What information do you want access to for influencers you might suggest to your clients / how do you use it?

Lauren: It's really valuable for us to have access to Google Analytics and digital value tools to be able to understand the value of target influencers' audiences, the demographic and engagement level of the followers.

Virginia: Understanding results driven fee structures

Which do you mainly work with – micro influencers or bigger more established influencers? What are the main differences in working with each?

Lauren: We work with a blend of global fashion and beauty influencers, specialist influences such as mummy, food, wellness and travel influencers. Our clients come to us for our network of editors, writers, stylists, PRs, directors and CEOs who we introduce our brands to in an authentic and creative way. 

Virginia: We work with a bespoke plan for each of our clients dependent on what their goals and deliverables are. Ideally, a blend of both works well, we believe word of mouth still remains at the heart of a campaign. It's great to work with new talent coming up and support them as they grow.

How do you track a brand’s success through influencer marketing?

Lauren: The beauty of today's industry is being able to track and fully evaluate our activity. We can track the traffic, click-throughs, engagement, sales and social media community growth.
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Virginia: Sales, traffic to site, engagement levels.

What do you think about working with influencers whose stats may suggest they have bought followers in the past, but who now have a decent sized genuine following?

Lauren: Follower purchasing is much more common than most people think and we have worked with many global influencers who have at one point bought followers. We select the influencers that we work with based on their style, tone of their blog or Instagram channel and the way they will incorporate our brand and our product. We see equally successful commercial results for our brands with influencers with small, highly engaged followers against those with hundreds of thousands.
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Virginia: It all depends on whether they are the right fit for our brands, and to understand what buying followers has done for them. We do know that engagement is higher when influencers really develop their own unique sense of brand and are open and honest with their followers

Biggest lesson learnt since launching the business? 

Lauren: The world will not fall apart if I switch off for the evening. For the first three years, I worked around the clock rarely switching off from my emails and phone feeling that I had to respond to every email that second. Having a mobile phone and laptop has allowed me to work from anywhere in the world, but meant I am always online and at work. I still do reply to every email promptly, but I have learnt to have a work-life balance. 

Virginia: Trust your gut instinct, it is never wrong. Do it for the vision, not money

What do you wish more people understood about your job?

Lauren: I wish everyone knew the amount of hours a single piece of PR coverage or social media post can take to achieve and the value of that time. PR continues to be one of those services that people don't understand the value of and believe they should be able to get for a fraction of the cost. In fact, it's a quite a unique service area where results are achieved through an individual or team's relationship with another person. 

What advice would you give to budding communications professionals starting out in the industry?

Lauren: Get as much experience as you can and find every opportunity to build relationships within the industry. I always say to our new assistants, get out there and build friendships with the new editorial assistants as one day they will be the editor-in-chief!  

Virginia: Don’t spend all your time at your desk, get out, have fun, enjoy what a brilliant industry it is. Try and find people you trust and those who can mentor you and help you grow.

What do you miss about working in-house?

Lauren: I really miss having such clarity on the inner workings of the business and the weekly commercial impact of the previous week's activity. I used to love the management meetings to run through the results from the previous week and how each channel had performed. There is something special about working for one brand and funnelling all of your passion and hard work into that one brand. 

Virginia: Involvement in product and brand decisions.

Who are your role models?

Lauren: I have so many role models, Virginia my business partner being the most important. She truly is the Ying to my Yang and I love working with her. I've never met anyone as creative, passionate yet so unbelievably considered and controlled. She leaves me staring in awe at her most days. 

Virginia: Jane Shepherdson, for reminding me that the company I wanted to work for did actually exist and that kindness beats fear every time