Influencer Partnerships with Dame Judi Dench & Carla Freeman?! | What They Said: The Influencer Marketing Podcast | Ep.3

How can you ensure your campaign is communicated properly to your target audience and that those brand partnerships have a lasting impact? By getting on board Dame Judy Dench's best mate of course.

This week we sit down with the one and only Carla Freeman, comedian and actress as we discuss what brands get wrong, how the world of influencers can be a shallow and lonely place and much much more, featuring a baby and plenty of swearing.

What They Said is the influencer marketing podcast powered by PrettyGreen where we delve deep into the creator economy.

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Transcript

WHAT THEY SAID EP 3 - Carla Freeman

Sammy Albon: [00:00:00] Hello and welcome to this episode of what they said podcast powered by pretty green. This is the influencer marketing podcast that you adore, that gives you insight into the ins and outs of the industry, the creator economy in the UK, what's working, what's not. Influencer X, um, and people that you should be aware of.

Sammy Albon: I'm going to be joined by some industry Titans this season that are far more talented than I, and have far more to say on their experiences. I think you'll find really interesting. We've got influencers, we've got agents and we've got brands that each bring something very different to the table. I'm very excited by today's guest, who is none other than Carla Freeman, the one and only, um, who is joining us, um, with little baby.

Sammy Albon: Asleep to the side. So if you hear us whisper at any point, it's because she's murmured. 

Carla Freeman: If you hear me go, shh, shh, stop, stop, shut up,

Sammy Albon: then we need to be quiet. 

Sammy Albon: So we'll just turn this into an ASMR podcast.

Carla Freeman: Great. That'd be great. 

Sammy Albon: My favorite. [00:01:00] Um, I've got a little bio here for you, Carla. Oh, please feel free to embellish where you see fit.

Sammy Albon: See fit. Um, this week we're joined by Carla. Carla is a comedian, an actress, a mum. Uh, the most important role there, uh, an all round badass content creator. I think George wrote these. 

Carla Freeman: Badass. Did you hear that? I 

Sammy Albon: was cool. Badass. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah. 

Sammy Albon: Would you, you can change your Instagram bio to that if you like. 

Carla Freeman: I'm going to.

Sammy Albon: Good. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah. 

Sammy Albon: Um, our entire team love you and we've worked with you across a huge number of brands, um, and I think it's really great to have you here because you've got such an interesting story. We're going to dig into that. But first of all, Carla, how are you? 

Carla Freeman: I'm good. I'm very tired. Um, but I hate it when people say that.

Carla Freeman: So let's pretend I didn't say that. And I'm great. I am great. 

Sammy Albon: You are. You've had a coffee. 

Carla Freeman: I've, do you know what? I haven't had a coffee. I can't have it. 

Sammy Albon: I hope you were offered one. 

Carla Freeman: I was offered one. I was definitely, but I refused. No, I've had my caffeine for the day. Otherwise, you don't want me on two coffees.

Carla Freeman: I promise [00:02:00] you. 

Sammy Albon: Um, um, I want to start by talking about your introduction to content creation. Um, can you give us a bit of the background? Like, why did you choose to start? Where are you now? Sort of the follow growth you've had. And could you please leave in all the detail about Dame Judi Dench, um, and really embellish that because then we can include it in the trailer.

Carla Freeman: Okay, great. I will. I'll try my best. So I, um, I am an actor and after lockdown. Oh, Oh, Oh. Okay. She's fine. We're all right. She's okay. She's going back down. It's mommy's time. Um, after lockdown, uh, there was not much acting work at all and. I had been on Instagram constantly kind of watching people during lockdown and it'd been great.

Carla Freeman: And then I just thought, Hey, I'm going to do this. I'm going to do my own stuff. Um, and I, and I did it and it was great. And it was, um, and it kind of just went from there really. Um, 

Sammy Albon: how often were [00:03:00] you creating when you started 

Carla Freeman: when I started? No, Because I didn't realize that that you it's a full time thing.

Carla Freeman: It was proper Every every single day. Otherwise, you're out of the loop and the algorithm hates you So I think to start with I was just doing one real a week and it involved loads of wigs I started by doing this series called nursery mums where I dress up as all the different mums at the school gate and Yeah, I think when I look back on them They are not good.

Carla Freeman: Can we still find them? You can still find them. Actually, yeah, that's the point. I should probably get rid of the very, very, actually, no, I like it because it shows growth. Yeah, it shows growth. Nice smudgy camera. 

Sammy Albon: Live react to them now, if you like. Perhaps we include some in the YouTube video that goes out.

Carla Freeman: Definitely not. Thank you. 

Sammy Albon: Note to editor, we do not have approval for that, so don't do it. 

Carla Freeman: No approval. Approval not granted. Um, yeah, but yeah, it was really fun and I loved doing it. Um, and Yeah, and I kind of, [00:04:00] it kind of just grew from there, really, that's how it started. 

Sammy Albon: How did you get Dame Judi Dench in your content?

Carla Freeman: Well, she saw one of my nursery mum sketches and she was like, who is this girl? 

Sammy Albon: She should be famous. 

