San Diego Influencer: What is Influencer Marketing? What Do Social Media Influencers Do?
I'm a blogger.
I'm an influencer.
I'm a social media manager.
I'm a blogging coach.
I'm a freelance writer.
I'm all of the above!
There are so many buzzwords these days - blogger, influencer, influencer marketing, engagement - but what does it all mean? Well, some have different meanings, some are similar, & some are industry words much like you'd view on a resume. I don't go around introducing myself as a San Diego influencer in all instances.
I've written over 500 blog posts & hundreds of posts on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, over the years. I've had a blog since 2011, long before I ever had an Instagram page. I majored in journalism & decided I didn't want to spend my life at a newspaper, the next best thing was a lifestyle blog. In 2011, it wasn't about followers, it was about finding a place on the internet where you felt at home. What a different time! In 2017, I quit my corporate job to find the next step for me: freelancing, remote work, writing, social media management.
Read my yearly freelancing anniversary updates from Years 1, 2, & 3!
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| Hanging out & hiking in Julian, California. |
When I do social media management for small local businesses & other clients, I'm a social media manager. What does a social media manager do in a day? Read here. When I'm completing contracted writing for magazines, I'm a freelance writer. If I'm invited to a restaurant opening in San Diego, it's probably because of my blog or social media accounts, so in that case, I'd call myself a San Diego influencer.
I remember attending a press trip for Visit El Paso in 2018 & talking to a man in his 50s. He was on the press trip too, but more on the event planning side, I was on the blogger side. He asked me about the term "influencer" & asked if that's what young people refer to themselves as these days. It was a good question.
Click here to contact me. I'd love to learn more about you & your top business needs.
Related reading: Life in Quarantine as a San Diego Blogger + Social Media Manager from April 2020
What Are Influencers vs. Bloggers?
Influencer marketing isn't just in San Diego or the United States, it's all across the world. There are influencers everywhere, from San Francisco & Los Angeles to New York & Paris & Warsaw, Poland. Overall, being a top blogger, influencer, etc. really depends on the person & what they want to be called. Generally, a blogger has a literal blog. Whether on WordPress, Wix, BlogSpot, SquareSpace, what have you, a blogger is a blogger because of a blog.
Someone who blogs is a blogger; someone who knits is a knitter; someone who plays basketball is a basketball player. It's more about the action, not about semantics.
Read this post for a whole exercise on how to find blogging inspiration & blog ideas.
An influencer might not have a blog but instead has a social media presence, such as Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, the list goes on. PS, read this blog post for tips to increase your Facebook reach. So because an influencer could be on any/all social channels, the term influencer is a general description of what we do. Social media influencers have influence because of the followers & online presence they've created, similar to a blog, but in a different capacity.
For example, at one point in May 2020, I had up to 2.2 million monthly viewers on my Pinterest profile. Is Pinterest social media?
A blogger might also have an active social media presence, & an influencer could have a blog. Because there isn't a magical exact preciseness to it all, each person might refer to themselves as something different! You can view examples of what a person calls themselves on their blog or social media channels, sometimes in their email signature.
Have questions about influencer marketing in the city of San Diego? Click here to contact me.
What is Influencer Marketing?
Both the top influencers & bloggers create content, write (whether it's captions or blog posts), take photos, negotiate, & so much more. Whether you are a therapist, beauty brand, or a beach towel company, there are ways to improve engagement, get a follow or two, increase visits, increase page views to your contact page, & more.
Influencer marketing is basically like user-generated marketing for the brand; they essentially hire the influencer to do work, ie. content or photos & then share it with their family, friends, audience that they personally developed.
Sometimes I'm a lifestyle blogger, travel influencer, travel writer, social media consultant, the names change because I'm all of them. It depends on who I'm speaking to or what I'm doing! When I went on that press trip in Texas, it makes sense that I'm a California blogger/San Diego influencer since I'm coming in with a California perspective & California viewers make up one of my biggest percentage of followers.
Want to contact me? Click here.
What Do Social Media Influencers Do?
