Swayer Spotlight – @hamiltonhippie

You’re the Co-Founder of @boughtitlocal and @steeltownsistas, tell us a little bit more about these business ventures!

Bought It Local started directly as a result of my blog! I made friends online with another local loving lady, Sarah, who is an e-commerce and website design specialist. One day, I brought up the idea of opening my own online store based on my blog. Sarah suggested we expand on the idea and said that she would help build the shop for free in exchange for a partnership in the business, and just like that, Bought It Local was born.

It is now a makers’ marketplace in which micro brands and businesses have their own online stands! They sell their products to customers from across the country! I am so happy to be supporting my local community and monetizing my blog!

Steeltown Sistas started as a result of COVID! Me and a close girlfriend, Cici, decided to sell clothing and housing goods while we were both working from home. I was actually just doing a cleanout of the house when I decided to list some of the extra items on a separate account! I’m not sure about the future of this brand but you never know…maybe we will see some of my custom upcycled designs come to life on this platform!

What do you like to do for fun?

Thrifting! Walking at the beachfront, beaching, canoeing, brunch with the girls, and watching movies!

How did you become an influencer/ content creator?

I was working in marketing for a real estate business, which lead me to start my own blog in order to put together a portfolio for a freelance for social media management.

Where do you find inspiration for new content?

Movies, social media/bloggers, my friends, and my students.

How often do you post a week?

Usually 6 times a week or once a day!

What type of content generates the most engagement with your followers?

I would say fashion and food content! Also, local travel content is really popular.

How did you build your 7k following?

I built my 7k following through following others in my community and engaging with their content. Also, building brand relationships and reshares can really help you grow!

Give us the tea on your content strategy!

I don’t really have a content strategy established! I just try to be as consistent as possible and follow my analytics. I post when my followers are on the app and I try to pay attention to what types of content they like to see and share that!

For me, I find it best to post between 8:30-10 am every day. I mainly share posts with me in them and I don’t go crazy with edits, just some quick Lightroom adjustments.

In your opinion, how do you measure the success of a post?

Mainly engagement with followers, not just likes, but comments, DMs, and questions. When somebody messages me and says they too visited a place or tried a product because of my content, I really feel like I am providing value for them.

What are some challenges you have faced as a BIPOC influencer?

Mainly campaign opportunities, I often feel like black women are not marketed to and are not used as a means to market products! I find many brands and PR companies do very little to build relationships with black creators for products other than “black hair products”.

I think we have a long way to go for better inclusion on campaigns, as they really help influencers and brands to grow. The more you do, the more content you have, the more resharing occurs, the more your following grows. It’s all connected.

What has been your favorite experience as a content creator?

I love doing travel/experiential content and foodie content! But skin and beauty for me are always such a treat especially with my skin concerns, I get beyond excited whenever I collab with spas and aestheticians!

What has been your favorite brand collab?

I love collaborating with all brands, but I think my favorite is when I get to collaborate locally, so working with Craftnadian and other local businesses makes me so happy to be able to help build up micro brands!