Carla Freeman: I need to perform with her. And I said, okay Jude. 

Sammy Albon: Please stop asking. 

Carla Freeman: Stop asking. I've got a slot for you, you can come in, I've written a sketch. Um, no, she, her daughter's one of my best friends. Okay. So Mate mate's favors .

Carla Freeman: And um, yeah, she's so lovely and so supportive and yeah, she, I think she's in, she in two or three. I can't remember. 

Sammy Albon: Are there more on the horizon 

Carla Freeman: there? More? Uh, do you know what probably I would now feel, I think I've, I've done all the favors I can. Oh, I might have to stick her on the old, 

Sammy Albon: you can go do that.

Carla Freeman: Can I say that stick? No, I can do it whilst talking to you.

Sammy Albon: It is recorded. 

Carla Freeman: Am I on camera now? 

Sammy Albon: Yeah. Did we not tell you that? 

Carla Freeman: No, but that's Hi. 

Sammy Albon: This one. 

Carla Freeman: Oh. [00:05:00] Hi. I'm an actor and I definitely found my camera. 

Sammy Albon: Always know where the eye line is. 

Carla Freeman: Definitely found my camera. Um, you're welcome to take her out and um, give her a rocker.

Carla Freeman: Do you reckon? Are we okay with gurgling baby noises in the background? I don't mind feeding as well because I've got a cover thing. 

Sammy Albon: And we can also pause. Or we can just put a big blur over you. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah, if you just blur me out. I didn't realise that. Hi, hi. 

Sammy Albon: Should we go again from the top now, you know? 

Carla Freeman: No, definitely not.

Carla Freeman: Um, sorry, carry on. Um, yes, it was about Julie. I think I've called in most of the favours and also you. Without sounding like the biggest wanker on earth. She's like quite a nice family friend. So I don't want to like, 

Sammy Albon: yeah, because she'd be so muddy. Probably say yes. And then you'd feel she 

Carla Freeman: would. And yeah, yeah, 

Sammy Albon: but not many people can say that they've had Dame Judi Dench in their content.

Carla Freeman: This is very [00:06:00] true, but she's yeah, she's a lovely, lovely woman. 

Sammy Albon: And so since you started, is it fair to say that being a creator and a mum is your full time job now? 

Carla Freeman: I would say at the moment, yes. And for the past, probably past year and a bit, yes. But I am also an actor, so if there was an acting job that came along, I would also put that alongside.

Carla Freeman: Yeah. Yeah. 

Sammy Albon: Have you found, and you don't need to answer this question if you don't want to, have you found that having a profile online has given you more opportunities to explore acting or is it just still quite a separate conversation? 

Carla Freeman: Yeah. So initially that was my idea. It was like, I put myself out there cause I get more exposure, but actually they're very different platforms.

Carla Freeman: And in order to cross over, I think you have to be in the millions of followers rather than the hundreds because. And also that they're completely, they are completely different. However, I would say having a massive social media platform helps you if you're an actor [00:07:00] when it comes to decisions about who to cast, particularly in theater.

Carla Freeman: I think if they can get bumps on seats, it's quite a, an appealing thing. But again, It's less about the hundreds, it's more about their like 

Sammy Albon: millions. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah. 

Sammy Albon: But you have gained quite a big audience. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah. I love my audience. 

Sammy Albon: You do love your, we were talking about 'em before. Yeah, we started doing this. Yeah.

Sammy Albon: So you started on Instagram? Yes. You're now on TikTok as well? 

Carla Freeman: I'm on TikTok as well, yeah. Basically the same as Instagram. But yeah, TikTok, I don't understand TikTok as much, and I don't think I'm very cool on TikTok. 

Sammy Albon: We think you're cool. 

Carla Freeman: Thanks so much. 

Sammy Albon: But I think no one understands any platform. 

Carla Freeman: No, this is true.

Sammy Albon: We all try our best. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah. 

Sammy Albon: And then often a lot of changes that make to the platform are a complete contempt of influencers. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah. 

Sammy Albon: They're like, just get with it. Try and discover what works. I know. Um, but you've, you've gained quite a big audience now, so you've got how many hundreds of thousands on Instagram?

Carla Freeman: Yeah, I think I 115. 

Sammy Albon: Not counting. 

Carla Freeman: Not counting. Always counting. 

Sammy Albon: Always counting. 

Carla Freeman: Always. 

Sammy Albon: Uh, and then [00:08:00] obviously TikTok, a slightly smaller platform for you? 

Carla Freeman: TikTok, I can't, maybe nearly 60, I think, um, thousand, not 60 people. 

Sammy Albon: Just 60?

Carla Freeman: Just 60. Just the 60. That's fine. Got to start somewhere. Got to start 

Sammy Albon: somewhere.

Sammy Albon: And do you still find joy in creating content? 

Carla Freeman: Yes. I love it. I love it. If it, yeah. Yeah. Um, when, when I'm not really, really tired, 

Carla Freeman: I love it. 

Sammy Albon: And do I feel like you're probably, we actually started talking about this earlier and kind of segues into my next question, because I think it's really important for brands to recognize that people using social media, it feels like we know this aren't just under 24 year olds doing dance trends on your audience is predominantly mums and we've worked with you on a lot of adult oriented brands and family brands as well.

