Before the Instagram and general social media movement to #amplifymelanatedvoices, I had planned to share with you all the Black women who have helped me elevate my content and overall approach as a blogger. These women had already giving me some invaluable insight on topics such as growing my “tribe” or knowing my worth when working with brands. They’ll be even more helpful now as you probably try to brainstorm ways to shift your content to reflect larger conversations happening in society about racism. So, here’s my list of Black women who have helped me level up my content creation!

@lola.akw

Lola Akinkuowo is a creative coach and educator who runs the Blogger Etiquette. Through her platform she teaches bloggers “how to lean into their purpose, carve out their own category, and use their gifts to make a dent in the world.” While I first stumbled upon the Blogger Etiquette because I was in search for instructions on how to better understand my new camera, I saw that Lola was genuinely invested in drawing out the best in those who wanted to tell their stories and build their tribe. Her messaging is honest, purposeful and inspirational. Her instagram stories are always carefully crafted (by the way she’s having a class sharing how she creates such aesthetically pleasing stories), and her photography is always top notch. It’s been amazing to see her transition into the role of a mother, so she’s an especially good person to follow if you’re in this stage of your life as well!

@piecesofonye

Onye is an LA based content creator, photographer, and social media strategist “helping influencers level up their game and secure the bag.” I first came into contact with Onye’s work through her absolutely phenomenal flat-lays. In exchange for subscribing to her list, she gave free flat-lays every month, which saved me a TON of time on producing flat-lays that I truthfully wasn’t even satisfied with. (Pro-tip: outsource content that you want but don’t have time, resources, or energy to create! Flatlays aren’t my area of expertise, but that’s where Onye came in!) Most recently, Onye has been DISHING. OUT. the freebies through her content boot camp. So far her content boot camp has covered finding your tribe, increasing engagement, getting your IG bio together, and planning your content through her free social media calendar. She’s released an e-book guide on growing your Instagram engagement, and she’s constantly dropping knowledge about content creation and photography on her Youtube channel. Honestly, if you aren’t following and subscribed to everything Onye puts out, what are you waiting for?

@themattiejames

Mattie James is a full time influencer who teaches other influencers how to get paid by brands. If you’re not sure what to ask from brands, how to pitch to them, how to negotiate, or how to anything else related to getting that coin, you need Mattie James in your life. To be an influencer is to be a walking, talking, story telling business. I didn’t view myself as a business until I viewed things in the way Mattie framed them. Near the end of 2019, I attended one of her virtual webinars for the first time and I left feeling so empowered and emboldened to finally start demanding more for the work that I do, despite the fact that I’m still considered a “nano-influencer.” Though I still hope to grow my online community and experience with brands, Mattie has allowed me to pinpoint the ways I have been shortchanging myself. In doing so, she’s not only built my confidence as an influencer, but she’s built up my pocket book as well. (Side note: that’s why she and other content coaches deserve to be paid for the knowledge and resources they put out! They directly or indirectly help you make more money.)

@marricaevans/@beingmarrica

Marrica Evans is a Dallas based photographer, podcast host, entrepreneur, and all around phenomenally personable human being. First of all, she can quite literally help you secure content if you’re ever in her city, because she’s a Digital Content photographer. That’s right, she’s snapping high quality pictures of some of your favorite influencers based in Dallas. She’s helped me personally through her curated presets that make it significantly easier to edit my Instagram photos and create a cohesive feed aesthetic. I’ve mentioned in the past that I use Marrica’s Brown Sugar preset, and that’s still the case for me today. She’s also the creator of the content camp, “a space to help influencers, photographers, and business owners create quality content for their brand.” She drops plenty of gems on her Insta story, podcast, and Youtube channel on a consistent basis. So between her photography, event hosting, podcast, and presets, the takeaway is pretty clear: Marrica Evans is dedicated to helping you succeed as a content creator.

#EniGivenSunday