How To Become a Microinfluencer on Instagram

Niche bloggers, also known as microinfluencers, are getting more and more popular. In the case of Jessica Serna, what sets her apart from other bloggers is that she is curly.

A Texas native, Jessica enjoys finding adventures wherever she is. The face behind the travel and fashion blog MyCurlyAdventures, Jessica seeks help people live a stylish travel lifestyle even with a 9-5. She regularly writes travel guides, fashionable finds, and solutions to managing curly hair.

Read on to find out more about Jessica, and how you, too, can become a microinfluencer in your field.

You are the blogger behind My Curly Adventures. In your blog, you explain that you started blogging after returning from a 5-month stay in Spain. What impressed you about Spain? How did this trip help you become a successful blogger?

Texas State Fair | Karla Janneth

Spain is just so incredibly different than the United States. Every day was filled with visiting new locations and exploring a new culture. There was never a dull moment because it was so easy to hop on a bus and visit a new city or catch a cheap flight to a new country. I lived in Granada and there weren’t a lot of resources on what to do in the city so I wrote a couple of posts on things to do, where to eat, and the best place for coffee. I wasn’t good at keep up with it, but when I checked my site a year later I was surprised by the traffic and decided that I should do things similar in my own city.

On Instagram, you have more than 10K followers. With how many followers did you start receiving sponsored travel opportunities? What were the difficulties that you stumbled upon in the beginning?

Austin TX | MyCurlyAdventures

With 2k followers I was receiving invites to special events in my area. At 6k I could start reaching out to brands where I planned on travelling to comp part of my travel experience. For instance, I was able to eat at restaurants and visit their local attractions. At 10k you can get the occasional hotel stay and media rates. With a smaller reach, you may get more no’s than yes’s, but as long as you’re being polite (and show that you can provide value), there’s no hurt to asking. There is a craft to writing your pitch. As a micro influencer there are up to 2 million people with more followers than you, granted they’re not all reaching out to the same companies. Still, you have to write a professional email that stands out.

What is a microinfluencer? What advice would you give to microinfluencers who still want to reap the benefits of their hard work, building up their blog with smaller numbers?

Tampa Mural FL | MyCurlyAdventures

Numbers are important, but they’re not everything. It’s important to find your niche. If you’re a travel blogger, what type of travel blogger are you? You’re more likely to get deals if you specialize in travelling with kids, or focus on adventure trips, or something else unique because then you’re followers are more engaged and more influenced by you. I started out as a Texas travel blogger which meant Texas brands were more excited to work with me. I would say the most important thing is photography! If you’re following isn’t as big, but your photos are phenomenal, you can promote that aspect.  Many brands need constant new media and influencers can be cheaper than a photographer. Another thing is a blog post. Instagram photos last about two weeks, a blog post will always be searchable.

As a microinfluencer, how did you approach brands or people you have worked with, such as restaurants in Tampa, attractions in St Petersburg and Orlando and the city of Allen?

In places such as Tampa, St Petersburg, and Orlando I used social media to identify a list of restaurants and  places that I wanted to work with. I sent out a personalized email to each one explaining why their brand was phenomenal. I often asked if they supported bloggers rather than straight out asking for things. I then included what I could offer which was a larger list of items

How much can microinfluencer expect to get paid working with brands? What tips do you have for approaching brands?

Tarpon Springs | MyCurlyAdventures

To come up with a number is hard. I can say that a micro influencer isn’t going to make a full time income working with brands, but it is a nice supplement to a regular income and I’ve gotten to live a lifestyle I would not have imagined. The first thing an influencer should do is focus on phenomenal content. If I do want to reach out to a restaurant in another city I will first create content on a restaurant in my city that I spent my own money on. I will do everything to go above and beyond when writing the content and taking pictures so that way when I reach out to the other brand I have a portfolio piece that shows what I can do. The same goes for hotels and other brands.

Follow Jessica on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.