I found this book to be really useful for those who want to do better, like myself in the world of social media and to grow what I have online.

This book is a MUST if you are interested in promoting yourself through social media or becoming an infuencer! I learned more in the first chapter alone than from any other source I have come across.

I have a confession to make. I'm not a vlogger, blogger or youtuber. However I love reading people's blogs and am a fan of a number of larger youtubers videos. So basically I just don't know whether I am the target market for this book or not!!
I thought this was a good read. Like I said above, I love youtube videos and am incredibly nosy. I wanted yo know more about how much they make and how. It was very informative and satisfied a lot of my curiosity.
I do feel like youtubers and bloggers get sent far too much free stuff though, its about time they helped out those who can't afford it rather than giving even more to the rich. (I know this bit is nothing to do with the book but I felt like the book really highlighted to me just how fortunate these bloggers and vloggers are and it made me angry that brands give these people stuff for free when they're rich and can afford it anyway)!

In the digital space, an influencer is a person with social currency with high levels of engagement and will propel his or her followers to act in a particular way; mostly to make purchases.

Although the label "influencer" has developed a negative connotation over the last couple of years, no one can dispute that it is a lucrative income stream. Based on her experience as the first-ever Senior Director of Influencer Strategy and Talent Partnerships at Hearst Magazines Digital Media, Brittany Hennessy provides a blueprint for building and maintaining an online career.

Social media marketing is a segment of communications that is commonly misunderstood. However, its power is quite undeniable with both positive and negatives. Less is spoken about the skills and effort required in pitching, planning and delivering on the perfect campaign for a brand. Hence, it is important to know how to navigate its murky waters. Just ask Kendall Jenner about the Pepsi commercial debacle.

Hennessy makes the case for knowing what kind of influencer you choose to be and how to wield your social currency. One does not necessarily need over a million followers on your chosen social media platforms to attract strong and profitable brands. Rather, one can still be regarded as a successful micro-influencer: one with small but dedicated number of followers. She guides readers on core influencer principles and how they can optimise the value of their social media channels to appeal to brands. At the same time, she emphasises the need for the influencer to remain anchored in his or her personal brand. She proposes a 70/30 ratio when accepting sponsorships i.e. 70 percent of your content should organic and 30 percent should be sponsored.

Influencer is a great tool for content creators because it feels as if Hennessy is holding your hand throughout the process. She provides communication scripts for various stages in the collaborations stage since communicating and negotiating with various brands tends to be the most difficult part for newbies.The book is very accessible because she goes to great lengths to break down industry lingo. There are additional interesting features such as expert tips, influencer insights (illustrations for points made), influencer icons (interviews with successful influencers) and my personal favourite, "don't be that girl" segment where she shares anecdotes where content creators have committed industry faux pas.

One of the highlights of this book is advice from Joy Cho of Oh Joy! She refutes the commonly held assumption that being a fulltime entrepreneur and working from home will rid of your "9-5" cage. She says:

Yes, you can have more flexibility because you are in control of your hours, but it's not something to go into thinking you will have more time. The time is just dispersed differently...

...Yes, you can take vacations without asking your "boss" but on vacations, you are likely checking emails and doing some sort of maintenance since it's hard to completely shut yourself off from work when you run your own business.

Influencer is for aspirational content creators who need to make a couple of tweaks in how they manage their online businesses from building their online communities, packaging their brand and monetizing their influence.

As a book blogger, vlogger and author, I was interested to see what Influencer had to offer in terms of advice on building my platform. Although this book is aimed more at those looking to broker partnerships with brands, it still has some useful advice and ideas on increasing followers and interactions, and getting your voice heard over the noise that is social media. I closed the book with a few new ideas on how to present content on my various channels, and between Hennessy's tips and comments in guest interviews, Influencer gives the reader a lot to ponder and implement before setting off on the journey to become an influencer.