Full-time influencer and content creator Jaclyn Singletary Gibson has agreed to weigh in on her industry, social media’s impact on consumerism, and how everyday people can become a part of the massive new trend toward the monetization of content.
“Influencing can and should be taken seriously,” Jaclyn says. “It can also be truly life-changing.” She points out that while it may look easy on the outside, there is a lot of hard work behind the scenes that goes into this career.
“Anyone who is willing to invest can achieve success,” she states. “Social selling is everything right now, and it’s only growing. Brands have more funds available for promotion that most people can even imagine, and they’re willing to pay people just like you and me to use and promote their products.”
Jaclyn has gained a following of 250k+ on Instagram and 79k+ on TikTok, demonstrating that people gravitate toward her realness, openness, and willingness to be vulnerable about all aspects of her life. “Life always has its ups and downs,” she says. “This is why I strive for authenticity in all situations. I’m not afraid to tell my story and be real.”
How Jaclyn Got Her Start
“I was a full-time wedding photographer back in San Diego,” she shares. “So my Instagram actually started as a photography page.”
This is actually one of the keys to a successful influencer account, according to Jaclyn. Good photographs are important because a picture really does speak a thousand words. “Brands want their products showcased in a favorable light,” she says. “Good pictures are important. I had an advantage in that I had training. But you don’t have to be a professional photographer; that’s just my particular background.”
After she got married, her husband worked a full-time 9-5 while she continued to pursue her photography business. The problem was that her weekends were booked with weddings, so she and her husband were facing a lot of time apart. “We started talking about having kids,” she says, “and the idea of my weekends being taken up with work, traveling to destinations, sitting at my computer editing – it wasn’t what I wanted. I started to think about alternate pursuits.”
Life Forced a Change
Then life stepped in, as it often does. Jaclyn’s husband Seth got a job coaching a football league in Dallas, so they moved; but when the league folded, they had to face a choice. Seth was willing to return to San Diego to a job that made him miserable, but Jaclyn wasn’t okay with that.
“We had 13 weeks of unemployment,” she says. “I gave myself that much time to figure something out. I started reaching out to brands to offer promotion, sometimes hundreds a day. I would reach action limits on Instagram because they thought I was spam!” She began taking quality styled photos for absolutely nothing in exchange, and little by little, brands started to notice.
“First it was small brands,” she says, “and eventually bigger ones. I went from making $50 per post to thousands. Then I landed dream partnerships with brands like lululemon, Anthropologie, Pampers – my hard work was starting to pay off. I was able to stay home and be with my kids, pay off all of our debt, travel to places we wouldn’t have been able to afford a year ago, and save up for a home while my parents graciously took us in when we had very little.”
The short answer to her success, Jaclyn says, is that she worked her tail off for very little in return. But she had a vision in mind. She knew what was possible if she just put in the effort.
A Conscious Choice Toward Authentic Content
Jaclyn’s background as a wedding photographer absolutely explains the strong aesthetic appeal of her Instagram account. There is a striking sense of her artistic eye throughout her posts; the colors coordinate, favoring a trendy neutral palette with the occasional splash of color – cool green, warm orange.
But while the vibe is gorgeous, the posts aren’t unrealistic. “I try to be as open as possible,” she confesses. “I have vlogs on my YouTube channel that cover everything in my life. My TikTok account is like that, too. I just believe in truth.”
Jaclyn offers humor, the challenges of being a parent, even fashion advice and style inspiration for the everyday woman. She has gained a large following for being someone who says what we’re all thinking: “I talk about things that not everyone loves to discuss but that we’re all going through,” she says.
For example, she strives to provide healthy, natural, home-cooked meals for her family. Organic and vegan options are often at the top of her shopping list. But she also isn’t afraid to post a video in her car enjoying a rare splurge from Chick-fil-A. “I got a Diet Coke,” she admits, rolling her eyes, “which I know, it’s so bad.”
Sharing the Know-How of Influencing
“One thing I do,” she says, “that I don’t see enough, is share how I got to where I am. If you follow my content you’ll see that in the past we’ve struggled financially. Like probably everyone has. But I’ve worked hard to move up in life and I want to share my success so other women can do it, too.”
Jaclyn works with different brands to promote products she believes in and reaps the financial rewards to help support her family. “I’m making more content about how to get the attention of brands that you’re interested in,” she says. “I refuse to gatekeep what I do. I want to share my successes with everyone. I want all women to have the freedom to spend more time with their families and achieve the life they dream of.”
Her dream was always to work for herself – and she has achieved that. Now she wants to move forward by continuing to offer warm, funny, genuine content, as well as teach like-minded women how to utilize the vast power of social media to achieve their dreams.
Parting Words of Wisdom
About the future of the world of influencing, Jaclyn says, “It’s definitely not slowing down! Social marketing is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and it continues to grow. Brands are not afraid to pay you if it means more eyes on their business.”
She says that the key components for content creators is knowing their own worth, being willing to learn, and being ready for hard work. “Be a student first,” she advises. “Learn how to take beautiful pictures, learn about the algorithm, learn about trends and how to navigate whatever platform you’re using, be it Instagram, TikTok, etc.”
She urges would-be-influencers to learn how to set themselves apart in a very saturated and often artificial platform. “And be willing to work,” she says. “A lot. For little and sometimes nothing in return. Have a vision and a goal in mind. What brands do you want to work with? What do you NEED financially? Network with people who can help you get there. Get brands’ eyes on you and make sure you’re setting yourself apart somehow!”
Contact Jaclyn Gibson via e-mail: jackiemichellegibson@gmail.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/jaclynmgibson
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@jaclynmgibsonn