Ageless Beauty Chronicles: How I accidentally became a beauty influencer at 50+ years old!
Hey there, angels! As many of you know, I spent a good part of my youth in entertainment. But what many don’t know is that I worked my ass off to stay employed in that industry, and most of the time, I was insecure as hell.
Cut to the grand era that is my fifties. I’m caring less about being perfect and more about being myself. Do I still have moments of insecurity? Occasionally. Do I use filters on days when I feel tore up from the floor up? Sometimes! Am I shocked that the videos I make with no make-up and no filter have become an un expected side hustle? Absolutely!
Today, I’m here to spill the frijoles on how I stumbled upon becoming a bonafide influencer. For those of you wondering if you can do this and curious about why you might want to, this post will take you through my journey over the last few years in about 10 minutes.
Why in the world would I want to do this?
For years I worked in marketing as a social media manager for some well-known people and brands. And having known and collaborated with some highly successful influencers over the years, I wasn’t even a little bit curious to personally venture into the world of beauty. In addition to hearing all the crazy, cut-throat stories about the beauty industry, I didn’t think I had the kind of expertise to offer anyone.
But I was wrong.
I’ve got news for you, influencing is everywhere, and you’re already an influencer within your network. Sharing your opinion can not only be fun, it can bring in extra cash too! Let’s talk about one of the best perks: freebies! As an influencer, brands want your opinion and promotion, so they often send you products to review. Let’s take a moment to appreciate all the fabulous free goodies that come our way. Enjoy the perks, ladies!.
A more undercover benefit is that as an influencer, you have the power to inspire and uplift others. Sharing your personal journey, tips, and tricks can make a real difference in someone’s life. Connecting with a community of like-minded enthusiasts, building meaningful relationships, and becoming part of a supportive sisterhood is a blessing.
My entry into influencing started off quite innocently. I was answering a question that I had been asked dozens of times. “What do you use on your skin.” I had been taking care of my skin for a long time. I didn’t go to school for it; it was second nature. After posting an impromptu video and watching it get hundreds of thousands of views, I quickly realized that what wasn’t a big deal to me was a huge deal to plenty if others. Even the very young ones!
I made the video above, and the rest is history.
Here are some of the things I did and learned while on the journey
The UnGlaming of an Angel: In a world obsessed with youth, I discovered my secret weapon was authenticity. I always thought I had to get cute to show up on camera but NOPE. I showed up with no makeup or filters in all my most successful beauty videos. I’ve worked hard to embrace every wrinkle and laugh line, turning them into badges of experience and confidence. Being a beauty influencer pushed me to step out of my comfort zone. I became more confident in my appearance, embraced my grays, and learned to show up unapologetically. It was an unexpected journey of personal growth. I became a beauty influencer for mature skin, sharing my real-life challenges and empowering women to rock their unique beauty. Because, let’s face it, we’re all flawless in our own way!
Simple Sharing: A sis could get exhausted keeping up with EVERY SINGLE trend on Instagram or TikTok. I honestly got overwhelmed just watching! I decided to do it the easy way and showcase things I knew. Skincare routines that I had used for years or just started using and loving, self-care rituals that were REAL, and oh, I learned how to let that light shine on my big, curly gray head. By the way, I slayed the captions because engaging my followers comes naturally. And, speaking of engagement, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Just answer questions. Which is pretty easy if you’re telling the truth!
Know who you’re talking to: You use different words or tones to talk to everyone, right? I may be wrong, but you wouldn’t talk to your kids like you talk to your co-worker. Well, the same rules apply to social media. Each platform has its vibe, and knowing how to interact is essential. Just posting the same video everywhere, only sometimes cut it. Know the audience that’s watching and figure out what they need. A great case in point for me was sharing on LinkedIn. Sure, some of my connections care about their skin, but I never share beauty videos on LinkedIn. I do share results or other related content. For example, the month I shared my GuaSha video on TikTokTok and Instagram, my Amazon shop was poppin’. I decided to piggyback on this activity and share a photo regarding my foray into the world of beauty, influencing 50+ on LinkedIn. The image went viral, and of course, I included a link to the shop, but that was just the icing on the cake. You can see in the screenshot above that it had over 100k impressions and was shared 15 times. I discovered that I had an audience on there that was older than on my other platforms, so I started sharing my travel videos. On LinkedIn, I tag my travel content #remoteworking or #retirement roaming, and they all do well. I’ve made incredible connections, gotten many free products, and made money. Plus, LinkedIn is where the big brands live. My influencer media kit lives there, too, and you can bet that when I want to pitch a brand, I’ll be looking for their head of influencer relations. Stay tuned because I have plans for Fall.
The right stuff: Using the right tools to track and talk to brands makes life easier. We’re gong to break this down into two categories.
- Finding deals: There are currently many platforms that allow creators to partner with top brands, apply to campaigns, and earn money. These platforms streamline communication, provide a centralized location to manage campaigns, and offers dedicated support. On some platforms creators need to meet specific follower requirements like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube to join. BUT don’t let a small following prevent you from trying. Micro influencing is IN! Once you set up profiles, new campaigns can be discovered through marketplace listings or direct messages from interested brands. PayPal accounts and or bank accounts are connected to receive funds directly. Some of the platforms to find brand deals are GRIN, Aspire and Upfluence
- Knowing your worth: While free products are great, if you want to make money, you need to dive deeper into understanding your content’s performance. Each platform provides content creators with access to analytics, which measure reach and engagement. This knowledge allows you to showcase your influence to brands within your community. Thanks to my marketing background, I grasped this concept. Instead of manually analyzing each platform’s analytics, I opted for a tool. Social Bluebook, an influencer brand that approached me for a video collaboration, offers various tools for creators to track and pitch. One such tool is the brand valuation tool, where creators can connect their social media accounts and receive an estimate of their charging potential. They also have a media kit tool that directly imports information. Personally, I found Canva to be a better solution, but Social Bluebook’s media kit option is a good starting point.
- Affiliate Partnerships: Another must is your ability to work with brands that you love, even if they are not running a campaign. You do this in the form pf affiliate linking. The most well known affiliate program is probably Amazon but another very good platform is the impact.com affiliate program. Impact.com has over 200 brands on their roster3 and is growing daily. They also provide a comprehensive solution for managing and growing your affiliate marketing efforts.
Get some help: I hired a coach. Yes, a coach! When learning something new, working with someone who can help you assess and plan is always lovely. My coach is under 30 and works for one of the largest influencer agencies in Los Angeles. I’ve learned a ton. She was able to give me practical advice on pitching that gave me the confidence to talk to brands.
COnclusion
There you have it! My journey from a hesitant beauty lover to a fierce 50-year-old influencer on social media. Remember, age is just a number, and beauty has no boundaries. This post inspires you to embrace your uniqueness and maximize your own area of influence.
