Everyday she's hustling:
The labor employed to succeed in an Instafame-obsessed society
INFLUENCER INSIGHTS: 5 Tips You Need to Know
INFLUENCER INSIGHTS: 5 Tips You Need to Know
INFLUENCER INSIGHTS: 5 Tips You Need to Know
Keeping consistency, hustling all the time, emotional labor and stress of worrying about posting, navigating a new and constantly evolving industry, relying on a platform you don’t control- These are just some of the challenges influencers constantly face.
These are five insider insights influencers want you to know and remember:
1. You have to have an entrepreneurial spirit:
Confidence and ambition are your best friends here. The influencer industry has become highly saturated and a growing market that brands are starting to invest more into. That being said, shy and reserved is not an option, a.k.a. the earlier you get out there and reach out and actively try to make connections the sooner you will see your audience growing. Influencers want people to realize that you are an entrepreneur and you are essentially pitching yourself as a brand and you have to be bold enough to do so.
“I think honestly, in order to be successful at it you have to enjoy it. And you have to like, you know dealing with the algorithm and you have to like pitching yourself”
- @jessymplace
And that rings true with anything- if you're passionate about it you'll see growth.
2. No one learns by getting it right the first time:
Trial and error is huge part of the influencer industry and influencers want you to know that is GOOD. You should be trying new things because what works for one influencer might not work for you. Do not fear failing because by trying a variety of techniques you will figure out what works- try new filters, angles, types of content! Because in the beginning you’re still hustling and don’t have your own brand together yet, which is exciting because it allows you to experiment and you'll start to see your brand emerge the more you learn!
"I was just trying to like figure it out and I was pretty young too, like still kinda coming into myself and figuring out what I'm really doing, but like I wasn't going to figure out who I was and then start, like I needed to just start so yeah it was just YouTube videos that were just kinda cringeworthy and some photos, just mostly selfies, that was kind of the beginning stages of the content"
- @_withsarah
Figuring out what your aesthetic is and what content you like is important, but you also need to learn who your audience is and what they like, and to do that you just have to keep posting.
3. Instagram is great, but it's just ONE platform:
Instagram is just a single platform, for which only the people who work at the company know its future, if the platform goes away tomorrow you should be able to pivot or have the ability to maintain your audience without it. While Instagram is good to attract attention to yourself and your emerging brand, it is important to have other platforms of which to lead your audience to, such as a website or blog, or other social channels. It is increasingly important to not rely, especially not for a livelihood, on a platform you do not control, which is why many influencers are now taking steps or precautions to have other places to host their content and maintaining other streams of income.
"If I were to go full time as an influencer it would be so many more avenues than just Instagram because I don't own Instagram and I don't control Instagram and if it were to crash tomorrow, if that where my full-time job? I would be SOL. I would be out of luck. And that's never something I want to put my welfare on"
- @gonewiththeguinn
So don’t quit your day job just yet because unless you’re making bank you don’t want to put yourself at risk with such an unstable option. And with Instagram removing likes, who knows what they're going to do next.
4. Girl gang, girl gang, girl gang:
Look you sort of have to be a personable and outgoing gal to be an influencer. Celebrities are only famous because of their loyal fans, and influencers are only influencing because of their loyal and authentic following. So in other words become the girl everyone loves! It's hard not to succeed if everyone adores you and you seem like the type of person they'd want to be friends with! If you genuinely want to make friends through Instagram, it can also be a great place to foster new and lasting relationships. Influencers also emphasized that there are numerous benefits for being connected with fellow influencers or girls aspiring to do similar things. For one, knowledge is power and there is power in numbers. If your new influencer friends are willing to share their experiences with brands and what they’ve learned you can all grow so much faster through collectively helping each other.
"I think that when they [brands] see that you know you're active in the community and that you have this strong like friendship and group of girls around you, it goes to show that you're the type of person that other people wanna hang out with and listen to, you know take their advice into consideration so I definitely think it helps when you broadcast that you do have a close group of girls that you're friends with, that you know are also bloggers."
- @boldlybrittany
Another thing, brands like when you have a badass #girlgang. Why? Because it shows that people like you, trust you, and want to be around you! That is good for them because they know that people listen to your and your opinion and you have grown an authentic following.
If you're from the Boston area, or even New England, feel free to check out Bloggers Live Boston, a community for "girl-boss bloggers and creatives." It was co-founded by one of the influencers interviewed through this research, Jessy Place, who wanted to bring together a community of girls to offer support, guidance and as the website says "sisterly love."
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5. Since Instagram is only one platform, create bigger goals for yourself:
Again, new platforms are always rising and old ones are changing or fading out. Rather than put your all onto a platform that might not have the best longevity, influencers suggest using Instagram as a stepping stone toward another dream or bigger aspiration. Influencers want aspiring influencers to realize that Instagram is a way to attract attention and engagement with you and your brand, but once you get them to your page you have to have something to say, or something to tell them. You need your brand to be able to stand outside of Instagram.
This is why they suggest to find a niche or something you’re passionate about, or knowledge you wish to share and drill into it. Instead of relying on Instagram in an of itself, think of Instagram as a vehicle, or tool, to spread your message or to express yourself and build off of it. As long as you have the ability to maintain your passion and keep learning and progressing, you will be able to take your ideas and thoughts into other outlets. Some influencers aspire to have their own beauty line, or create their own business that comes out of influencing, or write and sell book.
"I kinda say it as like I have my own brand and like my brand is me and I use Instagram and my blog and YouTube channel to kind of create content so that people can engage with it and have a place to like come and learn things but have a good time and also be a part of my life and my journey so Instagram's a huge piece of that but it's not the sole piece and I have plans to create more things that are outside of social media so the brand feels a little bit more like a brand"
- @_withsarah
If you take the time and effort to gain, and maintain an authentic audience you will build a foundation for any future ideas or ventures you wish to try, because that audience has been with you, trusts you, and will stick along for your next journey, and your next journey, and anywhere you go from there.
Later, a top marketing platform for Instagram, just published an article titled the Top 8 Influencer Marketing Trends Coming in 2020, and it echoes a lot of the sentiments provided here as well.