Sammy Albon: Who is your audience and how well do you know them? 

Carla Freeman: So my audience, primarily at the moment, I'd say are mums between 30 [00:09:00] to mid 40s. They're kind of the main, there's obviously so many that don't fall into that bracket, but the, I'd say in the main bulk are, yeah, are, yeah, mums between 30 and mid 40s. Like me, basically.

Carla Freeman: They're just, yeah. Essentially. Essentially. 

Sammy Albon: Do you spend a lot of time talking to them? 

Carla Freeman: Um, I wouldn't say a lot of time. Well, I would actually say a lot of time because You do it then you can. Yeah, and I reply to every single message because I think, I just think that's really important and I know that I've, Message people in the past on Instagram, and it's just so it takes a second to reply, even if it's just an emoji or, you know, so quick to thumbs up.

Carla Freeman: Yeah, exactly. Um, and I want to show them that I appreciate their support as well. 

Sammy Albon: Definitely. And how, how important do you think it is to engage regularly? I know it must be hard to manage multiple platforms, a family and then also find time. Are you sitting there most [00:10:00] evenings double tapping comments or 

Carla Freeman: do you know what?

Carla Freeman: That's, that's something I really want to get better at is like sectioning my time off because it does, because it's so easy. Like we know everyone's always on their phone, but when it becomes your work, it's kind of, I don't want to be in my phone as much like when I can, I want to not look at my phone.

Carla Freeman: Yeah. Yeah. Um, But yeah, it's all consuming. It's I try and do it like I try and have a cut off point in the evenings, but I'm not very good at that. 

Sammy Albon: Stick into that. Yeah. I think this is one of my questions later on, it kind of slots in quite nicely now. Do you find that being online all the time, uh, it is hard to switch off and have you faced any form of burnout or managing your platforms and taking actually taking time away?

Sammy Albon: It's a really reset has been useful. 

Carla Freeman: I think my, this is going to sound because I do love what I do, but I also love when it's Christmas because everyone switches off at Christmas. There's like four days where people are like, absolutely not like, this is my [00:11:00] time and I I just, I love it because I try to switch off, but if I know that not everyone else is switching off, I find that really hard.

Carla Freeman: I'm like, what's they put out? What are they doing? They're like, I, and I just, 

Sammy Albon: It's not like booking annual leave, is it, when you're in full time employment? 

Carla Freeman: Precisely, and I think that that, I mean, I've spoken to a lot, like I'm really close with, Quite a few influencers now from the platform, which is lovely.

Carla Freeman: And we all get burnout weeks where we're like, I just don't want to do anything this week. Like I don't want to make content. It's 

Sammy Albon: what drives that is that driven by Um, I know from my experience when I was, I used to be a full time creator for eight and a half years. We've spoken about this before. 

Sammy Albon: And 

Sammy Albon: I think I would find that I've put my heart and soul into a piece of content and then suddenly you're completely beholden to an algorithm.

Sammy Albon: So you're putting it out like, please let it be seen. 

Sammy Albon: And 

Sammy Albon: there's no guarantee that people actually follow you will see it, let alone be discovered by new people. So is it often you've worked hard on content, whether it's for a brand or yourself, and then you're just not [00:12:00] sure if it'll even go out. 

Carla Freeman: I think, yeah.

Carla Freeman: I think. Brands less so because actually, I think with brands, it's been through such a process that I know it's what the brand one is what I'm happy with. And, and that's kind of my work. It's more to do with the kind of my personal reels, like my organic stuff. If I've done something and I, and actually I got really great piece of advice on this.

Carla Freeman: I got, um, One of my closest friends, she was like, if you are really happy with something, you've really got to lose that doesn't matter what it doesn't matter if three people say it and like it as long as you're happy in that kind of made me feel less. So I think it's less about if I have a real that does badly, that doesn't affect me anymore.

Carla Freeman: It really doesn't. I think sometimes if I'm losing followers, which like be open, like It happens, especially if you're a massive account, you can gain like 200 followers in like three days, but then you can lose 100 of those followers because they're just going, Oh yeah, okay. And then they'll go, [00:13:00] Oh, let's filter through my followers.

Carla Freeman: Who do we hate today? Why am I following her? Um, I think that for me, if I see followers going and I'm like, and I've been working and working and working on content, I'm like, Oh, so annoying. I think the lack of control sometimes. And also sometimes I just don't want to put on makeup and get in front of it.

Carla Freeman: Actually, I, I don't put on that much makeup when I'm storying. But if I have like reels to film, I'm like, just straight my hair, Yeah, and yeah, I just don't want you. 

Sammy Albon: And also put that, the metaphorical hat on of like, I'm going to be cheerful and upbeat when actually I'm tired. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But actually I think that's a really good thing with, with, with.

Carla Freeman: Most of my followers being mums is that I can come on and be like, I am so tired and they'll be like, yep. Amen. Meetings. Hello. Yeah. Strongly. 

Sammy Albon: We're all knackered. Yeah. Give it, give it a like. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah. 