Lifestyle influencer marketing revolves around things people use, eat, or experience on a regular basis, such as tea or a toothbrush or a short trip with family. After the Texas press trip, I created content on my blog. I found a particular aspect about El Paso that I loved & felt my followers & Google searchers would be interested in or would search for later. I wrote a blog post about Franklin Mountains State Park & then shared that content on my social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TripAdvisor).
Going on the press trip gave me content to write about; it gave me experiences, memories, & furthered my own blogging/influencing career by being part of a full-on fly me out, pay for my hotel room type of press trip! In return, the influencers/bloggers create content, take photos, or tag the brand, link to the website, generate interest, views, website clicks, or bookings, etc.
A lot of times a top influencer becomes an influencer by being themselves. For example, I wrote a post about rainbow eucalyptus trees in Balboa Park, San Diego (which you can read here) & it started getting organic search traffic from people Googling fun things in San Diego or where to see rainbow eucalyptus in San Diego.
As an influencer or blogger, you don't work for someone else, it's your platform to use as you wish. As an influencer, it becomes a business that the person chooses what's best. They can choose if they want to work with fashion & style, news, beauty, travel, food.
And remember: it's not always about the number of followers, how much reach do they get? How much engagement?
For example, I had a campaign with Del Taco to promote the Beyond Meat range of burritos & tacos. As someone who has been meat-free for 15 years, I was already buying this product. It made sense to me when the email popped in my inbox about doing a sponsored post on Instagram to talk about it. Make money talking about something I already used, ate, tried? Yes, please. Take a look at my Instagram post!
If you'd like to contact me, click here.
Examples of San Diego Influencer Marketing Events I've Attended
- I went to an event at Home & Away Encinitas for Thorn Beer. They invited foodie influencers to attend. These are regular people. Most of them have a day job, a life other than influencing. These are people who love food & probably post about it frequently, perhaps they use certain hashtags to find new followers. Take a look at my Instagram post about the event & experience here.
Related reading: Encinitas Coffee Shops: Searching for the Best Coffee in Town
- I was invited to the opening of the Scripps Ranch location of Juneshine. View my Instagram post from that event. This event was a bit younger, more modern, & fresh. Most influencers were young, under 40. It's all about the brand, Juneshine is a hard kombucha, which might have a fun, fresh young audience compared to a craft beer brand. The influencers you invite to your event should reflect your brand!
- I attended a mindfulness app launch party in San Diego a few years back at the start of influencer marketing. There was a range of professionals - not just bloggers. Each professional might have a different niche & audience, whether influencer or other local business representatives.
Is Influencer Marketing Free? What Does it Cost?
I've been invited to events across San Diego County. Sometimes a public relations company contacts me via email or sometimes you get a quick Instagram message about something from a brand itself. Each company or event is different. Sometimes there are no requirements for a particular event, they just invite you to feel free to post or not post. Sometimes they want you to post a couple Instagram Stories & other times it's more involved. This is where certain influencers have the leverage to have sponsored posts, posting fees, or other requirements, especially if a lifestyle influencer has a large following/reach. And yes, sometimes there is payment, depending on the campaign or type of sponsored collaboration.
Contact me or see about Coaching, Consulting, & Management for your small business.
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| On a press trip in Lompoc, California with Explore Lompoc. I wrote Fun Things to Do in the City of Lompoc, California on my blog. |
Finding an Influencer for Your Business
From La Jolla, Balboa Park, Del Mar, all the way up to Julian, there are events, restaurant openings, local businesses all around San Diego that could use lifestyle influencer marketing. It's all about finding the correct person for your brand. One influencer might offer daily posting on Instagram about local eateries to try in San Diego County while another might share home decor tips. Follow a few to get a feel for who's out there.
Related reading: How to Set Effective Personal & Business Goals So You Actually Get Things Done
You made it all the way to the bottom so what's the next step? Sometimes you have to take a leap & see what happens. If you need some help, I work with businesses on their engagement, blog writing, social media content, & more.
Whether you live in the city of San Diego or somewhere else, your business might benefit from influencer marketing. Have a question about social media influencers or small business influencer marketing? Contact me. Interested in social media management, help, or consulting? Fill out my Discovery Questionnaire & I'll get in touch with you within 48 hours.
