As you work to get your influencer business off the ground, it’s important to build a solid foundation and introduce some of the key practices top influencers conduct daily to grow your business.
In this section, you’ll learn key strategies for diversifying your business and tricks for how to work smarter (not harder!) when it comes to creating content.
WHY YOU NEED A BLOG
At the end of the day, no matter how successful you are on Instagram, YouTube, or another third-party site, you don’t own these channels—meaning you are at their mercy. But you can own your own slice of the internet by having a blog or online portfolio.
If every social media channel ceased to exist tomorrow, having a blog would still give you a way to create and connect with fans. A blog is a perfect place to keep all of your larger thoughts and ideas and really show people what you’re about. Even better—you can do it with more space than a tiny Instagram square allows. The best thing you can do to protect your online business from the unexpected is to start a blog and update it weekly. In addition to the benefits you get from having your own platform, when you build traffic to your site, your content becomes more valuable because you own 100% of what you've created. Brands love working with influencers who drive traffic to their site because it means you drive SEO, meaning you help increase their visibility when searched for on places like Google (which means you can even charge a bit more, but that’s another topic!) If you don't already have a blog, what are you waiting for? It’s time to get started! If you do have one, but you can’t remember the last time you updated it, it’s time to start prioritizing it as part of your weekly schedule.
THE POWER OF SYNDICATING YOUR CONTENT We firmly believe in the mantra to work smarter, not harder, which is why we love syndication as a content strategy. This means taking content you create for one channel and then customizing it for your various other platforms. For instance: if you created a post for Instagram, you could then take the bulk of that content for use on Facebook and Twitter. But instead of just copying and pasting the exact same content from the original, make sure you’re tweaking it to the specific audience for that channel.
Why do this?
First, you’re maximizing the hard work you put in to create that amazing content, and second, you’re satisfying fans across your various channels. Basically, you're making sure no money (i.e. opportunity) is being left on the table! If you have a growing YouTube platform, start by posting your full content there, then post a trimmed version to your Instagram / Instagram Stories, or even a still from the video. You can do this across your channels, just make sure the content fits the space (don’t try to tweet a 500 word Instagram caption—customize it for that character count!).
This simple strategy will not only help you grow your presence, but it'll also make you more money in the long run and make sure that if one of your social sites flounders or fails, the rest will pick up the pieces!
GOING OFFLINE
You may think it’s strange to go offline to build your online presence, but it’s one of the most effective ways to diversify your interests to build long-term success.
Many influencers have brands they’ve built that you know and love today—call them side interests or hustles, here are a few examples of our favorites:
@noelledowning launched the massively popular Noelle by Noelle swimwear line this past summer.
@stellasimona owns Amarilo & Haati Chai jewelry lines.
@lexiconofstyle owns her own scarf business, and was recently featured by Stacy London. Marwa owns the insanely popular VELA Scarves, too!
Stephanie Liu of Honey & Silk and Tommy Lei of MYBELONGING are professional photographers that often pick up retail clients to shoot spaces and products.
Mai Nguyen of Mai and Zooey does content consulting, primarily in social. She would say she's a "Buzz Creator // Cultural Attaché".
Everyone has something to offer IRL, which can be an important part of your strategy to build long-term success, and security, for your business!
Don’t rely on just one channel to build your brand. You work too hard to let someone else control your creations—and your destiny! Make sure your content is protected and utilized effectively by diversifying your work. If you haven’t started any of the following, start putting plans in place to prioritize them!
Build a Blog: Showcase your content on your own channel and reap the benefits of SEO.
Syndicate Your Content Across Channels: Work smarter, not harder, by customizing the content you’re already producing for one platform across all of your channels.
Find Your Voice Offline: What product or service can you bring to your everyday to extend your brand offline?
Many influencers today are already doing something that enriches their lives outside of social media, whether it's revenue generating or not. What are you doing that helps diversify your interests and creates opportunities that will leave a lasting mark and keep you relevant for years to come?
If you’re interested in discussing how to get any of these initiatives off the ground, reach out to one of our Guidance Counselors!
Comments