Instagram Influencer Spotlight On: Victoria Den Bleyker @planetgreenmachine

1) Tell us a little about yourself. What are you doing now and where do you come from?

Well. A little bit about myself? There’s a lot to tell, but here we go. I run an environmental awareness campaign that pretty much flowered from my passion for the environment. I love the ocean and all it’s creatures, I live in a very beachy town-now overrun by tourists. However, that doesn’t stop me from remembering the moments when our town was a quiet village, with three or four surfers out catching waves before the sun rose. I made little videos when I was a kid, about how "Sally the Seagull" (a fictitious clumsy character that I made up) might get tangled in a plastic bag. I’ve always felt the need to protect those creatures, and to this day I still do beach sweeps in my hometown. I think my videos and posts now still reflect that comedic, environmentally aware attitude.

2) What are your topics of interest? What do you post on Instagram the most?

I have always had a passion for screenwriting and filmmaking. When that poured into my environmental campaign, something clicked and I knew that this was what I wanted to do. I post little videos and environmental tips of the day; but here’s the catch. I don’t think that environmental awareness should be a series of monotonous and depressing PSAs, it should be fun! So of course, I sprinkle a little bit of comedy and fun into every video and post that I create. There are times when I have to be serious, but I don’t see why I can’t do that with a sincere smile.

3) How did your Instagram name come about?

Oh this is a fun story. For a while, I wanted to start gogreengirl, but, I was 8 then, so that was a bust. In all seriousness, I wanted to pick a sharp (and easy to spell) name, people like clear names that send a message. Right when you see planetgreenmachine, it could only be a number of things; someone who’s oddly obsessed with the solar system and loves green, or an environmental awareness account.

4) What are some apps you use to edit your photos? Share with us your photo-editing routine!

I use a plethora of apps quite honestly, but a few that I find do the most are Bazaart and Pixomatic. Both applications have gorgeous filters and easy crop tools, very user-intuitive.

5) Any Instagrammers whom you really like? Which Instagrammer inspires you the most?

Ah. How much time do I have? Gosh, this is a tough one, but I’ll go with a few organizations and one awesome gal. Ok;
The Inertia, Clean Ocean Action, and The Sustainable Collegiate. All incredible accounts with amazing artistry and true messages.

6) If there’s one thing your fellow Instagrammers just gotta try now, what’s it gonna be?

Apps like StarNgage that really help you expand to reach a wide likeminded audience, collaboration and audience development are imperative to growth. A more tangible recommendation I have is; go out into a community and do something genuinely good, not for the sake of having something to post, but for the sake of bettering the lives of those around you. Work a food bank for a day, participate in a beach sweep.

7) What’s your favorite part about being an influencer?

I love the vast sea of people that I get to send a message that is so very close to my heart. How lucky am I? To live in an age of such amazing technology, and have access to an outlet in which I can inspire others to protect the environment.

8) What are some of your top tips to brands for running campaigns? How do you maintain authenticity?

Running a campaign is difficult; I’m not going to lie, but maintaining authenticity is really just making sure that what you’re posting is quality over quantity. And that does become tricky at times, when you have to hit a quota or a mental goal that you have. "I have to reach this many likes and post this much each month." But you can’t focus entirely on those statistics because they shouldn’t be what defines you or your brand.

9) What would your advice be on the importance of quality and original content?

What’s important is that we all take a few seconds sometimes, and ask ourselves if what we post is up to our standards and our audience’s standards. That’s quality.

10) What do you like best about partnering with brands?

I love the outside takes and critiques from other brands with unique views. I feel that other brands are not simply competition, but that a network of vibrant influencers can only enhance my work. I’ve learned so much from collaboration, but ultimately I’ve realized that building your network of contacts is so important. That allows you to establish a group of people who you know will mutually benefit from a collaboration, as well as a series of long lasting business relationships that build your brand instead of tearing it down.

Topics:

• Education
• Film, Music & Books
• Nature & Outdoors

Country:

United States of America