A Hong Kong native at heart, Andrea Lee has found joy in documenting her life, personal style, and travels online. Currently a junior at Northeastern University in Boston, she is pursuing a degree in Marketing and Interactive Design. Her artistic and trendy street-style photos have earned her close to five thousand Instagram followers. Some may even call her a micro-influencer. In today’s digital world, the term ‘influencer’ is nothing new. It refers to someone who has established credibility in a specific industry and has access to a large audience through social media. So, what makes micro-influencers so special? They typically have less than one-hundred thousand followers and are able to connect to their audience on a more intimate level, creating greater engagement. In conversation with Andrea, she gave us a glimpse into her world and why micro-influencers are not ones to ignore.
Hannah Zipf: When did you start blogging and what was your motivation for getting started? What type of content do you currently post?
Andrea Lee: I started blogging on and off Instagram almost 6 years ago during my sophomore year of high school. I primarily post fashion and a few sprinkles of lifestyle and travel content here and there. And if I’m being frank, I started off just wanting to have a digital space for me to save outfit ideas that I styled for myself. But it quickly became more than that and into a journey to discovering what my personal style is and embracing clothing that makes me feel confident and comfortable in my own skin. On my terms and not anyone else’s, and helping other young women do the same too.
HZ: Who is your primary audience? How do you think they relate to you?
AL: My primary audience is between the 18-24 demographic. Most of them are students, in college or in highschool. I think they’re able to relate to me through my captions; they’re very much grounded in my humor. But also just my sense of style, I don’t have a set “aesthetic”, for better or for worse, and I try to just have a fun time with A. Flair.
HZ: What advantages do you think micro-influencers have over macro-influencers?
AL: Micro-influencers are able to tap into the nichest of social groups, which from a marketing stand-point is so critical. I really think brands should put more effort into micro-influencing because these women are the ones who can help them reach audiences they might not even know they haven’t reached and boost their brand awareness. And for many micro-influencers quite a significant degree of their following is based upon friends and family- or people they actually know- and this word-of-mouth mentality that comes into play gives micro-influencers a significant heads-up on engagement rates too.
HZ: Have you worked with any brands? If so, which ones? What was the experience like for you?
AL: I work with Mejuri, Express, Primark, and Rent the Runway on a regular basis. Aside, I’ve also done some one-off collabs with brands as well, such as InnisFree and Uniqlo. The experience has always been great, and everyone that I’ve worked with has been extremely understanding of giving creators the space to create in their own way
HZ: How do you decide which brands to partner with or promote?
AL: I really really do care about sustainable fashion. But I also am aware of how ,the idea of being able to afford “sustainable clothing” is also a very tricky grey area too. So I try very hard to only work with brands that are making a conscious and verbal effort to be sustainable, whether through how it is sourced, produced, or delivered.
HZ: When it comes to your blog and the content you create, what are you most proud of?
AL: Over the summer, I really spent more time to try and produce video content on my IGTV. I did a lot of OOTWs [Outfit Of The Week], styling videos, and even some vlogs. Those are probably some of my proudest content.
HZ: What advice would you give to someone interested in building a following online or starting their own blog?
AL: I’m a Pisces, so with that said, my advice would be to just do it. Go and start your blog. Don’t be scared of critics because there will always be critics in this world. Just do you and focus on the content and message you want to spread for the good of the world. Don’t worry about needing to follow a certain aesthetic, be your own aesthetic.
You can find Andrea on Instagram @a.flair and on her blog www.a.flair.com.