Interview With @ashley_kuczenski

1. Tell us a bit about your background

I grew up in Ventura County, CA, and moved to Los Angeles when I was 18 to attend UCLA. I’ve lived in LA and have worked in the luxury fashion industry ever since, doing everything from retail management, to marketing and events, to editorial writing and photo production over the years.

2. What’s been your biggest challenge as an influencer?

Not worrying too much about what people think about me! It’s hard not to be more self-critical when you are putting yourself out there for an audience.

3. How did you get your start as an influencer and how did you decide industry focus?

I think I really shine in jobs that are creative-adjacent but not actually creative fields – I love being the person behind the scenes who keeps things organized and helps put great designers in front of an audience. I don’t see myself ever being a fashion designer or a graphic designer, for example. However, I do like having a creative outlet for myself where I can test out my own ideas, so a few years ago I thought it would be fun to experiment with photoshoots and blogging, and Instagram was a natural place to do that for me. In early 2020 when the pandemic hit, I was furloughed for 3 months from a position I’d been in for many years, then brought back to work again for a month, and then eventually laid off due to a business closure, so it was a very tumultuous year for me. I had no idea if or when my field would ever be viable again, so I used my time off to really build my skill set in social media and develop it into a backup income stream. During that time my side gig as a content creator really took off in a way it hadn’t previously, because I was able to devote more time and effort to it, and I’ve kept up the momentum since! As far as industry focus goes, of course, fashion was a natural choice, and I chose to lean toward retro and ethically made fashion simply because that is what I personally buy and wear. I also found myself gravitating toward lifestyle content because during the shutdown I was exploring interests that I had never had time for and suddenly did – health and wellness, cooking, skincare – so that period of time really informed what my content looks like today.

4. Where do you get the ideas for your content?

I get inspiration from a mix of vintage and modern sources. I am a voracious consumer of social media content because as a content creator it’s so important to stay on top of trends and what your audience is responding to. But I always try to interpret those ideas through a lens that is uniquely me, and generally that means bringing pieces of vintage inspiration to the table – whether that’s in the way I style an outfit, or the music I choose for a reel. I’m also sometimes inspired simply by props I find, outfits I wear, the setting of the photo, or something that’s going on in my life at the time – often I just start with one small piece of the idea and it becomes natural to build it out into a larger story.

5. How do you choose which brands to work with?

Authenticity is very important to me, as is setting a positive example. If it’s not a brand I would personally purchase from or one whose values I agree with, I won’t work with them. Fast food and fast fashion are essentially always going to be a no for me, as are brands whose founders have questionable social views, for example.

6. How has your life changed since becoming an influencer?

I have had some amazing opportunities and perks, my wardrobe has significantly improved, and I’ve made some great new friends! But overall my day-to-day life has not changed much. I’m an introvert so I’m not the type who attends events every week, and I prefer the stability and security of a 9-5 job so I don’t foresee ever giving that up permanently.

7. How did you build that loyalty with followers?

Engage, engage, engage! I am a huge believer that when it comes to social media you get what you give. If you never respond to comments or DMs and never comment on anyone else’s posts, your audience won’t feel that personal connection that makes them want to keep following and engaging. To me, it’s much more important to build a community than to try to be some kind of public figure.

8. How did you grow your channel?

I saw my growth take off when I invested in tools like a DSLR camera and lighting, and started approaching every photo as an art project. I also found that I received much better engagement and growth when I wrote personal, in-depth captions or asked my audience questions. I think some people really struggle to build an audience because they go into it with an influencer mentality and not a content creator mentality, and I made that mistake at first too. But to bring people back to your page you have to continuously create content that is beautiful, or entertaining, or informative, or thought-provoking. No matter how hard you work on your page, if the content isn’t compelling, the audience won’t show up for it.

