Beauty Brand Owner & Influencer Allison McNamara: How To Launch A Brand On Social Media & Other Social Media Tips For Brands & Influencers

In this episode of Tag Me Podcast, we’ll be learning social media tips from influencer, beauty editor, and beauty brand owner, Allison McNamara. She’ll be sharing how she used social media to launch her beauty brand. If you are interested in learning how she built her community, her tips on managing your own brand deals, and more - stay tuned. 

Allison's Instagram: @allisonmcnamara
Mara's Instagram: @themarabeauty
https://themarabeauty.com/

CONNECT WITH US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/tagmepodcast/

Transcript

spk_0:   0:00
welcome to tag Me a social media podcast will be connecting with your favorite people and brands on social media to share their tips and best practices with you. My name is Audrey, and in this episode we'll be learning social media tips from influencer beauty editor and beauty brand owner Allison McNamara. She'll be sharing how she used Social media till entre beauty brands. You're interested in learning how she felt her community's her tips on managing your own brand deals and more stay tuned. Allison. Social Media handles are linked in the episode notes. Thank you for tuning in now, that sort of thing or two about social media from Alison. She's a social media influencer beauty editor and the owner of a clean from here brand. Let's welcome Allison McNamara to the tag Me podcast. Thanks for having man so excited for people listening who may not know you in a nutshell. What do you do and how did you get started? I mean, I think you

spk_1:   0:50
kind of crushed it, but I am, I guess, an influence or now. But I started out as a television host. I love interviewing people. That's kind of like my bread and butter. And over the years that really parlayed itself into being now a founder of a clean skin care line. That's my passion. I absolutely love like fashion and beauty. And so it was always finding ways to share my favorite things and being an editor. And then now I I do Mara.

spk_0:   1:12
Speaking of Mara, which, by the way, was recently mentioned in a Forbes article. Yeah, congratulations. Mara has a cult following. How has Social Media helped you build Morris community?

spk_1:   1:22
It's actually really integral to the growth of the business. Like I Okay, so I started out as this TV host, and I never thought that social media was gonna be a part of my landscape. I think now, little girls and little guys like they can grow up wanting to be YouTubers or bloggers. But that wasn't a career when you and I were starting out, so I never thought I was gonna be doing this in this way. So Instagram was really beneficial. But I don't have a huge following like I don't have millions of followers like some of these other women and men out there. But I did use my engaged following tow launch Mara And it really was like the only marketing that we've done so far, which is kind of crazy. We haven't paid $1 in any sort of like, Wow, I know, not yet. We will eventually, but we haven't yet. And so it's been about a year and 1/2 And so Instagram was kind of everything. That was the only platform that we had. So it was a big part of the business. I don't think you have to have, like hundreds of thousands or even millions of Instagram followers to launch a successful business. I just think you need to be. If you are going to use your own platform, you have to be like, reputable and people have to go to you for that in order for it to really make sense. But it's 2019 2020 like you can really do anything That's right. You can do it. Look, we're sitting here like I started a hot all right back tomorrow. What social platform to you focus on And why? Who just instagram and Instagram stories like for me personally. Like I told you, my bet like background is all about talking and I never really felt connected to my own instagram feed. I know that might sound crazy, but I don't visually story tell well through photos. I'm definitely a person that's like, Are you sure? I don't know, because I think you d'oh! Thank you. There's some people that I'm like, Oh my God, your fetus so good. Like that's never been something that came easy to me. What came really easy for me is instagram stories. So, like when that feature developed like that was something that I really ran with. And so, for Mara, I feel like instagram stories is where we focus on trying to, like, connect with other influencers and smaller micro influencers. And it's really like where you put all the focus. I really don't even do Facebook. I do Pinterest a little bit for Mara and a little bit more just for how I get my inspo. Um, but I don't really do much Facebook.

spk_0:   3:26
What makes an instagram story valuable, especially for Mara?

spk_1:   3:29
That's a really great question. So, like for Mara, I think what makes it really valuable is education. I think that in this day and age, there's so many brands like new brands are launching by celebrities influencers Big Big, whom brands every single day. So I think it's important to really educate your customer. And so we use instagram stories. Is a big vehicle for that and then also just to show like reviews and peoples like actual before and afters because that's when you can see someone's skin transform. That's what you want to see, which, by the way, they are amazing. I've seen him go. I know the retinal is incredible. We worked so hard on that product. It was like a three year development process and the true inspiration for the entire line. So, like, that's a great way to show really what, what you can do with skin. And so I think those are the two most important things we focus on

spk_0:   4:15
as an influencer and a brand owner. What should brands be doing to create brand awareness and credibility on social?

