Instagram Influencer Spotlight On: María Elena Rodríguez @ambinity

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

I am a lifestyle blogger from Puerto Rico who writes mostly about cruelty-free beauty, career advice and travel. My most famous posts are my career profiles with influential people in creative careers in Puerto Rico. My blog has been growing slowly but steady in the last three years. Instagram and Facebook have played huge parts in this!

I am also pursuing a graduate degree in Journalism from the University of Puerto Rico and my full time job is currently working as a digital advertising account executive at one of the top Ad Agencies in the world. You could say I am not bored right now! 🙂

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

As a lifestyle blogger, I mostly post about beauty (I make killer flat lays!), nature, travel, motivational quotes and a little bit of fashion. My niche consists of career focused millennials who have an interest for cruelty-free beauty products.

3) How did your Instagram name come about?

It came from my blog: www.ambinityblog.com. I invented the word “ambinity” as a combination of two words I like to embrace in my every day life: ambition and vanity. I know, it’s a little embarrassing but it is what it is. Maybe one day I’ll change it, who knows!

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

I used to be super hooked with VSCO Cam, but ever since Instagram came out with better filters, I’ve deleted the app in order to save space in my phone. Now a days I just adjust brightening and contrast from Instagram and use Clarendon filter in all my pics. That way my feed looks consistent and bright. I definitely have Instagram OCD. lol

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

My favorite Instagramers are @carriebradshawlied and @makeupsessions. Both of them have great aesthetics and really know how to develop good and catching captions. @carriebradshawlied is my fashion, travel and lifestyle inspiration (her feed is so colorful!), while @makeupsessions keeps me updated with the latest beauty products in the industry and gives me major #flatlaygoals.

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

To pay more attention to the lightning and positioning in their pictures! It makes a huge difference in the quality of your feed. I once had a professor who said that it’s not the camera, it’s the eye of the photographer.

Also to go outside and get inspiration from nature and art! Those are my favorite sources of creativity.

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

Being able to have a positive impact in other people’s lives. With every quote, career profile and cruelty-free beauty advice I post, I believe I am helping people become a better version of themselves. I also love spreading the word about how much talent and beauty we have in Puerto Rico.

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

Working in digital advertising, I know how much we want to make our clients happy by giving them influencers who say they LOVE their products just because we paid them. But I think brands and agencies should start seeing influencers as content generating tools rather than advertising machines. Us millennials, don’t respond well to advertising, but if you are giving us high quality content that we can use in a future, you’ve just got yourself a new client! And if that comes from a blogger/ instagramer they trust because they give only their honest reviews (no matter if brands paid them), it is so much more meaningful.

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

Your digital appearance is today’s business card. If you have sloppy content, bad grammar and/or use bad pictures people will think you don’t pay attention to detail. Always double check before posting anything online! You never know who’s watching.

Also, it’s ok to re-gram or re-post every once in a while, as long as you remember to give credit to the original source!

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

Getting to review stuff before everyone else is a huge plus! That way I can help my followers make wise decisions once a product launches. I also love partnering with cruelty-free brands and spreading the word about the importance of stopping animal testing. I also really enjoy partnering with new local brands and helping them gain exposure that no other publication may give them at an early stage.

It also feels really good to know that some of your favorite brands are noticing you!

Topics:

• Art
• Fashion
• Hair & Beauty
• Health & Fitness
• Travel

Country:

Puerto Rico