Sammy Albon: Um, so you, you started around three years ago, nearly four. Yeah. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah. 

Sammy Albon: Um, how are you finding that your content has [00:14:00] evolved since then?

Sammy Albon: Because I think it's important that brands realize that actually just as you're growing as a person, you're different life milestones. Your content is also reflecting that. Um, so how have you found that? Changed and then on top of that is it hard to keep up with trends formats and any platform changes 

Carla Freeman: I think Evolving wise like tech has become like I didn't realize how important tech was like to get it's always like, it's always so much more pleasing to watch a video that you know is like really clean and really, the transitions are brilliant.

Carla Freeman: And it's really clear to think, yeah, I might have to take the baby, 

Sammy Albon: the baby's coming out of 

Carla Freeman: the baby's coming out, the baby's coming out. And 

Sammy Albon: She's so small. 

Carla Freeman: She's teeny tiny.

Sammy Albon: How old is she now? 

Carla Freeman: That's, oh, there's two little. She's nearly, she'll be six weeks on Friday. 

Sammy Albon: Do you want to go do mum duties? 

Carla Freeman: Can I quickly go and grab her?

Carla Freeman: Is that alright? 

Sammy Albon: We've changed a little bit. [00:15:00] Um, we had a slight pause, but we're joined by baby now. Yeah, she's she's asleep. We thought she needed a feed 

Carla Freeman: Yeah, but she's falling about to sleep Just wanted some limelight 

Sammy Albon: a lovely bum pat and a limelight. Yeah, so 

Carla Freeman: there we go. 

Sammy Albon: She's very comfortable 

Carla Freeman: She actually doesn't but I don't want to move her in case she wakes up.

Carla Freeman: She 

Sammy Albon: Whatever works don't 

Carla Freeman: come at me. I do support her head 

Sammy Albon: Out the comments. Yeah. Find something better.

Carla Freeman: No, thank you. 

Sammy Albon: Um, so we spoke about you starting four years ago. Yes. Trends, formats, platforms. Do you find it hard to keep up to date? Happening? Yeah. You feel like the platforms want you to know where you just discover it yourself.

Carla Freeman: I think some platforms are better than others. I think. I was saying this to you before i'm very untrendy. I'm the least trendy person. I know so I find it quite hard to keep up with trends So i've kind of surrounded myself with people that will give me a little nudge and say oh this is trending because i'm actually not very [00:16:00] Like, I will be the person that uses the trending sound about, yeah, two months later, 

Sammy Albon: like mums at school.gate friends. Is that? 

Carla Freeman: Nope. Mainly my other friends that are on Instagram, like other influencers that like, Oh, this is good. This will suit you. My amazing agent is always keeping me in the loop. She is keeping me in the loop with trends because she knows I'm quite untrendy. Um, yeah. But trends used to make me quite angry because I was like I don't want to have to fit into a trend in order for something to do Well, I want to just do my own stuff, but then Obviously, in order to do my own stuff, stuff, I have to have a bigger audience and in order to get a bigger, bigger audience, I have to do trends.

Carla Freeman: So it's kind of a vicious circle, not a vicious circle. That's dramatic. It's a circle. It's a light 

Sammy Albon: and you follow it sometimes. 

Carla Freeman: And sometimes I follow it and sometimes I don't. More often than not, if you look on my page, I'd say 90 percent of it is probably very untrending. Um, but no, I mean, yeah, every now and then I've just done a hair tutorial.

Carla Freeman: Um, Okay. [00:17:00]

Sammy Albon: A comical one, or? 

Carla Freeman: I mean, when I do stuff, it tends to be, it wasn't meant to be comical. 

Sammy Albon: But it ended up. 

Carla Freeman: I mean, yeah, it's just a bit of shit, so. Oh, can I, excuse me. You can. 

Sammy Albon: Absolutely. Fucking swear. 

Carla Freeman: Mom of the year. Um, yeah, so, 

Sammy Albon: so it's safe to say that 90 percent of your content is kind of what you genuinely like.

Sammy Albon: Yeah. And then for discoverability, you're like, okay, I should probably do something trend related. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah, I think so. I think so. And actually sometimes having to do a trend related thing opens up a door for me and I'm like, actually, I really like doing this kind of stuff. Like, yeah. I like just being, not having to put on wigs and doing the mum stuff, I quite like.

Carla Freeman: Doing like this is where I got my jumper from and this is because it's just chatting and I love just chatting. People 

Sammy Albon: like people. Yeah. And characters are great. But I guess you also see audience really resonates with when you're authentically you. 

Carla Freeman: Absolutely. And I think I get [00:18:00] massive reactions when not massive God that sounds so arrogant, but bigger reactions than when I do my reels.

Carla Freeman: When I do something that is. Just me with no like smoke and mirrors just just me because people are nosy as well And they were like, I'm nosy. It's like whenever I watch someone I'm like, I don't know what What's it's their living room look like like I'm yeah, I'm nosy So again when you I think when you as an adult As an influencer, and I, I mean, I don't, I still don't really call myself an influencer, but 

Sammy Albon: what do you call yourself?