Testimonials
“Very good job going above and beyond my request for stats. Appreciate you putting your critical thinking hat on when looking at the data and extrapolating actionable insights. This is excellent as we continue to test and tweak.” - R.W.
"Carmen helped me prioritize my goals for my brand as a whole. She provided me with skills to improve my decision-making in everything from blog topics, gauging my audience, and making my personality really shine through in my work." -K.S.
"I have so much more clarity about the direction we are headed in--and we are already seeing results! I implemented her SEO strategy a few weeks ago and in the past week we have started to see more referrals through Google. Most importantly, these are quality referrals that have booked with us right away and been eager to pay our full fee. Carmen keeps me accountable to my goals and also provides feedback on my marketing. I send her 90% of our content before it goes out, and she always thinks of ways to make it better." - C.A.
Want to hire me for social media management, consulting, or something else? Fill out my Discovery Questionnaire & I'll get in touch with you within 48 hours.
Things to Do in Lompoc, California
About Carmen
Hi, I'm Carmen. I'm a travel influencer & blogging coach who shares my experiences with my readers & anyone browsing for trip ideas (hey, that's you!). I visited the city of Lompoc, California on a press trip with a handful of journalists, magazine editors, & writers to experience a piece of what Explore Lompoc has to offer. "What is a press trip/familiarization tour?" you ask. I explain it in this post. |
| Mural in Downtown Lompoc |
How Do You Pronounce Lompoc?
Make sure you pronounce Lompoc properly or you might get corrected by a long-time resident. Say it with me now: LOM-poke. "Poke" as in "Did you just poke me?" Lom-poke. Lom-poke. Lom-poke. Say it 10 times without looking at the word & it helps. |
| Woodfired pizza from Valle Eatery + Bar |
Where is Lompoc, CA?
Several people sent me messages & comments asking where is Lompoc, California? I pondered that too until I drove my butt there. The city of Lompoc is located in Santa Barbara County. It's 60 miles south of San Luis Obispo, 55 miles north of Santa Barbara, & 155 miles north of Los Angeles. Lompoc is fresh & fun but not ridiculously out of the way. There are local events in town as well.Where to Stay in Lompoc, CA?
Here's a map:
Booking.com
What to Do in Lompoc? There are a plethora of things to do in Lompoc, California, especially if you're traveling as a couple, with friends, family, children, or solo.
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| T-Rex Mural in Lompoc |
Top Attractions and Things to Do in Lompoc
Walking Mural Tour in Downtown Lompoc
La Purisima Mission State Historic Park
Founded in 1787, the beautifully restored La Purisima Mission shares a glimpse into the past. You can choose guided tours of the buildings & grounds or venture off on your own. Walk through the tranquil mission gardens. Hike La Purisima Mission State Historic Park's 25 miles of trails. Grab a souvenir or hand-crafted item from the Gift Shop. I bought a stunning pink & green shell necklace. La Purisima Mission in the city of Lompoc, CA even has living history events such as a grape harvest, tortilla making, candle making, rope making, basket weaving, & other cool things to do with the family. |
| My Skydiving Experience at Skydive Santa Barbara Check out the Skydiver's Handbook |
Go Skydiving at Skydive Santa Barbara
It felt frigid in the tiny airplane on the ride up. I start to shiver. The engine buzzed louder than my thoughts. The first tandem skydivers open the airplane door, scoot to the edge of the plane, lean out, & then vanish like a puff of air. Now it's our turn - my badass female tandem skydiver who has done 8,000+ jumps - we inch our butts to the edge of the airplane & into the abyss. I brace myself, tilt forward, & oh shittttt we’re outtttttttt of the planeeeeeeeee. Magical. Positively magical. As far as exciting things to do in Lompoc, California, I highly recommend skydiving at Skydive Santa Barbara!Where to Eat in Lompoc, CA
