Could you introduce yourself in a few lines so that our community can get to know you better? How would you define your style/universe as a travel and lifestyle influencer?
My name is Océane, I'm 23 years old and I'd simply describe myself as an adventurer with a passion for the beauty of the world.
You could say that my experience with travel began very early, as I was born in a hotel.
I spent my entire childhood in Evian-les-Bains, a famous little town renowned for its mountainous surroundings and situated at the foot of Lake Geneva, on the border with Switzerland.
My first experiences date back to the age of 13, when I was lucky enough to go and live in Tahiti for 2 years. The paradisiacal landscapes and the Polynesian way of life particularly impressed me, with their closeness to what nature has to offer and their sheer kindness.
I also spent 6 months in Portugal and 6 months in Mexico, a country I've completely fallen in love with and where I plan to settle in a few years' time.
Since then, my thirst for travel has never ceased, and nothing thrills me more than discovering the culture and landscapes of another country, whether on my own with my backpack or with friends.
When did you start your social networking activity as a travel and lifestyle influencer?
I already had an Instagram account created when I was in high school, which allowed me to share photos with my friends. I really started to dedicate myself to an influencer activity a year and a half ago when I returned from a trip of over 2 months that I did backpacking and alone. I visited several countries: Cuba, Mexico, Costa Rica and the Bocas del Torro Islands in northern Panama. During my trip, many people who crossed my path encouraged me to share my adventures via social networks. As Instagram was the up-and-coming medium for sharing photos and videos, it seemed like a no-brainer.
What triggered you and why did you embark on your social networking adventure with Instagram?
I've always loved taking photos during my travels to keep memories and I started posting them on Instagram. At first, I only had my friends on Instagram and had a private account. Then, when I returned from a solo road trip, I decided to make my account public, and I realized that more and more people were interested in my work. contentI had a lot of friends who contacted me, or asked me for advice on destinations where I'd already traveled. As time went by, I realized that I loved sharing tips on my destinations, sharing anecdotes about my travels and giving advice on certain destinations. That's where the idea came from to devote myself to my growing community and to "professionalize" the management of my account and the creation of my content.
How much time do you spend on your articles or videos? Production, editing...? Do you have any organizational tips for other travel and lifestyle influencers?
After reading this question, I took quite a bit of time to think before answering, because it's true that we don't necessarily realize it, but the influencer business requires an enormous amount of time. For my part, I spend I think more than 3 hours a day on Instagram sharing stories, replying to comments or private messages... and sharing with my community. But the good thing is that I love it! I find it magical to have a community with whom you can interact, share, exchange, laugh... It's a real pleasure and a passion, and we all know: "when you love, you don't count!".
As far as my posts are concerned, I often already have the photo in advance, having taken it on one of my previous trips. In my descriptions, I try to share the moment represented by the photo exactly as I experienced it, or sometimes to share anecdotes or tips about the destination. And because I'm super curious, I often ask my community a question.
As advice to others influencers I could give is to stay spontaneous and organized, and sometimes that's hard to manage! Still, it's good to schedule as much as possible and to have posts in advance so as to always keep a regularity. I also use a number of time-saving applications, such as story editing tools like Mojo or Preview, which lets me view my feed in advance and choose the order in which to post my photos.
What community and audience are you targeting?
My community is made up of 54% men and 46% women, mostly between the ages of 18 and 34.
Where do you find most of your inspiration? And which social networks do you use most?
I myself have a few favorite influencers whose content I adore and among them: @amoureuxdumonde, @theblondehills and @lenamahfouf. Before I started, I discovered @enabla's account, which really motivated me to get started and dedicate myself to this activity.
Otherwise, I'd say that inspiration comes to me in the moment, when I'm traveling. Sometimes, I might see a beautiful landscape, experience an exhilarating moment or a memorable experience that immediately makes me want to share it with my community. In such cases, I take a photo in which I try as hard as I can to capture my emotion in the moment, so that I can share it with others.
How do you manage your time, between your family, your work and your social networks? Do you have a job or an activity other than your work as a travel and lifestyle influencer?
I've just finished my studies and obtained a Master II in Digital Business & e-Commerce, which I did on a sandwich course. I worked for a year at Airbnb's official concierge service, where I held a marketing & happiness officer position, and for a year at a Parisian communications agency as a performance consultant, before obtaining my master's degree.
I'm currently in the process of setting up my own business, which focuses on helping companies with their digital communication strategies (social networking, website creation, search engine optimization, etc.).
I also give talks at business schools and universities on Instagram as part of a branding or e-commerce strategy.
It's a lot of work, but I'm always in constant contact with my community as I share my day-to-day stories with them. I also take one or more half-days a week to schedule my next posts. I reply to comments and messages sent to me throughout the day when I have time, or in the evening when I finish my day.
I'm also currently working on a project around my Instagram account, but it's still secret so I can't say more 😉
It requires a lot of organization, but I'm lucky enough to be involved in activities that I'm passionate about, so I don't count the hours.
Do you produce your own visuals and photos? And if so, what equipment do you use?
Most of my visuals and photos are taken by myself. Most of the time, it's the people I'm traveling with who take my photos (or strangers who cross my path if I'm traveling alone), but from time to time I collaborate with photographers for professional shoots.
What advice would you give to other travel and lifestyle influencers in the community?
The advice I'd give to other influencers in the community is to always do what you do with pleasure and desire. I think the most important thing is to enjoy what you're doing when you're influencerIt's what makes us want to get involved and share with our community.
What would you like to undertake or develop next in your life as a travel and lifestyle influencer?
I'd really like to develop my influencer business with a blog and/or vlog that would allow me to share my travels even more. I'm thinking about it more and more!
Thanks to Océane for this interview. We advise you to follow her instagram account travel and lifestyle influencer
His INSTAGRAM account to follow => https://www.instagram.com/oceanetrips/
You can also become a member of Value Your Network and become one of our travel and lifestyle influencers!
Follow us on INSTAGRAM => https://www.instagram.com/valueyournetwork/