9. What is your advice for creating an authentic audience on social media? How did you get the ball first rolling?

Lots and lots of targeted engagement! Again, building a following is simply building an engaged community. When I first started out I looked at hashtags that were relevant to what I was doing or creators who were similar to me, and would spend hours liking and commenting on the pages of people who followed them. It’s a big time investment, but it works!

10. As an influencer, what do you do to switch off from your phone?

I make it a rule to put my phone away when I’m with my family and friends and be present in every moment. I also really limit my phone time when I travel, and I try to take one day a week away from social media if at all possible/if my posting commitments allow.

11. 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 think my online persona reflects who I am pretty accurately! Although as is often said, Instagram is definitely a highlight reel – I rarely show the difficult times. But I think I’m as genuine as it gets – life is too short to be something you’re not.

12. What is the best piece of advice that you were ever given?

What’s meant to be will be, and everything happens for a reason.

13. What strategic advice do you have for up and coming Instagram influencers?

Be yourself! In such an oversaturated market, authenticity, uniqueness, and community-building are the keys to success. Your audience doesn’t want to see an untouchable, unrelatable, ‘fake’ influencer – they want to engage with someone who has personality, who is approachable, and whose recommendations they can trust.

14. Do you predict any shift in influencer marketing in the coming future?

Brands have become much more savvy about measuring ROI – and they have all the tools they need to do so. I think the biggest shift right now is the shift from brands prioritizing an influencer’s following size, to brands prioritizing influencers’ engagement rate and performance metrics to truly quantify which creators will move the needle for their business. I also see a shift toward brands valuing content quality and creativity more and more, especially now that Tiktok and Reels have come to the forefront. It’s no longer enough for an influencer to just pose with the product; the content needs to tell a story.

15. What do you think is most misunderstood about influencer marketing?

To tie back to the prior question – I think the biggest misconception is that it’s not work and that you don’t have to be skilled to do it! I am sure there are a few exceptions who became wildly popular as a fluke, but every influencer I’ve met who is successful at what they do is incredibly detail-oriented and hardworking. In today’s economy, to make an income as an influencer, you need to have marketing and branding skills, networking skills, negotiation skills, photography skills, public speaking skills, writing skills, and obviously social media management skills – and you need to be willing to put hours of work into every post.

16. What’s one “influencer marketing must” that marketers often overlook?

As someone who has both worked as an influencer and who has hired influencers on the brand end, I believe it is so important for both brands and influencers to know the worth of influencer marketing – for brands to understand influencer rates and what they entail, and for influencers to understand the investment brands are making when they hire them. So many brands overestimate or underestimate what they can and can’t ask an influencer for. As a general rule, I think it’s not appropriate for a brand to ask an influencer to adhere to a complex, detailed campaign brief with very specific deliverables if they are not paying them for their work. Conversely, if you are a designer label with very high price points, you should absolutely feel entitled to ask the influencer to guarantee they will post something before you send them a gift, even if the collaboration is unpaid.

17. Anything else to add?

Social media is always changing and evolving, so take any advice with a grain of salt! What works today might not work next year, so being successful in the digital world is all about beta testing, pivoting, and trying new things. Good luck!

Interview With @ashley_kuczenski

1. Tell us a bit about your background

2. What’s been your biggest challenge as an influencer?

3. How did you get your start as an influencer and how did you decide industry focus?

3. How did you get your start as an influencer and how did you decide industry focus?

4. Where do you get the ideas for your content?

5. How do you choose which brands to work with?

6. How has your life changed since becoming an influencer?

7. How did you build that loyalty with followers?

8. How did you grow your channel?

9. What is your advice for creating an authentic audience on social media? How did you get the ball first rolling?

10. As an influencer, what do you do to switch off from your phone?

11. 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?

12. What is the best piece of advice that you were ever given?

13. What strategic advice do you have for up and coming Instagram influencers?

14. Do you predict any shift in influencer marketing in the coming future?

15. What do you think is most misunderstood about influencer marketing?

16. What’s one “influencer marketing must” that marketers often overlook?

17. Anything else to add?

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