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ct Ray – An Exclusive Interview With Inspiring Lifestyle Influencer
Today we are proud to bring you guys an exclusive interview from lifestyle influencer ct Ray. We thought it would be interesting to find out things from influencers that you never hear about or see from Instagram posts or TikToks. Read on to find out what it is like to live as an influencer like ct Ray is doing in Australia right now:
1. Tell us a bit about yourself! Where are you from and where do you live?
Hi! My name is ct Ray. I’m 26 years old, a lifestyle influencer and content creator. Born and raised in Malaysia and currently living in Australia.
2. What would you consider your ‘job title’ at the moment?
I would consider myself as a content creator / social media specialist. I create content for local and international brands on a daily basis and have recently created an Instagram account ; @gramfam.life where I teach influencers how to grow their Instagram and get approached by brands internationally.
3. What prompted you to move country? Do you still travel a lot?
My husband is Australian, so as soon as we got married I migrated to Australia. We both love to travel. In fact, we had a two months honeymoon spent in Thailand, Japan and Indonesia. Sadly due to the current pandemic we had to put our travel plans on hold. Once we can travel again, the first destination would be Turkey!
4. We have seen from your Instagram that you collab with a lot of different companies. Which industry do you prefer to work with the most and why?
For more than 4 years, I’ve worked with so many beauty brands internationally. This includes getting paid, sponsored and collaborations. I enjoy creating beauty content but I decided to change my Instagram by not just posting beauty content but also fashion related. I believe fashion to me is like storytelling between the clothes and the consumer. Therefore, I like to challenge myself to be more creative with mix and matching especially that I wear hijab. And it’s fun!
5. How long has it taken you to build your profile to where you are now?
It took me 7 years to get to where I am now. It was not an easy ride back then to grow organic followers compared to new influencers now where they can increase their followers by merging with other social media platforms, using hashtags and collaborating with other influencers etc. 7 years has taught me a lot about the algorithm of Instagram. I would say always prioritise your followers, because they’re the reason to where you are right now. So my content now is mostly what my followers want to see.
6. What is everyday life like as ct Ray? Do you have a general routine as an influencer?
People may think being a lifestyle influencer is an easy task but we have to put a lot of effort and time to create content. I prefer posting more video content because I know my followers love to watch my videos and it also has increased my engagement a lot. So I will always make sure my video quality is the best so my followers will enjoy watching them. I spend at least 3 hours daily to create content for my Instagram. The first thing I would do is shoot a “makeup tutorial” video. Second, I would start with my “outfit hacks” video and lastly, I will take an easy at home OOTD shoots. Video editing will usually take one hour for me.
7. What are your hobbies / what do you do in your spare time?
I love going out for brunch with my girlfriends, because we love to dress up and look pretty! Also because I like to take a short brunch vlog for my reels . Oh well, I always try to find something to create content lol 😅. Anyway, besides dressing up I also enjoy working out. I usually start my day off by working out early in the morning. This helps me to become productive throughout the day and gives me the energy I need. Of course, it also keeps you healthy and fit 💪🏽
8. Tell us about @gramfam.life. What is the page? Why did you create this page? What are your aspirations for it?
Gramfam.life was built to help upcoming influencers to understand the algorithm of Instagram. How to properly approach brands. How to get noticed by brands. The do’s and don’ts of Instagram. How to increase engagement etc. I basically share knowledge based on my experiences and mistakes I’ve learnt throughout my journey as an influencer. Our upcoming event would be having successful influencers on board to share their success story in a webinar talkshow. This will be very informative and helpful for people who want to know more about becoming an influencer.
9. What 3 things any new influencer needs to know? (in your industry)
Influencers who wants to be involve in Beauty or Fashion industry needs to be consistent in content creating. If you post once a week how would you expect brand to notice you? I would suggest posting at least 3 content a day. Yes this requires taking heaps of photos and videos! And remember, consistency is key !
Secondly, engage with your followers. See your followers as customers, also prioritise them and give them what they want to see! This will only get their attention and increase your engagement on Instagram. And please always find a time to reply your followers messages and comments, they will only keep supporting you if you do so.
Thirdly, make your research. Follow influencers within your niche to learn and get the idea of what sorts of content you should do. And see what hashtags they use on their posts so you can get audience with the same interests to follow you.
10. What keeps you going when things get tough or things don’t go the way you want?
Sometimes I do get tired and have no energy to take videos / photos. So what I’d do is I will scroll back to my old photos or videos in my phone that I can still post on my ig as a throwback. If you go silent on Instagram your impressions can crash within 3 days, and we don’t want that to happen! Easiest way would be Insta story post and put hashtags on it, and you’re done!
If you enjoyed the interview – follow ct Ray @ct_ray
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