spk_1:   4:22
Ooh, I think it's all about being authentic to your word, right? Like the biggest thing. And I'm sure like a lot of our friends and people that we know would agree with this Is that like the word clean is not regulated. The word natural is not regulated. I wish our government cared more about our bodies and what we put on our face and our skin, but they don't so the word clean it's like it gets thrown around. And I think that, like having integrity to like what that actually means, like is so important in this day and age. And that's what builds like the foundation of any good brand. So to call yourself clean but then have, like paraphernalia, mineral oil in there Or, you know, say no parabens, no sulfates were clean, but then have a really, really dirty, inky list with filled with a bunch of pegs. Like To me, that's not that's not, like authentic, and that's not a way to build an audience. So I think, like whatever you're gonna like, build your brand around like, really be well versed in that and then live up to those actual standard because people trust you as a brand owner.

spk_0:   5:14
So someone is brand new to the social world and just launched a brand. Where should they start? Can they do it themselves? Or do you suggest having a team?

spk_1:   5:22
Oh, okay. I have like this hole, in my opinion on that is just like do it yourself. Like I think that, like when something's really authentic, it really speaks to an audience. But that being said, Don't go posting shitty photos on Instagram It is like it's the time where you have to have beautiful content and like that's gonna be your investment. So I think that, like my opinion for someone starting a brand is too. Hire a great photographer. Don't like, take crappy iPhone photos and do it yourself. Maybe that's where you save the money. Do your own posting. Use your authentic voice, but, like make sure your content is is good. I still do Maheras in feed posts because I'm like, really protective of it for some weird reason. I don't do the instagram stories anymore. I have a girl that does that, but I still like to d'oh the in feed posts. Maybe I'll give it up one day, but I'm like, very protective. So

spk_0:   6:08
let's jump into your social. Okay, so you have about 50 K followers on Instagram? How did you grow your personal community?

spk_1:   6:15
This is such an interesting question because I didn't ever try to grow. My community, I, you know, was at Pop Sugar and I would have all these amazing girls on my show. Ah, lot of them we know and love likes Marianna Hewitt. You're really good friend. Um, everyone, That was kind of like an influencer in the fashion and beauty space and then these big celebrity stylist so people would come on my show like, Remember, Peace Love Shea came on. That's not her Instagram anymore. Shae Marie. She came on and I had never heard of her before the interview, But she put a photo of us from the interview on her instagram, and I got like, a couple 1000 followers. Now this is back in the day where, like, you could post a photo and like that kind of return, like that kind of traffic would come to your page like it's a lot different now, but so slowly I just started, like amassing these followers just from girls coming on my show. So that's kind of like where people knew me from was from being a pop sugar, having this TV show and then having these girls that were also on it all the time. So, like I kind of tried to parlay that, but I was a little late in the game like I realized in 2015 like, Oh, maybe I should, like, make my own content. And then I started making content. But like I told you earlier, it's enough. It was never something that spoke, like really naturally to me to, like, do the feed stuff, even though I knew I had to do that to kind of adapt.

spk_0:   7:28
Well, I think all your content looks amazing. Thank you. And I also wanna comment on your captions. I think this is where your editor skills really shine. Because I've read so many of your captions in the past couple days researching everything you've posted on social, and almost every caption has a call to action. You're tagging a person or a brand or it's informative, which I think captions should have a purpose behind. What is your caption? Recipe

spk_1:   7:52
Caption recipes. So with that, I've just been trying to be more thoughtful with them because it's easy to have like an Alfa photo, and you're like all the camel, and it's like, What the hell is that? Like? I'm trying to be a little more thoughtful with, like, the conversations that we start. We have these platforms and, you know, I'm just trying to, you know, talk about things that are important to me. Like I posted something of the day about l vest, which is amazing. I read about it. Yeah, this amazing financial tool that you can use to help start your own investment, especially for women who are entrepreneurs who maybe don't have a 401 k in place or, you know, some sort of larger company that saving for them we're doing a matching system. It's a really nice tool that I think you can use. And so I wanted to share that with my audience, but, like I shared it on, like a really glamorous photo of me, like with champagne. So, like, it's it's kind of like just trying to start those honest conversations and you give the wisdom that I have learned or, like, get wisdom from my followers with these glossy photos shot out

spk_0:   8:46
to Elvis. Yeah, there. What's your handle? It's just e l l e v e s t. All right. Well, there you go, guys. If you want to start saving

spk_1:   8:54
Yeah, it's also join Alison and the other, like, half a 1,000,000 women that are doing

