Influencer Session with Elise Buch

Socially Powerful interviewed Elise Buch (@elise.buch) who is a famous Instagrammer and YouTuber from Denmark. Elise began her social media journey five years ago by sharing her dreadlock journey and transitioned into lifestyle and fashion content that features her 70s-style clothing. She has reached over 150,000 followers on Instagram and 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. Elise engages her audience with personal vlogs, fashion tips, and motivational messages. She works with brands like Native Youth and Jord Watches. Elise hopes to turn her social media presence into a full-time job while continuing to inspire and connect with others authentically.

Elise Buch @elise.buch

Today we caught up with Elise Buch, from Denmark. Elise is 23 and started her journey on Instagram over five years ago, where she started taking pictures of her dreadlocks and quickly evolved into growing a large social following. In the blog below, we discuss her journey from starting out to what her following has grown into today. What an awesome blog!

Tell us about you, your background and how you came to start on social media?

It all began about 5 years ago now, when I started my journey with dreadlocks and bought a nice camera. At first I was just posting my pictures on Instagram, letting people follow my process with dreadlocks, and sharing outfits and lifestyle pictures, but when my dreadlocks were about half a year old, people started requesting videos on YouTube.

They were asking for more of me, and also had a bunch of questions they would like answered. So when my dreadlocks turned about 10 months old, I started making Youtube videos, and not in my first language, but in english. At first it was challenging and nerve-racking, but by time it has become pretty natural to me.

In December 2017 I brushed out my dreadlocks, and was super nervous about how it would affect my Youtube channel and Instagram. So far it hasn’t changed much, so that means people have stayed for the person that I am, and were not just watching because of my hair.  

Tell us about what you do on your social channels?

Throughout the last 5 years so much has changed, which isn’t that weird considering I’m not 18 anymore but 23. I started out very alternative, with locks and expressing the young person that I was. Today I’m very much into fashion. I’m super into 70s looking clothing, coluors, patterns. I like to mix and match, and try not to put myself in a box. Dressing should be fun, and not limiting.

I like to create fashion videos, I love home decor, thrifting, cooking and I also have a bunny called Luna that is often a part of my vlogs and videos too. I love music, and I also love to create videos with a message. If it’s about personal growth, insecurities or anything else that I’d like to share with the world. I don’t want to create a picture perfect illusion of my life, so I try to keep things real, but still always trying to keep a positive mind.

Sum up what you do in 5 words?

I try to inspire people

What social channel are you most passionate about and why?

It’s really hard for me to choose between Instagram and YouTube, but if I’d have to choose one, I’d be Instagram. Photography has always been a passion of mine, and couldn’t let that go.

How often do you post and update your audience? What content works best for you?

I pretty much post a picture on my Instagram every single day, and videos on my Youtube channel variates. For a couple of months in 2017 I posted a video every day from Monday – Friday, but in 2018 it will hopefully be one every 3rd day or so.

When did you first start seeing you were building a following? How quickly have you grown your following?

It happened pretty quickly I think. I quickly got about 2500 followers on Instagram, which is still the number that shocked me the most, it was insane to me, that so many people wanted to see me and my silly photos. After that it just slowly grew from that, and in December 2016 I reached 150.000 followers on Instagram. I reached 100.000 subscribers on my YouTube channel in the summertime 2016.

How do you stand out on social media? What makes you different?

It used to be my dreadlocks, but now I think it’s my red big hair, old-school style and good quality pictures.

What does your typical day look like?

Depending on what work I have to do that day. Mostly it’s waking up, water, emails, computer stuff, and then creating something, either video or photography. It very much depends on the day.

Are you friends with other influencers?

Slowly getting friends with a few, since I’ve started joining some meetups in my area, but I’ve never known any before. I kinda fell into this world by coincidence.

Which influencers do you admire? Why?

I admire https://www.instagram.com/nanda_schwarz/ because she gets to work with so many amazing brands. She have really managed to get in contact with a lot of different brands and made herself interesting for them. And I also love her style and pictures on Instagram.

What are your ambitions with social media? Where do you want to take it?

I’d love to make it a full time job, but I don’t think that will ever be possible.

What do you enjoy most about social media?

To connect with people, share information, knowledge, motivation and get inspired. 

How do you think brands are working with influencers at the moment?

They use them to hit a specific market, which is a great tool for the brands, and make marketing both easier and cheaper for them.

What brands have you worked with? 

Native Youth twice: https://www.instagram.com/p/BdVmfylH94q/?taken-by=elise.buch

The Kindred many times: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bc7PQF2HM4C/?taken-by=elise.buch

Jord watches: https://www.instagram.com/p/BcrsnC3HoT2/?taken-by=elise.buch

Na-Kd fashion twice: https://www.instagram.com/p/BbuJ_M1H29b/?taken-by=elise.buch

TUK shoes: https://www.instagram.com/p/BbHAQm8nq4c/?taken-by=elise.buch

Shop Dixi https://www.instagram.com/p/BcFV14hne81/?taken-by=elise.buch

Pocket Peeps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEIsPMJK200&t=24s

Happn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju2cgBgHcNo&t=7s

Zaful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOM-4QwdNKU&t=28s 

What’s the piece of content you’ve created you’re most proud of? Why? 

I always get a little proud when I manage to film and edit a video like this one all by myself, since I don’t have anyone to help me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPPSi8P33z0&t=17s

This I’m proud of because it was so raw, honest and a lot of my viewers could relate:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_eiPFQaT4I&t=37s

And this one because it was fun, upbeat and a lot of people seemed to really like it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWj9IYOpO6E&t=351s 

What do you see as the future for Influencer Marketing? How will it evolve?

I can’t look far into the future, but I think we’ll see more Instagram story type videos and use for promoting. It’s short, easy to access.

Where can people follow you? 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elise.buch/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/EliseBuch

Twitter: https://twitter.com/elisebuchh?lang=da