I know we all seen the Tiktok influencers or Instagram influencers with the perfect looking life telling you how they became an influencer in a small amount of time and made tons of money. The part about making a lot of money is most likely true, but you are going to work for every single coin. Let me start by telling you that becoming an influencer and actually making money while doing it is NOT EASY! It may seem like a glamorous career, but there is so much that goes on behind the scenes that is not so glamourous. Imagine taking pictures in 90 degree weather, changing your clothes in your car, and trying to smile and look happy while doing it. As influencers a lot of the times we are the photographer, the editor, videographer, the talent and so much more. There are so many areas that you have to learn, especially in the beginning when funds are limited. When you are starting out you may not have the money to hire someone to help you with these task. So, until you can hire an assistant and a full glam squad here are some tips that can help you start your journey.
Study other Influencers that are doing well in your niche: So let me start off by saying that in no way am I telling you to copy what another influencer is doing. We do not do that here! Fortunately, for you there are ways you can study other influencers without copying them. For example, you can study their strategies and behaviors. Ask yourself, how many times a week do they post? How do they engage with their audience? How does their audience react to different types of content? Do they post on their stories often? Look at these habits and see how you can incorporate them into you strategy. Some influencers, like my favorite Highlowluxxe does not mind sharing advice or strategies with their audience. Just by doing a quick search on YouTube, Instagram, and Tiktok you will be able to find these creators.
2. Have quality content, consistently: This is a two- for- one tip. These are actually two of my biggest tips. Having quality content is so important not only for your audience, but for securing brand deals. If a brand wants to work with you they are going to look at your content to see if you can provide the type of content that they can share with their audience. They are going to want to see clear and concise pictures or videos. When I started taking pictures for Instagram, I would use my iPhone. After awhile I was able to upgrade to an actual camera. I also started to invest in other tools that I needed to create quality content. Things like ring lights and tripods are tools that can really make a difference in your content. I was able to find all of these items on amazon for reasonable prices. So let me tell you a secret, the main way I grew my social media platforms was by being consistent. Once I sat down and came up with a social media strategy and decided to stick to it, my platforms skyrocketed. My audience knew that they can trust me to show up for them on a certain day at a certain time and they looked forward to that.
3. Shoot your Shot: I told myself that this year I am going to "shoot my shot" professionally every chance I get. Is there a brand that you want to work with and you do not know how to get in contact with the right person? Just slide into their dm's. No matter how cringe it might feel to slide in the dm's of a major brand or another influencer. DO IT, because I can guarantee you that you are not the first influencer to do this. Do not be scared of rejection or failure. Just think of all the positive things that could come out of this interaction. You can actually secure a brand deal with your favorite brand or get to collab with your favorite influencer. No one likes rejection (I know), but putting yourself out there may be exactly what you need to get where you want to. Personally, I have slid into a couple dm's (professionally) and grew some really great relationships. Creating relationships not only with brands, but with other influencers in your field is really crucial in this field.
4. Don't Compare or Compete: Please, Please, Please stop comparing yourself to other influencers. I have done this and it is the quickest way to get discouraged. Sometimes you look at another influencer and ask yourself why are they growing faster than you or getting more brand deals? Let me tell you, doing this is self sabotage. Just know that everyone grows at different rates and that's okay. What may be for them may not be for you right now. That particular influencer may be getting more brand deals because their rates are lower or they are do a lot of free work. Their following may be growing faster than yours because they are buying followers (yes people still do this). You never really know what is going behind the scenes. So stop comparing and being in competition with other influencers and become your own competition. If you have a question about something they are doing in particular, just "shoot your shot" they may actually be really nice and give you some tips.
5. Be Intentional: It is important to be intentional about the content that you post. When I started my Instagram I would post a picture just because I think I look cute in it. (I still do sometimes) As I started to grow I realized that I don't only need to post a pretty picture, but I also provide valuable information to my audience. Ask yourself how you can be a resource to your audience. I decided I wanted to teach my audience different aspects of fashion, blogging, and travel. I wanted to show my audience how to put different looks together and where to go for the best seafood in Miami. This is where it becomes more of necessity for people to follow you. Being intentional also goes for securing brand deals. If there is a certain brand that you want to work with, take a look at their Instagram and try to recreate the content that they post. Make sure that you tag that brand or even dm the post so you can get on their radar. You may be just what they were looking for.
I hope these tips help you! Stay Fashionable Fashionista's!!
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