Instagram Influencer Spotlight On: Faith Joan Chua @faithfullyours18

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

Hey guys! I’m a blogger, influencer and media student based in the lovely lion city – Singapore! I’m the content writer and brand ambassador for Zalora Singapore, and the brand influencer for many other renowned labels such as Barbas & Zacari, Lazada and Klook. Career wise, I specialize in magazine writing and journalism, but I do have tons of other interests such as music and art. Due to my musical background, I am gifted in music and can play in 7 instruments including the piano, violin, flute, drums and guitar. I’m considered a ‘start-up influencer’ as I’ve only started investing in Instagram as a business/ promotional tool 3 years ago, but I’m happy to say that’s what makes me stand out from all the other ‘bigger’ or more popular influencers. I have a following of more than 10,000 people on social media but my enthusiasm and thirst for opportunity has allowed me to be as influential as those with 50,000 followers on Instagram.

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

I love traveling and I often post blue-hued pictures from my travels on Instagram. I’m really, really OCD so it bugs me whenever a picture does not fit into my feed, no matter how aesthetic it looks on its own. The truth is: PEOPLE LOVE AESTHETICALLY LOOKING ACCOUNTS. It’s not the pictures that matter, but how you put them together and how it feels as a whole that makes people follow you. You may have amazing photos of food or fashion but if your feed is a mess, people won’t be interested.

3) How did your Instagram name come about?

I wanted to make a pun out of my name so I came out with a whole bunch of Instagram handles like @faithopelove and @havefaith. Super cringy, I know!!! The problem was that most of the handles sounded religious (due to the nature of my name), and that wasn’t the kind of image I wanted to see myself as. About a few days later I was writing an email to my friend, and when I was signing off ‘Yours Faithfully’, the name @faithfullyours18 came into my mind. I liked how it sounds a little romantic and cheesy and how it ties in with my name perfectly. The ’18’ refers to my birthday which is on the 18th of October.

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

I edit photos all the time, even for the photos I don’t end up posting. My favorite apps are VSCO and PicsArt as they are perfect for amateur photo-editors who want to get that Photoshop effect (with less effort, HA!). I usually edit my photos and line them up in my gallery just to see how they look next to each other. Most of the photos I post are usually taken 2-3 months ago, and I only post them according to their suitability when paired next to the previous photo. It’s just a very OCD thing I do.

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

I don’t have a specific Instagrammer whom I really like, but I do like accounts that have pretty, aesthetic themes. As I’m from Singapore, I follow a few local influencers and bloggers (do check them out, they’re pretty cool) and one of my favs is @naomineo_. She posts about fashion, lifestyle and food.

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

Hmmm… There are so many! But I would really recommend this photo editing app – MeituPic. Not many people have heard of it, but I tried it out recently and it works wonders. MeituPic is a China ‘selfie’ app, and it’s really good for selfie lovers. From getting a shaper nose to removing acne scars, the app can make you glo up in less than 5 minutes. Don’t believe me? Try it out! NOW!

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

Most may think that being an influencer is about getting sponsored or getting 1000 likes on Instagram, but in reality it’s nothing like that. One thing I learned about being influential is that people look to you as a credible source and as someone who adds some kind of value into their lives. Whether it’s a blog review or a random post on Instagram, influencers share ideas and opinions that are welcomed by the community. It’s not about the free clothes or paid promos; it’s about having the chance to be heard.

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

One thing that brands often do wrong is that they rely too much on influencers to promote their campaigns. Sometimes, the target audience wants to see someone like them enjoying or promoting the brand, not just a pretty girl with a lot of makeup saying "hey you should TOTALLY try this out". Most people will take a look at your campaign and say, "she was just paid to say that’. In order to maintain authenticity, brands should reach out to their target audience at a personal level (through social media, for example), and create content that is shareable with the ability to go viral. Word of mouth is the best form of promotion.

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

Quality > quantity. Make sure your content is more Ryan Higa than Buzzfeed. People don’t care about how many videos or pictures you post. They want to see the effort you put into creating your content. Youths have a short attention span, so anything that comes of as ‘cliche’ or anything that has already been done will not be able to catch their attention. It is important that brands are able to predict oncoming trends, and come up with original content before the trend starts getting mainstream. If you’re only doing something that everyone else is already doing, youths are not going to pay attention.

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

Brands are influential because they give you an identity. With every brand I’ve partnered with, I am able to channel and portray myself in a different way and show a different side of myself to my audience. This way, my followers are never bored because I’m constantly coming up with a new image and a new style.

Topics:

• Art
• Celebrities
• Design
• Fashion
• Film, Music & Books
• Food & Drink
• Hair & Beauty
• Health & Fitness
• Nature & Outdoors

Country:

Singapore