spk_0:   8:58
it. All right, so at what point? Since we're talking about content, did you start getting messages from brands wanting to work with you almost instantly? And I

spk_1:   9:06
think it's because of my editor background. You know, I didn't have that hard transition that I know a lot of women go through to start monetizing their platform. I was already doing branded deals and I was at Pop Sugar, so I would have and these were These were huge deals. Could they be built in with, like, you know, the pop sugar brand. But once I left, it was a pretty natural extension that brands reached out to me for and so for that, I'm forever grateful. But that doesn't go without its own set of challenges, right? It's about how I used to have a manager in an agent that would do all of my deals, and now I do most of my deals myself. And so I think, for like people trying to start out doing content with brands, you just have to like post stuff and not expect any sort of payment for a minute. And I even do that now, like most of my partner ships come out of like me just honestly sharing things and then brands reaching out and being like, Hey, we want to do something with you And that's not my only form of income. So it's kind of like all extra to me, what

spk_0:   9:58
has been one of your favorite brand deals?

spk_1:   10:01
Oh, that's so hard. I hate to play favorites, but, um, I think the one that I probably like the one I was most proud of was probably the lorry al deal I had. It was like a year long deal, and it was like the first major deal I had when I went on my own. So that was one that, like, really gave me confidence to do this as like a future endeavor and not be like with a big company. So that was playing when I was most proud of is it meant a lot in that moment. But the one that was most exciting was probably Lemaire. He is even though it's not a clean brand. It's a brand that I've looked up to and used for years and I really wanted to try and get more into the prestige space. So that was one that was, like a big check box to, uh, this year. So nice. Yeah. Loreal totally makes sense for you. You have the best hair. Thank you. I mean, it's a little a little fried right

spk_0:   10:42
now, but I also love that you touched on that. You now negotiate all your own deals. Which actually, no, because they actually just worked on some spotting content for a band I work with. Um, but I love that. And I think a lot of talent feels that Oh, I want to be an influence. I wanna work with brands. I need a manager. What would you say to someone who's just starting out?

spk_1:   11:02
You? 1000% Do not eat a manager. Most of the deals I've gotten even when I had I've had big fancy agents at big top places not necessarily for influence or work, but for, like, traditional talent. And I would still bring a majority of the deals all the jobs have ever gotten. Whether it was Refinery 29 who? Christine Barbaric, The editor in chief sought me out when I was at pop Sugar to entertainment Tonight when I was there. All of these I procured on my own and most of the deals I've gotten have all been through, like people. D I mean me or me sharing something. So honestly, I know it seems like the grass is always greener if you don't have a manager, it is harder when you have to go through those the contracts I have a lawyer that I work with. I think that's important. I did have an incident, though, where my face it end up on a brochure like a year after the the deal, and that was like something that was like a legal, a legal issue. But and that will might happen. Maybe not to that extreme, because that was pretty extreme. But, you know, it's good to have someone that knows what they're talking about, doing it, looking over it. But you don't need someone to actually get the deal, and I don't think you have a manager is gonna mean that you're gonna get a bunch of deals either. Like that was the thing that I think a lot of my friends have faced. It's like, Oh, I have this big agent now, but like her manager. But I'm not getting any deals

spk_0:   12:12
right. I love what you also mentioned right about your face ending up on a pamphlet or brochure because, sure, I think one of the biggest things, especially if you do manage your own deals. It's snowing where it's going to live and for how long. Because, honestly, I think some brands don't do it to be, you know, sneaky. I think it's because sort of brands don't really know maybe how to navigate the influence or space. So they think if they're paying for sponsored content, they can utilize a photo in a pamphlet on their website. Here they're on a billboard. But that's not the Borg's great right? So, you know, breaking down how all that really works when the brand is is very important.

spk_1:   12:53
Yeah, the usage is incredibly important because it's also like your name and likeness, and, you know, I'm not gonna say the brand that did this, but it was a massive brand. I mean, this is a huge brand. They definitely knew what they were doing, or someone just didn't read the terms because it was a year long deal. It was a massive brand. And then I ended up the following year on something that, like I didn't even like it wasn't even a part of the deal. Man, I know is you d'oh! I mean, my manager at the time I had to him, he did work it out and the I inject getting paid more, they basically just extended my deal. But it was annoying because I had other other work that was in that space that had exclusivity to it. So it gets a little like, Yeah, so that such that if you're a big one,

