Meet the woman who is influencing the influencers.
Running a social media empire of nearly half a million followers across platforms, 21-year-old Tiara Willis is working to eliminate the gap for women of color in the beauty industry by providing tips, insight, and information to her community. As a licensed esthetician and beauty and skincare influencer, the beauty expert remains hard at work advocating for her community.
After years of offering free education to help women find their voice in beauty, Willis has launched her own masterclass, Securing and Negotiating Influencer Brand Deals, teaching individuals how to optimize their careers as influencers and content creators.
“I draw my inspiration from my audience,” Willis shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE. “The core part of my platform is listening to the needs of others and forming my content around that.”
She advises women seeking to become influencers and entrepreneurs to “just start!” Willis entered the influencer world at 14, posing as the face of several beauty and makeup influencer
campaigns. “Young people make up the main demographic of many platforms, so your peers are there waiting for you to tell your story. People from multiple generations exist on social media, and your voice matters too,” she says.Willis believes individuals with smaller platforms can make an impact, monetize their platforms, and create a great career in the industry. “This is one of the reasons why I created my masterclass on securing and negotiating top influencer brand deals,” Willis says. “People with smaller followers can monetize their platforms and land brand deals by creating a clear brand, building a community, networking, pitching, and properly negotiating.”
The beauty influencer provides full coverage on how entrepreneurs can apply monetization and negotiation strategies as they build their platforms.
Discussing money and finances is important to Willis as she understands how some people are wary of taking financial advice from influencers. “Influencers are in a unique financial situation that a lot of people are still learning to understand, including accountants. It is vital that influencers are transparent about money and finances because it can help clear up myths, close pay, wage, and equity gaps, and help others optimize their careers as an influencer,” she says. For entrepreneurs who want their audience to know they are credible, showing their success along with the success of people they’ve helped is significant in building that trust.
Masterclass: Securing and Negotiating Influencer Brand Deals
“In my masterclass, I teach influencers and content creators how to create a brand unique to the industry yet profitable. I also address how to network within and outside of your niche to build connections that can transform careers.”
Once creators have learned how to network, Willis teaches them how to properly secure a lucrative deal via strategic and intentional pitching, negotiating, and more.
Securing & Negotiating Influencer Brand Deals masterclass is under Willis’ @yourcreatorbff brand, which she uses across platforms.
Willis’ commitment to Black women influencers
“I am committed to helping influencers, especially those of color,” the beauty influencer says. “I experienced many instances of being lowballed, underpaid, and undervalued,” she recalls of her early years in the industry. “I never countered with a higher price because I did not know my value, nor did I know that I actually had the upper hand. Like most people of color when money comes our way, I initially thought that I should just be grateful for the opportunity that I was given knowing that many people desired what was presented to me and, moreover, knowing that girls who look like me don’t get these types of opportunities often.”
Willis believes this unnecessary guilt and falsehood is a tremendous hindrance to the Black community.
“It is well known that Black women influencers earn less than their counterparts,” she continues. Willis uses her platform to extend her knowledge to Black creators in financial literacy, empowering them to recognize their worth.
“Black women seeking to secure higher pay should do research and ask their peers about what they’re getting paid. She shares that ” transparency is everything,” adding that Black women should never hesitate to ask for help and build a team of people who are rooting for them.
Looking forward to a future of new brand deals
“I’m looking forward to brand partnerships with some amazing brands this year and to keep sharing my expertise regarding beauty, finance, and entrepreneurship with my loyal audience and community. My new brand @yourcreatorbff will continue launching resources to help creators secure the bag and make the best out of their career,” she says.
Willis boasts a long list of experience working with big names, including CeraVe, Nissaan, Target, L’Oréal, Ulta Beauty, POPSUGAR x Garnier Green Labs, Paula’s Choice, Topicals, Harvard University, and Burt’s Bees. She has also worked on multiple collaborations with InStyle and Twitter, including Twitter Spaces and more.