We do like our share of people that follow their dreams (albeit online or offline). Anca Petianu (stage name: Kaira) is the perfect example. After falling in love with music, she left her hometown, Pașcani, to follow her dream. A few years later, she’s proud to talk about her collaborations with Delia and Elena. Moreover, she’s about to release her own album.

Even so, our interest goes beyond her music. That’s because Anca is also a content creator on Youtube and Instagram. Meaning she’s a prolific influencer (obviously present on the 2Performant platform) and a fun person. She claims her process is pretty simple, and we think simplicity is good.

“When I receive the same question hundreds of times, it’s easier to record a vlog about it, in order to express my thoughts on the subject and make sure I can be helpful.”

Out of the many influencers she follows, she mentioned Andreea Balaban and Alina Ceușan, alongside Jeffree Star and Jackie Aina. We think the conversation below is a pretty cool one. As they all are usually here on our blog, when we tackle influencer business 🙂 Have a read!

Background

I fell in love with music when I was about 8 or 9 years old. Unfortunately, in my home town, Pascani, there aren’t many opportunities in this domain. That’s why I transformed it in my own secret passion – carried out by live performances in front of the mirror, in my room (laughs). At 19 years old I came to Bucharest, and that’s when things changed.

I believe all my projects are cool, because I’ve always believed in what I sang and I connected with the people I collaborated with. My biggest one yet it the one with Delia, for the song “Pe aripi de vânt” – that was a truly special project.

The transition toward influencing

Honestly, I never intended to steer in this direction. I remember something funny happening to my dog, filming it and sharing it with my followers. I posted it on Facebook and it became viral.

Many of my followers recommended continuing this thing on Youtube. I already had a desire to start my own channel, especially since I was about to release my album. I thought the idea wasn’t half bad, you know, to have a wide community of people for when the album is ready. So, I started vlogging. The rest is history.

Social media & vlogging

I realized I was an influencer when a lot of people from my inner circle (friends and coworkers) told me so. I prefer to call myself a “content creator”, ‘cause I’m not really friendly with the term “influencer”. That’s because it started to mean something entirely different in our country, and necessarily not in a positive way.

For me, my first choice of platform would be Youtube, because that’s where I post my music and my vlogs. Then, Instagram, where I can keep people posted on what’s going on in my life – it’s where I am most active.

I get questions about my lifestyle, how I dress, how I do my make-up, how I feel about certain subjects – break-ups, bullying, depression and anxiety. I like being able to share my two cents and feel like I’ve helped people. Plus, I’ve discovered I really enjoy editing videos. I had no idea I’d be into it, but now I’m excited to do it on a regular basis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=I0flyJT57pk

Challenges

Honestly, I feel grateful to be so connected with my followers – more so than other content creators or artists.

When it comes to the professional side of things, I enjoy being able to recommend quality products and services. And I feel awesome when I see how much people trust my judgement. That’s why I believe I have a huge responsibility when it comes to recommending stuff. I can’t just promote something that has no place in the market, as a lot of “influencers” from Romania do.

Good brand campaigns

I like when brands already have a set direction. I enjoy having a plan to consider and follow.

Still, whilst using guidance, I like being able to be creative and use my imagination. To be more specific, a brand can tell me it wants a photo to be posted on Instagram at a certain time, but I like to be able to choose how to present the product, in the most natural way. I know my public best and I know which PR method is the most interesting for them.

Preferences

I really like Andreea Balaban and Alina Ceușan from our country. Internationally, I follow Jeffree Star and Jackie Aina. I don’t have a favorite campaign. I enjoy the ones that feel real and don’t have the vibe of a commercial.

I can tell you, though, the type of campaigns that I dislike. I recently saw an ad for a mall on a building that read “A place created ONLY for you” (or something similar). I found it cheesy, since the mall is clearly dedicated to a large number of people, not just one. I felt like in a time where creativity can be used to its full potential, this slogan was created to fill in the billboard.

Trends to follow

I can’t give you a concrete example. I’m not generally the type of person that follows trends. I’ve always subscribed to the idea that the only trend you should follow is the one that suits you, that is useful to you, that makes you happy.

These trends make people unhappy, fashion as well. It doesn’t matter that this season the tightly wrapped belt around your waist is in style, if it’s not suited to your body’s shape. It’s no help to use a lot of mattifying products if your skin is dry and needs hydration. You don’t need to wear neon colors if you’re more introverted, even if they’re cool right now.

Many times, trends make people feel like they don’t belong. They make them buy stuff everyone has, in order to feel accepted. That’s why I love campaigns that promote the idea that everyone is different, and everyone should embrace their unique beauty.

Being YOURSELF and feeling good in your own skin is the trend that I personally prefer, and I’ll keep an eye on it in 2019, 2020 and 3020.

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2Performant marketplace is dedicated to influencers and how they make content – simpler, more efficient, more original. This section of the platform allows brands to easily create influencer campaigns. For more details, visit this page dedicated to influencers.