Instagram Influencer Spotlight On: Derrick Clark @manvsamerica

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

Hi. I’m Derrick. I enjoy “chick-flicks” and long romantic walks on the beach. Haha. But seriously, I am just a regular guy. I enjoy movies (especially horror), music, and sports. I LOVE food and of course my biggest passion of all, traveling. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find my philosophical side but I won’t bore you with any random musings here. Anyway, I hail from the Midwestern United States, and yes it is true what they say about our hospitality. You won’t find nicer people anywhere.

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

High peaks and unique places. If you check out my Instagram you’ll find an eclectic mix of locations where I have traveled. Mountains, oceans, deserts, waterfalls, lighthouses, chapels and even the world’s largest buffalo. What? Don’t believe me? Go see for yourself, I wouldn’t lie to you.

3) How did your Instagram name come about?

Let me start off by saying NO my name did not come about from some deep-seated hatred for America, whereas I am a citizen against his country. I get that a lot. I love my country and everything it has to offer. My name actually came about by way of an inside joke several years back when I was taking a cross-country road trip with a couple of friends. I was but a novice at the time and way out of my element so I relied on the internet to teach me about all the cool sites I would be seeing on this epic 3000 mile trip. Unfortunately, recommendations varied and were few and far between. I had trouble locating unique places and off the beaten path sites to see so I took it upon myself to seek them out on my own and share them with the world picture by picture via Instagram. On that trip I jokingly celebrated even the smallest, most rudimentary of accomplishments harking such as: “Man vs. Sleep, check.” “Man vs. Gas Station, done.” and “Man vs. Steak. Yum.” As time went on and I visited more and more places and garnered more and more support on Instagram what started out as a joke eventually grew into the all encompassing manvsamerica you see today.

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

Honestly I don’t do much editing to the content I post to my account beyond the stock options available on the Instagram app. I might add some contrast to a photo or mess with the saturation every once in awhile but beyond that I am firm believer that the true beauty of whatever the subject might be lies in being able to capture and preserve the subject in the moment in it’s truest and rawest form.

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

The manvsamerica nation! My family of followers are the Instagrammers that inspire me the most. They are so dedicated and always quick to show their love, support me in my travels and leave kind words in the comments section. Many of them have unique and fantastic content of their own that is worthy of exposure. I couldn’t possibly pick just one or two favorites.

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

Video. Video. Video. As technology advances and social media platforms evolve it is our responsibility to take full advantage of them. Try playing around with video to diversify your feed. Another cool concept is to add a little graphic design to your page. Whether that is animation or unique picture formatting layouts, either will do wonders visually for your profile.

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

My favorite part of being an influencer is inspiring others to travel. I love it when I can connect with other people and discuss a particular location or locations we have both been to and the experiences and memories we both associate with that particular place or places.

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

How do you maintain authenticity? That’s easy. You just have to keep it real. Consumers do not like to feel cheap or cheated. Focus on creating campaigns that are extremely personal and go out of your way to respond to people on an individual basis rather than by mass marketing or automated responses. Sure, this is much more time consuming but it far more genuine and that is something you cannot buy with money.

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

Quality over quantity. Always. Think of it like this. If you take the same family vacation every summer year after year eventually you begin to dislike wherever that destination might be and it starts to lose its appeal right? The same goes for quality and originality in your content. Repetitive media gets boring and loses it appeal. Keep things fresh and diverse. Not only will this be more interesting for the consumer but it will be more interesting for you as well. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone.

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

The best aspect of partnering with brands is simple really. I get to work with an individual or a group of individuals who are extremely passionate about their brand and/or product much like I am extremely passionate about my content. This creates a special bond and unique sense of camaraderie that is reflected in the final product or products.

Topics:

• Architecture
• Art
• Fashion
• Film, Music & Books
• Hair & Beauty
• Health & Fitness
• Nature & Outdoors
• Photography
• Travel

Country:

United States of America