Instagram Influencer Spotlight On: Jason Tez @teztrends

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

My name is Jason Tez and I’m a style blogger from New Jersey, just thirty minutes from NYC. After graduating college, I worked for two creative agencies as a digital marketing specialist with a strong focus on growing clients online presences via blogs, social media ads, and running contest giveaways. I started my blog two years ago as a creative outlet since I always enjoyed fashion, photography, and writing. Fast forward to 2017, I feel so fortunate to have reached 20k followers, attend and cover NYFW, and work with brands I truly love.

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

My topics of interest include mens fashion, lifestyle, product reviews, grooming, food, and health and fitness. I mainly post outfit photos, my freshest pair of kicks, and a few creative shots to break up my feed a bit and offer variety.

3) How did your Instagram name come about?

My personal account is @jasontez which is simply my first and last name abbreviated. However, upon starting my blog I wanted my Instagram handle to be uniform with all other social channels. Plus, I find it beneficial to keep both Instagram accounts as I can curate my content offering mens fashion and lifestyle on @teztrends while my followers can check out @jasontez for a taste into my personal life where they can expect to find photos of nature, latte art, and the occasional selfie. The teztrends Instagram is an extension of my blog where I ensure to only post my most aesthetically pleasing photos to keep my feed strong and engaging.

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

Since I’ve been into the whole monochrome theme lately, I have to make sure to stay consistent when posting a new photo. I mainly look for bright whites and deep, dark blacks in my photos or moody shadows. This requires pretty OCD editing, which is done all on my iPhone 7 Plus. My favorite apps are VSCO cam, Afterlight, and the fade filter right on the iPhone photos app. To ensure my feed remains on fleek and schedule content ahead of time, Planoly has been a life saver. You can actually drag and drop your photos to preview your feed prior to posting. The app allows me to make sure my content is diverse and works well together.

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

@iamgalla, @imdrewscott, @prestonkonrad. @iamgalla has an excellent feed when it comes to male bloggers. I love how his photos do not appear overly edited and almost effortless. I also follow a bunch of minimal and simple photographers who post mainly monochrome photos I can get inspired from.

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

Take as many photos as possible. You might just surprise yourself.

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

It’s actually still strange to be referred to as an influencer. I feel a great sense of pride that I am potentially able to inspire someone to purchase a specific item, brand, or even style of clothing that could be out of their element. I only work with brands and review products that I truly believe in and would recommend to friends and family. You can completely tell when someone is not being genuine in their work. My favorite part of all would be discovering new products or brand that I have never heard of previously. Also, offering them a review, creative photos, and exposure to a new audience makes me feel creatively fulfilled and just excited about my job.

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

I have always been a firm believer in quality vs. quantity. If running a campaign, stay true to the brand and ensure the influencers you reach out to match your aesthetic and you can potentially feature or repost their content in the future. It’s not always about the following but ensuring the brands and influencers can both benefit from working together.

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

Original content and quality are both vastly important when your goal is to build a following and keep current followers interested. I follow some accounts that post 1-3 times daily which is amazing as long as their photos tell as story. I want people to look at my photos and tell they have a similar filter, editing style, and quality. You wouldn’t go on Cereal Magazine’s Instagram account and find a grainy, blurry photo. However, you can expect to find plenty of well-executed works of art. They are almost beyond the realm of an "Instagram" photo. People often forget this golden rule, but it is something that I continue to believe in. If you’re not proud of the final photo. Don’t post it. If you feel its not the right fit for your feed. Don’t post it.

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

My favorite thing about partnering with brands is the ability for my followers to discover new products that I’m currently loving and using. I get the chance for a new audience to read and view my content after the brand shares my piece I worked on for them. After building up social presences for clients over the years when I worked in social media marketing, it feels great to be an asset to brands and work directly with them towards a goal.

Topics:

• Architecture
• Art
• Celebrities
• Design
• Fashion
• Food & Drink
• Hair & Beauty
• Health & Fitness
• Nature & Outdoors
• Photography
• Technology
• Travel

Country:

United States of America