Meet The Influencer: Monica Marriott-Mills

What is one thing you think brands should consider/know when working with creators?

Consider long-term compatibility – working once with an influencer is great, but for real, long-term and authentic ambassadorship, consider a long-term partnerships and ongoing campaigns. This will enable both the influencer and their audience to really love, understand and become aligned with the brand, as opposed to ‘one-off’ pieces which can sometimes feel un-authentic and like a ‘one-hit wonder’ approach.?

In?your opinion, how can brands work better with creators?

Give the creator the creative freedom! You have chosen a creator because you ( I presume) like their content, so trust the creator to make content that works for them – they know their audience better than anyone. I can always tell when a brand has forced a specific script upon an influencer because the content will feel forceful and unnatural or not on brand for them.?

How do you evaluate success when you work with a brand?

I always turn to my audience for this. My audience are who I create my content for – I am highly selective and picky with who I will and will not work with/for. It’s so important to me that I am genuinely driving value for my audience – they’re the reason I am lucky enough to do what I do!

If my audience loves the brands I work with, it benefits them - and of course the brand. I of course, always look at analytics too – are my audience clicking on the links for the brand? Are they wearing the brand and asking questions about them?

What has been your fave campaign you have worked on and why?

Sekonda all the way!

I have been so lucky to be a Sekonda watches ambassador. By becoming an ambassador of a brand, you feel a whole new level of appreciation from the brand – you are able to truly advocate for and become an extension of their team. Sekonda have also been really forward-thinking with the influencers they use..they aren’t solely focused on huge follow count numbers ( have under 100k across all of my 3 channels), but more so on genuine community and advocacy. The proof is in the stats, huge follow-count numbers aren’t everything – the quality and community is really where you’ll see results.?

What is your?favourite example of a brand working with a creator??

I enjoyed the Wimbledon Nick Kyrious X Joe and Juice campaign – I love when brands collaborate in unique yet highly personal ways. The future of influencer marketing is really enabling the influencer to become part of the brand, not just a ‘salesperson’. I think curations, edits and even their own products is a great way to align a creator with a brand and to really give them freedom to showcase what they love about the brand.

The juice drove footfall, it was aligned with his healthy lifestyle and it grew brand awareness for J & TJ.