Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kristen Sellentin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kristen, appreciate you joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
I have! This last year, 2022, I had a goal to make 6 figures as a social media Content Creator and I did it with determination, consistent social media posting, making connections with brands, and brand campaigns.
I started my journey in December 2019 when I was looking for a work from home job because I had a toddler and a preschooler at home and didn’t want to go back to an office. I had resigned from my real estate career in 2015 after the birth of my daughter and I knew I would not want to go back to what I had been doing for ten years. I wanted to use my creativity. I had been on Instagram for years but had a private account. In the summer of 2019 I started to really notice a shift to more DIYing and crafting accounts, and influencers promoting products #ad. I thought maybe I could do that too.
I made my account public in December 2019 and started sharing my holiday crafts and decor. I quickly began networking with people in my niche. I started contacting small shops asking to collab so I could have products to share/create with and help them make sales. Within 3 months I had 10K and got the swipe up! I was able to link products and make commissions.
Since then I have joined TikTok, grew my Pinterest and now have a combined 165,000 followers. It’s been a 24/7 job. I am constantly creating, sharing, and engaging with my community. I am reaching out to brands, applying for campaigns, creating photos and videos, and still being a stay at home mom.
Last year I had several dreams come true. My work has been published in a magazine – actually I am now a reoccurring contributor! I got to work with several dream brands like Target and Lego. I hit 100,000 followers on Instagram, launched my own website and have new branding, and indeed made 6 figures!
I don’t believe anything could have sped up the process for me personally. I have initiative and always ask questions. I was and am constantly trying to learn new techniques and grow my brand. The biggest thing I did for myself to propel myself into more than just a crafting account and to become a Content Creator was asking questions to people I looked up to. There is no manual for being a Content Creator. There are a lot of gatekeepers too but I would ask and ask until someone would give me an answer. Never be afraid to ask for help and guidance!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m Kristen, a Content Creator and Photographer, and a mom of a 8 year old & 5 year old. I live in Houston, TX with my husband who is my college sweetheart.
I have a passion for creating beautiful content for brands that align with their campaign goals and business platform. I love shooting flatlay photograph and styling products.
I have a knack for product styling, crafting & DIYing, in addition to brand content creation and photography.
I make product images and videos for brands of all sizes for social media campaigns.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I get asked this question a lot and the first thing I say is JUST START! Think about what you want you want to share with the world. Are you a baker? Do you like to share your home decor? Are you a crafter? What’s your niche?? That’s what you want to determine first and don’t worry because you can always change it later down the road and pivot.
Make that account and start sharing content. Be consistent with your posting. Post 3-5 times a week. Post meaningful content that is eye-catching and creative. If you are on Instagram, make sure you are making reels. Reels are the only real way to grow these days. Photos aren’t pushed out like reels. You are only always 1 reel away from going viral and getting tons of followers, but don’t worry about not gaining tons of followers. You want followers who want to be there with you and support you in engagement, views and shopping your commissionable links. You want faithful followers so it’s ok to grow slow.
Also, there are many brands who want to work with micro influencers. I got my first brand campaign when I had 8K followers!
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My goal is to be able to work at home doing what I love and supporting my family. Goal number two for me has always been to give my audience inspiration and ideas to help them make their lives easier and more fun. Everything I share must meet my criteria of affordable, cute, easy & attainable before I will share it. I know my audience and what they like so I am always making sure I give them what they want.
I am driven by my own ambition. I am a self starter and I am always looking for ways to expand my brand. I hope to one day be able to start a Content Creators workshop for people aspiring to become a content creator.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kristensellentin.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/kristensellentin
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristen.sellentin
- Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kristensellentin
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ph/KristenSellentin/?invite_code=93018b87ac9549b28305db6627c429dd&sender=263531153103782430