At Ranieri, we believe that cultivating organic and strong relationships between brands and creators  delivers authentic content and brand advocacy. Our Influencer Q&A series takes a deep dive into the relationship from both sides with insights for both marketers and creators.

 

Q: Please introduce yourself to our readers. What kind of content do you publish and on what channels? 

Bonjour! My name is Cécile, and I am the Frenchie Mummy. I used to work as a French and Spanish teacher in South-East London, but I am now a  full time content creator. I live in Kent with my partner Grumpy Boyfriend and my son Baba, who is 5.  

My Instagram @thefrenchiemummy and my blog are here to empower and inspire mums to be kickass ladies. I want them to be confident and have a harmonic work/life balance. But you can also find about some good French beauty & fashion and family friendly places in Kent and London. We love going on an adventure in the country!  

I also share a bit of travels abroad and in the UK. 

Q: Why did you become an Influencer? 

It all started in 2016 when I was on maternity leave. I just had my baby, and I wanted a new project just for me. At the time, I fancied the idea to have my own place to journal my experience as a new mum.  

It was nice to start a new challenge. Then I started connecting with other bloggers and I created my Instagram @thefrenchiemummy. 

It was just all a pastime first. But quickly, brands got in touch with me, and I realised I could monetise it too. So, I decided to become a full-time content creator in 2018. It was ideal because it meant I could work from home while looking after my son. At around the same time, we move to Ashford in Kent, so I left my job as a teacher and since then, I have been being a full-time blogger / influencer. 

Q: What’s your biggest mistake on social, and what have you learned from it? 

I think at the start I was very conscious of my content’s quality. I had no experience in photography or even coding, building a site etc. So, I was not very confident and always felt a bit like an imposter.  

But I think it’s not only about sharing nice photos. It’s also about building relationships with your audience and being authentic. I would love to have a ‘pure’ white feed, but it’s not me! 

So, I would tell anyone who wants to become an influencer to have a go and ‘be you’! You are unique, and people will be attracted to that! Everyone starts somewhere! There is no point comparing your journey to others and feel bad or not good enough. 

Q: How has Covid changed being an influencer? 

It was quieter at first in terms of campaigns. But I feel it has picked up now. People are more online and therefore, marketing campaigns are the way forward! 

I also enjoyed being my own boss. I could work whenever I wanted and schedule my work around homeschooling. I had a lovely time with my son, even if it was busy. But I set up great boundaries so that I was not overwhelmed.  

We also enjoyed daily walks in the country where we live, and I rediscovered beautiful places to shoot and locations for families to enjoy free days out. I share a lot more about our life in Kent. I can see my followers love this. 

Q: What are the most important factors for you when collaborating with a brand? 

It must be a brand we already love, or we would actually fancy checking out. I would not work with a brand that goes against my values. I also think carefully to see if collabs would be useful for my readers. 

I have discovered so many brands and products thanks to my channels. It’s amazing! I am always keen to check out new things, but I would always be 100% honest about it. 

Q: Do you have experience with TikTok? What are the opportunities for brands on this platform? 

I have not tried it out yet. I played a bit with Reels on Instagram. But it is something I need to look more into first. 

Q: What is your experience of e-commerce campaigns on social so far? 

I think it’s amazing to be able to share my views with other mums. It opened up so many doors to me. I love being creative and think about how I can turn a campaign into reality. I love the way I can interpret a brief with my own vision.  

Also, my followers tell me that they can see my personality via the campaigns I work on. So, I see it as a good thing. It means I am really touching people and not just selling a product. 

Q: What is your experience of Affiliate programs so far? 

I don’t use them often. I think you need a larger audience than mine to make it really work. Plus, it is everywhere and I sometimes feel the market can be a bit saturated. People have accepted marketing campaigns on social channels. But I don’t think they want to be sold to all the time either.  

Q: What is your content format focus in 2021? Will you be playing around with new video formats such as IG Reels, IGTV, Snapchat Spotlight or strengthen TikTok content? 

I would like to carry on promoting French brands as I feel it is one of my USPs. I also want to create more organic content and support local businesses. We love where we live, and we want to share this passion to the rest of the country! 

And supporting more charities. I don’t want my channels to be a ‘me’ project. I want to bring some real value to my followers, and I hope I will make mums feel more confident. 

Q: What hidden potential do you see for the relation between brands and influencers in the near future? 

Micro Influencers like me are not celebs and have very normal lives. I think all brands should tap into that because we have built an audience over time based on a more ‘normal’ life. 

There is a true relationship there between me and my followers. I have some real conversations with people every day. So, I think smaller brands should definitely look into it and start working with smaller influencers with less than 50K followers. They would get real good results 

Also, ongoing collabs are the future. I have worked with the same brands times and times again. I feel it’s more genuine. My audience can see that I am not just promoting products. I live by them and use them daily. That’s the best-selling point! Better than one off collabs.