spk_0:   13:32
managing your own deals, exclusivity you want to know how long? If you're working, for example, with a shoe brand? If they say you're exclusive with him for three months, you can't work with another shoe brand for three months. Yeah, So now that we've just talked a lot about brand and some things that have happened and contracts in working with so many brands and now being a brain donor yourself, what would you suggest to brands when they're working with talent to make it a smooth partnership between the two and really mutually beneficial? I

spk_1:   14:01
think that you have a really successful partnership. Everyone just needs to know what the expectations are. So I love like I know we're working on a deal right now, and it's like when you consent a lookbook or, you know, just a spec sheet. So you kind of understand, like the vibe they're going for having all the Hashtags there, having all of the tagging there, like just making a really simple for the influencer and then the influence or going to deliver what they what they need to deliver. But I think when it's like this elusive thing that goes back and forth and you're I almost think like when you have too much creative control it also, if it's not instagram stories, too much creative control for the Instagram without having any sort of guidelines from the brand, it makes it hard cause I have had some things in the past where they're like, Well, that's not our vibe as well. You didn't give me any sort of a guideline, so I think just having like a clear set of instructions and a clear set of like what the expectations are is really important. I also think that, like, brands should let the influence was gonna do their own thing too. Though I think those should be like that breathing room. Like, you know who you're hiring so like, you should already be very well versed in their style. You know what it means? Like sometimes I have brands and usually don't work with these brands. Honestly, with that, come to me and we'll ask for things. And I'm like, have you ever seen what I do? Like, I'm not gonna post about like a car, right? We

spk_0:   15:09
know the talent that you're reaching out. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's really important to give talent as much creative freedom as possible. And now we're gonna jump into some pop questions. Are you ready? Ah, Brander person you would love to work with. I

spk_1:   15:22
would love to do like a high end fashion moment. I started out in fashions like that's my dream is to do something fun. I know that's, like, very aspirational, but I would love to do something like super chic in Paris. Tell me, a brand Oh, well, she reached for the stars. Let's do it like Chanel. All right. You know, you heard that Alison wants to work with you. If you're listening anyone, You take all my money anyway. So your instagram content crush Oh my gosh, there's so many. I love this girl named Laura Cray Fi. I think that's how you say her last name. She's got incredible beauty content. She's just like so I love her. I love Lauren. Gore is. I think I share that with you. She's like the workout goals, Mom, goals I don't have. I don't have a kid yet, but if I did like, I would want my life to look like that. Um, and I love Nicky to Roast and Kitty Jane Hughes's makeup artists literally like my two favorite makeup artists to follow. And for fashion. Oh my gosh, I like everywhere. So many, like you are going me on a song, All my things you're go

spk_0:   16:16
to Visco Filter. Yes, so it's kind of stuff using disco for a minute, but I like a six em in a sexy

spk_1:   16:22
yeah, and I think it's J J. To It's kind of like this were Blue Hue, but I like mixing that with, like, a warm tone on top of it. But those replacement, two favorites and C four. I love this. I feel like we're noting out. It's only crazy, so happy we're there. We like nowhere. Visco before Yeah, I

spk_0:   16:37
used to be an HB one HB two girl I use H. P's for a minute. When AIDS came out, I was wrong. You never seen what APS related to social Do you use that you couldn't live without?

spk_1:   16:49
Whom is a big one for Mara? Because I'll plan out like a month in advance. I really don't have to think about it. So you knew him is like my ride or die. I love the Tessa app. I forget who I discovered that by It's a newer one for me, but I love. There's like I think it's the inspire filter. It just really mutes out things. And with my hair color filters air hard because I have this bright red hair so they has like it's hard to describe it as the wrong tone. It makes me look like an orange like it's not cute.

spk_0:   17:14
So it's Tessa. Photo editing out. It's a photo and

spk_1:   17:17
video, so it's great if you're doing like a branded instagram stories, making literally sleeping, Glossy. Okay, it Tess is really nice. So you know, I'm Tessa. Um, because you played the two that use the most. I also love unfold for instagram stories and story art. There's a lot. Thank

spk_0:   17:33
you so much for being guests on. Tag me podcast. If you want to follow Alison or Tagger when you share about this episode on instagram stories because it is so good you can find on Instagram at Allison McNamara and her skin care line at Tamara Beauty. Thank you for listening to this episode of Tag Me. If you enjoyed it, give us a shadow on Instagram at Tag Me podcast. Let us know what you want from the episode. Make sure you subscribe. So you're always up today on tag me episodes. If you have feedback on the podcast guest suggestions, including topics or you wanna be a guest, visit us on instagram at tag new podcast and click the email button or slide in rdm This podcast is for you, So please let us know how we can improve. We look forward to hearing from you I'm connecting with you on socials. Don't forget to tag me