Carla Freeman: I can't cut that out. What do you call yourself? I call myself, what do I call myself? 

Sammy Albon: Creator?

Carla Freeman: Creator. Yeah, I'd say creator. Yeah. I

Sammy Albon: think commonly a lot of influencers that we've spoken to would never refer to themselves as an influencer. I think that's a really interesting. Conversation point because yeah influencer for me when I was a creator Yeah, an influencer sort of denoted some sort of sense of like hubris like I'm [00:19:00] influencing people 

Carla Freeman: exactly that 

Sammy Albon: actually I'm just putting silly videos Up where I'm thinking about on the internet.

Sammy Albon: Yeah, and people like them 

Carla Freeman: Yeah, I don't have I don't like to think of myself as having that much power because that's a little bit scary as well It was very political. Yeah, I'm just 

Sammy Albon: Just Carla. 

Carla Freeman: I'm just Carla just being a bit of an idiot and doing some funny stuff stuff, you know people watch Yeah, great.

Carla Freeman: Yeah. 

Sammy Albon: You do you, Carla? 

Carla Freeman: Yes, thanks. 

Sammy Albon: Um, some of these questions here, I don't know if you've got any. I think a lot of influencers that are potentially watching this, who are often not included in conversations around influence marketing and the creator economy, have a lot of interesting experiences with brands or agents or agencies.

Sammy Albon: You've been represented for a while by different agents, I'm sure you've seen a lot of brand deals come and go. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah. 

Sammy Albon: Um. What do brands get wrong? If you could have a brand in front of you that's going to brief you, or an agency that's briefing you on behalf of a brand, what do they get wrong? What do you just wish you could scream from the rooftop and say, just bloody do this?[00:20:00]

Carla Freeman: I think Brands, my, my pet peeve with brands is where they've chosen you for you because they like your content and then they give you a 

Sammy Albon: prescriptive brief. 

Carla Freeman: Yes. And I'm like, but my followers, that will be so boring for my followers. They will not engage with that at all. I can tell you this will get like 20 comments and like 200 likes and that is it.

Carla Freeman: That's where it will stop. And I just think why have you come to me? You could go to anyone. It feels like there. Yeah, I was discussing this and it feels like they've come to me for my 

Sammy Albon: exactly 

Carla Freeman: that. That's what I want to do for my numbers rather than for my content. And that's actually if you like, analyze it enough, it's quite offensive.

Carla Freeman: It's like, well, why do you think they've come 

Sammy Albon: for you for your reach? But then it's just like, yeah, this is what we might as well just provide you the video to put up. 

Carla Freeman: Exactly. Exactly. 

Sammy Albon: So you want brands to be a bit more. Um, Trusting that, you know, I [00:21:00] think, 

Carla Freeman: yeah, come with more of an open mind and like we can, I don't mind working together with brands like because obviously it's their product and they're, you know, they, they are precious about it and I completely get that, but yeah, just to have some leeway and for them to be curious about what they think might work with my audience and where I can, what I can do with it 

Sammy Albon: and strike a balance between this is what they've said their messaging is and what they want to do.

Sammy Albon: And that you know what your audience wants to see. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah, yeah. 

Sammy Albon: Um, we kind of started to talk about this one earlier, but I wanted to save it for the podcast. Is there a big dream brand for you that you would love to work with? Or not just a brand, maybe an industrial vertical? And what sort of content would you make?

Carla Freeman: I yeah, we were talking about this earlier. I my dream brand Are you listening? um Is probably like a luxury airline or a luxury cruise that would be like carla Come to mauritius. We'll pay you and you can bring all your family all expenses [00:22:00] and your agent and All expenses covered and you just have to story every day And I'd be like, yes, okay, fine.

Carla Freeman: I will do that. That's fine. 

Sammy Albon: It is a chore. 

Carla Freeman: It's a chore, but or a ski holiday. Um, basically 

Carla Freeman: all of the above all of the call me. Um, but I know, I think It would be amazing to go and travel the world and be paid for it. Like I, that's a big passion of mine and I never get to do it. So anything involving travel, staying away, or 

Sammy Albon: you could be a travel creator, maybe segue into be a travel.

Sammy Albon: I don't think I'd be very good with kids. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah, that's true. I'm quite anxious traveling though. So I think my, a lot of my footage, I'd just be. Have a like a panic about the gates open 

Sammy Albon: channel that mum at an airport energy. 

Carla Freeman: Yes. Oh, that's a good. Yeah. 

Sammy Albon: Dad's at an airport. 

Carla Freeman: Dad's at an airport. I'll bring my wigs.

Sammy Albon: Bring your bring your wigs. 

Carla Freeman: Bring my wig 

Sammy Albon: and your mustache. Yeah. [00:23:00] Um, this is a lame question. I feel like you probably get asked this a lot, but could you talk to us about your creative process when you're briefed by a brand? Is it. Do you have a formula, like a formula you go to? So if a brand says we are a podcasting platform and this is what the product is, how do you tackle that?