Lots of local eats in town! Sissy's Uptown Cafe, a family-owned business, is the hot-spot in town for pie. The coconut cream pie came so highly recommended but alas, it was sold out by the time we arrived. In fact, they were sold out of almost all their pies. Sissy's pie notoriety might literally leave you wanting more. Hangry & need a quick & casual food in Lompoc? Burrito, pizza, sushi, oh my. Plenty of options to order, grab, & go. If you want to sit down to eat, try one of Lompoc's full-service restaurants. I ate pad Thai at Herb Home Thai Restaurant, sampled desserts & woodfired pizza from Valle Eatery + Bar inside the Hilton Garden Inn. Search online ahead of time to find something to suit your taste buds. |
| Blue nail polish: OPI (similar) // Hair tie ribbons: Kenz Laurenz (similar) Wine from Dierberg Vineyard |
Wine Tasting in Lompoc, California
Support local. Choose from 40 wineries and vineyards on Lompoc's wine trail, from Arcadian Winery to Zotovich Vineyards. The rolling hills & sprawling land make for some pretty scrumptious wine & stunning views. Check out the Lompoc Wine Ghetto, a cluster of local wineries, vineyards, and tasting rooms in Santa Rita Hills, if you want easy access to multiple wineries. Enjoy an afternoon of Lompoc wine tasting. The media crew first met at Dierberg Vineyard for a press trip wine tasting. Visit Lompoc and try a couple different tasting rooms. Browse their websites to see when they open and what their hours are.Airbnb
There are several cheap hotels in Lompoc, CA & affordable options but you can also search for Airbnbs. You can find something close to or in the center. Sign up for Airbnb with my link & get $40 off your booking. That could be a free night somewhere. I loved my Airbnb in Oslo, Norway, affordable & chic. I made coffee every morning. Ahh, I'm thankful for Airbnb memories. But I loved my Embassy Suites by Hilton Lompoc – Central Coast experience too! |
| The City of Lompoc |
If you haven't paid a visit to the city of Lompoc, integrate it into your upcoming travel plans. This buzzing town won't stay unknown for long. Soon people won't ask "where is Lompoc?" they'll say "I had no clue there were so many things to do in Lompoc, California."
How to Set Effective Personal & Business Goals So You Actually Get Things Done
Take it from me, someone who CONSTANTLY gets off track. These strategies increased my overall productivity compared to the month before.
1. WRITE IT DOWN
What good is a goal if you can't even remember it? Write your goals somewhere so you can see it. Type them in the notes section of your phone. Write it down on paper. Looking at your list serves as a constant reminder to strive for your goals.2. BE SPECIFIC
Simply saying "I want to blog more" doesn't amount to much. How often do you want to blog? For how long? On which days? Where? What were you doing before? Vagueness is not your friend. The small details make a difference. A better & more specific goal is: "I want to publish one blog per week for the next 4 weeks. I can commit to writing, editing, & photographing my post on Saturday mornings since that's my only free time."3. SHARE YOUR GOALS
What pushes you more (or is more embarrassing) than having a friend ask, "Did you ever finish that thing you were working on?" or "I thought you were going to give up watching so much Netflix." Sharing your goals might be the shove in the right direction. If you feel unmotivated, your friend asking "Whatever happened to...?" could be just what you need to keep going. So tell your friends & family! Share it on your blog or on social media. You could also hire me as your coach. :]4. DON'T GIVE UP
It isn't easy to create successful blogs these days. Whatever your goals are, don't give up if it doesn't happen or work out right away. Sometimes life gets in the way. Distractions happen, but don't let it completely derail you. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't instantly work out. Keep at it! I was blogging for 4 years before I earned even one cent!!5. DO IT
Don't just say you're going to do something, do it. Don't procrastinate. You want to workout more or write more? Well, get up off your butt & head to the gym or go on a walk or start typing on your laptop, even if you have nothing to say. Actions speak louder than words, so let your actions do the talking.1 Year Self-Employment Update: Life as a Blogger, Influencer, Entrepreneur
Read my updates from Year 2 & Year 3!
I launched the July Blogger & Influencer Challenge as a way to cover some of the information in my private coaching but make it affordable & accessible to more people. Every weekday in July each registrant receives coaching content straight to their inbox geared for badass bloggers & influencers looking to increase their social media reach, following, opportunities, & income.
