"Know your worth" with Rebecca Rogers

Rebecca Rogers is a high school social studies teacher turned social media influencer and podcaster with a reach of about 3 MILLION followers across platforms. With her reach, she hopes to not only bring smiles to the struggling students across the nation but also make teachers around the world feel “seen” in regards to the unique situations they deal with on a daily basis. Above all else, Rebecca wants to show girls worldwide that it is possible to follow their dreams and create new paths for themselves in order to reach their full potential. 

How did you become an influencer? What inspired you to go down this path?

It all kind of happened by accident! During online learning in the fall of 2020, my high school students were really depressed. This was in the middle of lockdown, and it was hard to really REACH these kids. I was desperate to find some way to bond with them, and when they did speak in a class all they wanted to talk about was TikTok, so I figured… Maybe this will work. I asked my classes one day what they thought about me making a TikTok account and they became SO excited! My 4th period made my handle for me (rrogersworld) and I started doing some of the funny trends each of my classes told me about. Then one day, they asked me to tell the story of some funny things kids in our class said.

With those student’s permission I made my first few “Real Things Said in Classrooms” videos, which skyrocketed. My platform kind of took off, and I decided to keep it going when I saw the good I was doing not just my kids, but other kids around the world and teachers. Not only was I making people laugh, but teachers felt seen with my content in a time where they were (and still are) constantly taken for granted. I now focus on telling both funny and serious stories that take place in schools to bring awareness that all schools have silly students, demanding parents, unfair administrations, and even unfortunate teachers. 

What markets do you serve?

I am mostly on Teacher Tiktok, I have added Instagram and YouTube to my platforms as well and have recently been trying to incorporate more “lifestyle” kinds of content. 

How do you grow your following/readership?

Just keep posting! I tell newer creators that posting only brings in new followers. Go live also, and interact with your followers in comment sections. That is the biggest thing!

How do you secure sponsorships?

Businesses will reach out to me. I have not reached out to businesses myself yet, sometimes I still get nervous and don’t want to feel “entitled” by asking a business to pay me for a sponsorship. I know a lot of my creator friends say that is silly, but that is just how I feel sometimes.

How do you come up with rates?

I use Social Blue Book! It is great. It takes my following and engagement rates and calculates what I should charge for sponsorship on each platform. It has really shown me my worth as a creator. I never would have come up with those numbers on my own.

What are some ways you measure the success of brand campaigns?

If a brand wants to work with me again in the future, or if I get a lot of views/engagement on a sponsored post, that shows me that the campaign did really well. I also look for comments that say “I know this was an ad but it was still a good video”. When I incorporate ads as skits I usually get those comments, and it is awesome!

Do you work with talent management? If so, how did you find the right manager/agent?

I JUST got an agent, and I adore him! I was really hesitant for a while. However I had some other creator friends all use this same agent at Viral Nation and I figured to give it a try. He has been absolutely amazing. Takes so much weight off of my shoulders. 

How do you weather slow times?

Slow weeks used to really mess with my mental health. I would think “Is this it? Am I no longer cool? Is this the end of my influencer road?” and that would give me a lot of anxiety. However I just kind of decided I couldn’t let myself get that way and I would need to create opportunities for myself that would ensure that IF my time was up on an app, I still had something to fall back on. That is what I added numerous platforms so that if I fell off of one I would still have others. I am also looking into writing some books and trying other outlets of entertainment such as standup comedy, just to see if I like it! Opening up my horizons to these different paths has definitely helped my mental health when one app might have a slow cycle. 

What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made?

There are a few I can think of. One of the first is not realizing that companies that want something from you will absolutely try to take advantage of you. There was a company that found me when I was just starting to blow up, and they offered me an opportunity that at the time I thought was so much money. I felt so special. Realized way too late they were scamming me. That is why I really emphasize to creators to KNOW YOUR WORTH. And talk to other creators!

Share stories about companies. Look out for each other. That also brings me to another mistake, is that not all influencers are who they appear to be on screen. There were a few people who I was SO excited to be friends with, and it took me a while to really see it but they were NOT who they appeared to be on their platforms. Just be careful. Pay attention to how people treat you when you say “no” for the first time, and believe them when they show their true colors. 

What advice do you have for aspiring influencers?

Going back to my previous statement, just know your worth. Use resources like Social Blue Book and do not allow companies to take advantage of you. Also, know there are some FABULOUS companies that really want to work with you and will value you. Just be wary of those who are just looking for a bargain off of you.

Remember to pace yourself when meeting new people online. There are individuals who have changed my life for the better, and I know they will be lifelong friends. There are also some who really let their platforms go to their head, and they might not be the best company to keep around. I have started paying attention to the company others keep, and that has really helped show me who is the kind of friend people want to stick around for, and who isn’t. 

Which books and/or celebrities have influenced you the most?

Taylor Swift honestly has been such an inspiration to me. I really resonate with her quote “If guys don’t want me to write bad songs about them… Then they shouldn’t do bad things”. I have had an overwhelming amount of support, but also get many individuals who for SOME reason get so offended by my skits calling out abuse towards teachers. I keep that Taylor quote close to my heart and just keep “trucking along”. 

How can our readers get in touch with you?

The best way to get in touch with me would either be through my Instagram DMs (rrogersworld) or by email, rrogersworld@gmail.com