Carla Freeman: Um, that's not a lame question. Um, I it depends what the brand is. Sometimes an idea will come to me straight away and I'll be really excited about it. And other times I'll have to. I'm still quite an old fashioned gal and I've got a pen and paper and I literally with my notepad, I'll just write, start writing ideas and until I stumble upon something or I've what have I done in the past?

Carla Freeman: I also I'm I'm influenced massively by people's I look at stuff that I think, Oh, that was a great ad. Why did I enjoy that? What did they do right? 

Sammy Albon: Oh really, so other influences that have done good content. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah, 100 percent [00:24:00] 100 percent especially if like, I've genuinely enjoyed the ad because I think that's quite a it's it's really hard to you.

Carla Freeman: Bridge from your organic content to brand work because no one likes none of your followers enjoy brand work. And that's something that I find really hard. I know when I 

Sammy Albon: enjoy when you do partnerships, 

Carla Freeman: yeah, 

Sammy Albon: and that there surely are some from when we don't be so it seems like they've loved, 

Carla Freeman: they'll be supportive and that's there are some that if I see because you give me free reign to do.

Carla Freeman: My stuff, but if it's something that is very structured to the brand's brief, then, oh, it's okay. And that's the reaction they give. That's what they, that's what they do. Um, um, so yeah, sorry, what was I've lost. I've gone off on a tangent and not answer your question. 

Sammy Albon: No.

Sammy Albon: Potentially not being receptive to the content because the briefings were prescriptive. Yeah. And I said about your creative [00:25:00] process. 

Carla Freeman: Creative process. That was it. Um, yeah. So I, yeah, I just, I write until something happens really. And I think there might be something that I've seen that I thought worked and I might take bits, not steal, just borrow bits that I think work, which I think all influencers actually do.

Carla Freeman: And I have 

Sammy Albon: nothing. It's truly original. 

Carla Freeman: Nothing is truly original. But I do change it up. You can't copy. That's not good. 

Sammy Albon: Copying is bad. 

Carla Freeman: Is bad. Um, yeah, I think so. 

Sammy Albon: Have you, um, this wasn't a question I briefed you on, but it's something that I think we've seen working with you over the years.

Carla Freeman: Yeah. 

Sammy Albon: Long term partnerships. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah, 

Sammy Albon: how many of them? I think all influencers want to get to the point where brands are working with them longer term. Yeah, gives you financial security. 

Carla Freeman: Absolutely. 

Sammy Albon: You don't have to spend so long learning about a brand. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah, 

Sammy Albon: Then also it means that you feel valued by the brand as well.

Carla Freeman: Yeah. 

Sammy Albon: Have you got to a point where you're, you are doing more long term partnerships? Um, if not, do you [00:26:00] think there's a particular reason that brands still aren't doing that with influencers? 

Carla Freeman: I think I actually have because my amazing agent, who I can't shout loud enough, she's dying there in the corner.

Carla Freeman: Oh, um, um, I have got, um, long term brand work. Um, not like, not all. There we go. That's the knackeredness of the mum. I'm slowly breaking down. How long have we been going this, that, that's about it. Um, um, not all my brands are longterm paid partnerships, but you're so right. When, when a brand does say like, I want to do a three month, you do feel like, oh, you really like me.

Carla Freeman: That's great. I love that. Um, and, and it does. Yeah, there's the security in the, it's great. But I think, yeah, I've got a few. Um, um, It would be great to know that that's kind of where it's headed and I think it is. I think I work. It's mainly a repeating thing. You work with the brands you build relationships with.

Mm. 

Carla Freeman: Um, and that's a really [00:27:00] lovely thing actually, because I think the influencer world can be a really shallow, horrible place sometimes when it, especially stuff I see on TikTok, not like not slamming it all, but it's very kind of fast. Yeah. Like, like flashing the pan partnership, like buy this product into the next one.

Carla Freeman: Yeah. And, and I think more with, with Instagram brands, do. Invest in the, in the creator a bit more, which is really lovely. And I, yeah, 

Sammy Albon: you value that 

Carla Freeman: I do. 

Sammy Albon: Platforms love data. Do you 

Carla Freeman: No but I have to love it because yeah, the insights are mega important. And actually I, yeah, it's something that I'm doing.

Carla Freeman: I think every other day I'll look at my insights and it's actually quite a depressing thing to do, but not that they're terrible, but you know, the fluctuation and the fact that you have no control over it again, the lack of control, control freak here, [00:28:00] um, um, and But yeah, that's super important. 

Sammy Albon: I think a lot of brands have the understanding that a lot of influencers are happy go lucky and then when it comes down to it, you're crunching the numbers, you're looking through the data, what's worked, what hasn't worked.

Carla Freeman: Yeah. You have to be technical. It's impacting you 

Sammy Albon: personally when you see and emotionally when you see losing followers or content not performing so well. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah. 

Sammy Albon: Um, we've only got two more questions left. 

Carla Freeman: Amazing. 

Sammy Albon: If you could capture what you want your audience to feel when they see your content, what would 

Carla Freeman: That's something, I love that question.

