Exberliner Issue 171 May 2018

@waltercrasshole
”best franco-german culinary alliance“
The Exberliner
@mae
years ago. Influencers have a presence on Instagram
or Snapchat or whatever, but don’t necessarily publish
their own long-format content. However, I have
to market myself as this, because it’s what agencies
sell to brands, the whole influencer model.”
When she started back in 2006 the blog scene was
completely different: “The whole area of lifestyle
and fashion and food and consumerism wasn’t a
thing,” she says. “There was a blog in Helsinki back
then who did street style photos, there was one in
London and that was kind of it. I had an idea that it
would probably interest some people, but I wasn’t
entirely sure.”
For the thirtysomething German, the key is to
remain open and diverse while concentrating on your
own thing: “Obviously there are also a lot of projects
that aren’t necessarily visible on the blog, but did
come through the blog. It’s always a mix of things,”
she says. “You’ve got to find your niche in a way,
you’ve got to find a point of view that sets you apart
from the rest. At least that’s what I would hope that
people who want to earn money in this way would
do, because otherwise we’re just going to end up with
the copy of the copy of the copy. Since 2009 however,
the blog has been a full-time job.”
For her it’s crucial to remember that when you
make channels like Instagram or Facebook your main
publishers, that you’re always at the mercy of these
companies’ decisions: “That’s what is happening right
now, they are restricting the reach of people because
they obviously want to sell advertising,” she says. “My
main tip would be to keep that in mind. You shouldn’t
focus all your energy on one channel, but have a plan
B. And I think it’s always healthier, or business-wise
a better decision, to establish channels that you have
full control over so if anything should happen, you
can still find your audience – or vice versa.”
Super-sharer
Another money-making Berlinfluencer is Tulio
Edreira. The Brazilian native from Goiânia came to
to the city after a 13-year stint in São Paulo. Every
month an average of 55,000 people visit his website
Awesome Berlin to check out his tips on food, drinks
and nightlife. He has 44,000 followers on Instagram
(where Edreira’s photos of Berlin landmarks or
MAY 2018
I personally treat
my platform like
a“Tamagotchi”. I give
it some love every day!”
people hanging out in parks attract thousands of
likes), and 29,000 Facebook fans. Edreira first came
to Berlin to “live an adventure” and was inspired
to launch the site in 2014 by his friend Shoshannah
Hausmann’s site Awesome Amsterdam. During
the first year, he made no money with the site. But
with a background in business it didn’t take long for
Edreira to close his first contract: “In my second year
I was contacted by an agency to create a guide to
hidden Berlin for Wrangler,” he says. “Initially I felt
surprised that I got that kind of an opportunity so
early on. After my first face-to-face meeting with the
agency, I realised that what I had to offer was a great
match to their campaign.”
For him, enjoying what you do is a critical part of
success. “No matter what the trend is, stick to what
you enjoy doing,” he says. “People will get inspired
by you when you do it with pleasure. Plus, that in
itself is a good way to establish a long term self-satisfying
business model. Focus on what you truly like
and create continuous good content. Be consistent.
I personally treat my platform like a “Tamagotchi”. I
give it some love every day!”
With Stil in Berlin, Awesome Berlin and other
contemporaries already established, is there room
for another Berlinfluencer? Back at the academy,
Schulz explains that being an influencer isn’t necessarily
about trying to create something new. For him
it’s more a question of direction, rather than topic. In
this sense, and, judging by the hopefuls at the academy
today, there are surely still opportunities within
various fields - be it travel, food, business or lifestyle
- to earn some level of income from living an enviable,
photogenic Berlin lifestyle. But, if this writer’s
failed attempts to turn her dog (@jackiederhund, just
in case you’re wondering) into an Instagram sensation
have proved anything, racking up the likes and
followers can be an extremely time-consuming and
laborious process. While the real pros make it look
effortless, there have got to be easier ways to earn
some free money. ■
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