift in influencer marketing in the coming future?
As the future dawns and new tech emerges, the social media influencer industry is bound to grow and move. In which direction? I’m not sure anyone knows. One thing for sure is this is still a new industry and it is likely to be around for a long time to come in some form or another.
What do you think is most misunderstood about influencer marketing?
That we are just here for freebies and compensation and that it comes easily. Being an micro-influencer is not a one-way system, it is both beneficial to you and the company you are working for. If we get “free” things from a company we also give them something in return such as pictures, content, advertisements and our time.