Carla Freeman: Because that's kind of, again, why I started doing it. One of the reasons. I want them to feel like, initially I started this because I wanted them to feel like they are not alone. That if you are a knackered mum, struggling in life, then here I am, like, and not just the mum thing. If you're a knackered person struggling in life, like if you, if you find the world a bit [00:29:00] overwhelming, if you, like, I just try and keep things really honest.

Carla Freeman: I try. Wow. Wow. Um, um, 

Sammy Albon: And real. 

Carla Freeman: Oh, that's right into the microphone. Sorry about this. Am I alright? Just having a bit of spit up there. 

Sammy Albon: Little sick up on the shoulder. 

Carla Freeman: There we go, it's alright, that's why I'm wearing cream. Um, uh, could you repeat the question please? Yeah, I will, 

Sammy Albon: um, what do you want your audience to feel?

Carla Freeman: Loved.

Carla Freeman: I do, no, not 

Carla Freeman: alone. I want them to feel not alone and I just want them to feel joy and like, have a laugh and a bit of escapism and I know I have Instagram accounts where I, I literally look forward to the stories because I know that I'm going to just feel like, ah, I love watching this. That's what I'd like my audience to feel.

Sammy Albon: A hug. 

Carla Freeman: Ah, yeah. 

Sammy Albon: Do you feel like you do know them? 

Carla Freeman: Yeah, it's something. I mean, no, not really, because they're [00:30:00] strangers on the internet, but, but I have made, I know what makes them tick. I think. And I have. And I, I love the community that, like, has been created around the content that I, I've made. I really like that.

Carla Freeman: I think that's really special. Um, and I have made some, like, I've made some best friends, like people came to my wedding that I met on Instagram. Really? Yeah. Which is crazy to say. I promise I have friends. Um, but, um, yeah. It's 

Sammy Albon: not people you found in a Facebook group. It's people that you are. 

Carla Freeman: No. Moving on.

Sammy Albon: Moving swiftly on. Um. That was the bulk of our questions and I've now got a quickfire round. 

Carla Freeman: Yes! Um, I love a I've always wanted to do a quickfire round. 

Sammy Albon: You've never done a quickfire round? 

Carla Freeman: No. When would I have done a quickfire round?

Sammy Albon: We could factor them in if you like every now and again just to get you back.

Carla Freeman: Yeah. 

Sammy Albon: But just answer as you see fit to these. 

Carla Freeman: Okay. Should I move this a bit because it's on, it's on Joni's head and 

Sammy Albon: She can take part. 

Carla Freeman: She yeah, maybe. 

Sammy Albon: Um, whatever comes to you in the moment. 

Carla Freeman: Okay. 

Sammy Albon: Don't need to overthink it. 

Carla Freeman: Okay. Okay. [00:31:00] I overthink everything but let's go. 

Sammy Albon: This is awful for a control freak isn't it?

Carla Freeman: Yeah, terrible. 

Sammy Albon: Facebook or Twitter? 

Carla Freeman: Facebook. 

Sammy Albon: Facebook or YouTube? 

Carla Freeman: YouTube. YouTube or Insta? 

Sammy Albon: Insta. Insta or TikTok? 

Carla Freeman: Insta.

Sammy Albon: Insta wins? 

Carla Freeman: Insta wins. 

Sammy Albon: Crocs on and socks? 

Carla Freeman: Crocs and socks or crocs or socks? 

Sammy Albon: Just crocs? 

Carla Freeman: No, let's do both, double it, no rubbing. 

Sammy Albon: Do you croc and sock? 

Carla Freeman: I don't croc and sock, I don't have croc.

Sammy Albon: They're very good for parenting. 

Carla Freeman: Are they? 

Sammy Albon: Yeah, easy slip on, turbo mode. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah, um, yeah. 

Sammy Albon: So you put the bit down at the back.

Carla Freeman: Influenced. 

Sammy Albon: Influenced. Favourite brand deal? 

Carla Freeman: Audible. 

Sammy Albon: You do have, they feel like you could do an audiobook. 

Carla Freeman: Audible, yes, I am available. Thank you. 

Sammy Albon: A long term partnership.

Carla Freeman: Long term partnership.

Sammy Albon: TikTok shop? 

Carla Freeman: No, but I did just buy something from a TikTok shop. 

Sammy Albon: Was it rosemary oil? 

Carla Freeman: No, it wasn't rosemary oil. It was those little lights you can clip onto your [00:32:00]phone. Oh, like selfies. You see, 3. 99. I'm not selling it. I just bought it. I will never sell something on TikTok shop. Life is too stressful anyway.

Sammy Albon: Facebook Marketplace? 

Carla Freeman: Yes. 

Sammy Albon: Have you bought from Facebook Marketplace? 

Carla Freeman: Yes. 

Sammy Albon: Have you sold on Facebook Marketplace? 

Carla Freeman: No, I haven't. I just buy. I just buy. I just buy everything. Just cash. Just going out there. 

Sammy Albon: Vinted? Depop? 

Carla Freeman: Vinted. I love Vinted. 

Sammy Albon: But not Depop? 

Carla Freeman: I did used to like Depop. Um, and then I, I didn't have enough storage on my phone for both apps.

Carla Freeman: So Depop went. 

