How to Work with an Influencer | Ivy Chen
We’re continuing our How to Work with an Influencer series with Matte Talent’s very own Ivy Chen, a style expert, beauty guru and founder of Canadian toddler fashion brand Bébé Fête. Known for her lifestyle blog Prim and Pimp, Ivy’s content has evolved from being fashion-focused to include a mix of life hacks, travel, home, food and all sides of motherhood. Ivy also uses her fashion expertise to show her audience how one piece of clothing can be styled in three different ways through her popular YouTube/IGTV series, #StyleX3.
COVID-19 has continued to shift the way the world works, and influencers have not been immune to these changes. We reached out to Ivy to see what she’s been up to during lockdown, ask about misconceptions around working as an influencer, and how she stays authentic when endorsing brands.
First thing’s first: how has the pandemic affected your influencer work? As we head into a post-COVID world, what things do you think will/should change about this industry?
As we started our lockdown, I saw a fall in my business. A lot of companies were unsure of what COVID-19 would do to their business, so they started cutting costs, and marketing is usually always the first to go. This in turn made me take an even more creative approach with my social media. I started to create more videos of my kids (on how to entertain them), beauty (skincare routines and tips and tricks), and stay at home fashion to help my followers survive this pandemic.
As you’ve evolved into a household name, tell us about the responsibility that comes with endorsing brands while staying authentic.
When I first started in the industry, I would take paid work from any brands that would approach me. However, as I grew, I also got more conscious as to what brands I would support. I now only work with brands that I have used and loved, because I want my community to trust me.
You seem to be having a lot of fun on TikTok! Can you tell us what you love about it, how it differs from the majority of social media networks and what it means for future influencers?
TikTok was something I started during the pandemic. I wanted to add another element to my content, and it was the perfect platform. I love being funny and making fun of myself, so it was so fun to make these 15 second videos.
Quick, tell us who your top 3 influencer besties are! What kind of content do they produce?
No Tummy Mommy – she’s so inspirational and I love to workout with her. Michelle Jobin – she’s smart and always knows where to get an amazing meal (even during COVID-19). Everyday Eve – her home decor is always on point and my oldest is definitely marrying her daughter one day.
You’re a mompreneur, a style expert, a lawyer and a beauty guru! Do you have any plans to add other passions to your platform? If so, what are they?
I am always looking to do new things to educate myself. But currently I am just focusing on my kids clothing company Bébé Fête and being a more inspirational content creator.
Are there common misconceptions about working as an influencer or things that people may not know behind-the-scenes that you’d like to educate on?
I think it’s important to understand that it’s not just about taking a picture. There is a lot of work and planning that goes into each picture for brands. We are doing everything that an entire crew would do for an ad campaign (from makeup, styling, location scouting, props, etc.).
Looking to the future, tell us who your bucket list brand collaborations are!
I am obsessed with Bottega Veneta right now and they would be my dream collaboration!!!
–
Keep up with Ivy by following her on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