Need some help making progress on your blog or social media platform? Want guidance on how to get more views, followers, opportunities? Struggling to understand the online world or how to find readers/clients? Fill out my FREE Discovery Questionnaire if you're interested to find out about more coaching & how I can help you.
Read This If You're on the Verge of Giving Up
Remember to do something each & every day, even if it's super small. After a year of daily effort, 365 tiny things turns into something huge.
Sometimes you have to do something scary or out of your comfort zone.
Ready for some real talk? I feel the saaaaame way. Sometimes I genuinely have no clue what to do next, which step to take, if it'll work. But that's all a part of the process. We're ALL winging life. We're ALL the oldest we've ever been.
I got out of my comfort zone just a few days ago at the Vans Warped Tour 2018 press kick off event. It's always a bit nerve-wracking for me to go to events. I have to hype myself & pump myself up just to step out the door. But it gets easier every time I do! I ended up having a blast eating rainbow sprinkle & Oreo ice cream, scoping out the Vans headquarters, & doing something new.
When I feel on the verge of giving up, I remember to breathe in & out. I remember that everything takes time & effort. I remember to focus on things that bring me joy, happiness, knowledge, love, friendship. I remember to believe. I remember that baby steps count, even if it's just a few steps out the door. It counts!
Staying Organized While Traveling, Blogging, & Working from Anywhere
Use Tile & the Tile app to be a part of the lost-and-found community, where friends & strangers come together to find everything that matters. You can easily hook, stick, or slide a Tile onto or into anything you don’t want to lose like the earrings your grandmother gave you or Earnie the stuffed panda, & of course, keys, phones, wallets. I put Tile in my business planner.
My planner contains receipts, deadlines, tasks, & everything I could possibly need to stay organized while traveling, blogging, & working from anywhere.
Tile gives me peace of mind so I can track my item in a jiffy. I use my phone to locate my planner & figure where it is. It ended up saving me time because rather than sifting through yesterday's suitcase & today's purse & everything in-between. Beep beep beep. I can find it right away.
My planner means a lot to me. It keeps me on track. It keeps me organized. It keeps me moving forward. It shows every single client session I've had this year. It's been there with me as I transitioned from corporate cubicle to the world of entrepreneurship. If there is something you can't stand to lose, put a Tile on it!
Time Management Tips for Freelancers, Remote Workers, Bloggers
Read my yearly freelancing anniversary updates from Years 1, 2, & 3!
1. Use Quality Equipment
2. Upgrade Your Wi-Fi
I recently installed the all-new Deco M5 Wi-Fi system from TP-Link which covers my whole home with an interactive Internet access, allowing me to surf the web, stream to my devices, & download on a safe, reliable connection. Yippee! Set up was super simple using the TP-Link Deco app. After all, they're the word's #1 consumer Wi-Fi brand.
3. Plan Your Day
Write a list of everything that you need to do. Organize it in order of importance. Identify your goals for the day. Write everything out so you can keep yourself accountable. I jot down tasks in my planner as soon as I receive an email, get a campaign update, or follow up with a client. I noticed that since investing in a planner, I've been more efficient & less all over the place.
4. Time Block Your Tasks
What is time blocking? Time blocking is a strategy to help maximize your time, increase productivity, & give you better structure by blocking out specific sets of time for each task. I like to do 30-minute or 60-minute blocks, depending on the amount of work or concentration needed. This allows me to set time aside to work on a variety of things without feeling like I missed something. I can always go back & apply another 30-60 minute chunk of time when needed.
5. Batch Similar Tasks Together
My work from home time usually revolves around one of the following categories: writing, photographing, editing, coaching, social media, & sending emails. That said, I can use my planner & time blocking skills to get these tasks done in batches. I'll send out follow up emails to my blog coaching clients for a 30-minute block of time. I'll edit photos for three different blog posts in a 60-minutes block of time, etc. When applicable & feasible, batch similar tasks together.
The Deco M5 Wi-Fi system gives me seamless & secure internet, so I can spend more time actually working — rather than trying to reset my Wi-Fi, unplug the router, & again, beg the internet faeries to do me a solid.
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