Sammy Albon: That's a very mum thing to say. 

Carla Freeman: Cool. 

Sammy Albon: Gifting or paid partnerships? 

Carla Freeman: Paid partnerships. 

Sammy Albon: Do you like gifting? 

Carla Freeman: I love it. I used to love a gift, but then I realized that actually it's quite clever. Unless it's small brands. I love supporting small brands and independent businesses. I really love that.

Carla Freeman: And I think that's really important for people with big platforms to do. But this is not very quick fire, is it? But, um, but I want to get [00:33:00] paid, please. Mama gotta make some money. 

Sammy Albon: You can't pay your mortgage on? 

Carla Freeman: No, no, no. On a handbag. 

Sammy Albon: On a handbag? No. Follow or subscribe, 

Carla Freeman: uh, follow, 

Sammy Albon: uh, agency or platforms?

Carla Freeman: What's this? 

Sammy Albon: Agency

Carla Freeman: agency. Agency, definitely. 

Sammy Albon: I've written podcasts or YouTube again. Oh wait, no podcasts or YouTube 

Carla Freeman: podcasts. I love a podcast. 

Sammy Albon: What do you listen to? True crime? 

Carla Freeman: I, I do listen to True Crime. And Alan Partridge and uh, French and Saunders and uh, yeah, um, I, yeah, I listen to loads. I listen to loads actually.

Carla Freeman: Oh, um, what's that? Not, not Table Manners. The one with Ed Gamble and um, that's good. 

Sammy Albon: We were talking about this in the office the other day and I can't remember the name of it. 

Carla Freeman: I listen to it all the time. 

Sammy Albon: Anyone know? Off menu. Off menu. 

Carla Freeman: Thank you. Off menu. podcasts involve comedy and food, I'm there. Two of my favourite Yeah.

Sammy Albon: French and Saunders. I can't. I have. So you need to answer. 

Carla Freeman: [00:34:00] French. I'm sorry. 

Sammy Albon: I'd say French. But. I don't know. 

Carla Freeman: I don't know though. Both. Both. Jennifer 

Sammy Albon: Lumley. Jennifer Lumley. Jennifer Saunders or Joanna Lumley? 

Carla Freeman: Jennifer Saunders. 

Sammy Albon: Insta story or live? 

Carla Freeman: Insta story. 

Sammy Albon: Well done. That was the end of the quickfire round.

Sammy Albon: I'm pleased to say you passed. Thank you. We weren't scoring. There was no, there was no points to be had there. 

Carla Freeman: Don't tell them that. You won! Top of the league board. Liga board? 

Sammy Albon: Liga board. Feeling a bit beleaguered, I think. But that brings an end to our podcast episode, Carla. Thank you for joining us. Thank 

Carla Freeman: you so much for having me.

Sammy Albon: We can have you back at some point. 

Carla Freeman: That'd be really nice. 

Sammy Albon: You'll be listening to the What They Said. 

Carla Freeman: What They Said. 

Sammy Albon: The Influencer Marketing Podcast. 

Carla Freeman: What They Said. 

Sammy Albon: You could do 

Sammy Albon: it. 

Sammy Albon: You could do an intro sting for us if you want. 

Carla Freeman: I would love to do that. 

Sammy Albon: Maybe it's like the 

Carla Freeman: An intro theme tune. 

Sammy Albon: What They Said, the Influencer Marketing Podcast.

Carla Freeman: The Influencer Marketing Podcast. That's a bit Marks and Spencers. 

Sammy Albon: It was it was [00:35:00] giving 

Carla Freeman: the influence a marketing partner too much Let's stop while we're ahead quit while we're 

Sammy Albon: we tried we tried but thank you so much for joining us today Thank you for having a little baby as well. 

Carla Freeman: Yeah 

Sammy Albon: Contribution was invaluable.

Carla Freeman: Yeah, the grunts. Sorry about the grunts. 

Sammy Albon: It's like having two of me But thank you for joining us wish you all the best for what you're doing if people want to find you how can they 

Carla Freeman: Uh, they can find me on instagram. It's shall I give my handle? Yes, absolutely. Um at carla a freeman Um, and then tiktok I am at carla freeman comedy Which is confusing because I should have the same handle for both, but I couldn't get the same handle for both.

Carla Freeman: No Yeah 

Sammy Albon: And anything exciting coming up that we should be aware of, that we should keep an eye on? Um, so much. Everything's exciting. 

Carla Freeman: Just keep your eye, just keep your eye on my platforms, guys. So much excitement happening. 

Sammy Albon: You heard it here first. Thank you so much for watching this episode of the What They Said Influencer Marting podcast powered by Pretty Green.

Sammy Albon: We've loved having Carla Freeman and Little Baby along with us for the ride. [00:36:00] And uh, join us next time. Well, we're going to chat even more about the influence marketing world that we inhabit, uh, with some more wonderful guests, but please make sure you review this podcast wherever you listen to it. It really, really helps us out.

Sammy Albon: Make sure you give it a like where you can, if you're watching on YouTube, subscribe and leave some comments heckling me, but also advising us on future topics you'd like us to cover. And we'll see you again next time.