Woah…2020! You came out of nowhere. One minute we are deep in 2019 trying to navigate this ever changing Influencer world and now it is not only a new year, but a new decade. Can you believe that 10 years ago, on January 1st, 2010, Instagram had not even been created yet?
It is wild to see how far we have come in 10 years, but also in just the last 365 days. The world of influencer marketing is here to stay and will constantly be changing. So how do you keep up with it? Here is our top 10 things to focus on in 2020 and why! These are in no particular order and should be kept in mind moving forward if you want to keep up with the times.
1. BE ON TikTok!
If you have not already, SIGN UP for TikTok! This has been a concept I have been pushing for quite some time. Why you ask? One word, growth. TikTok will soon become one of those “bandwagon” scenarios, where everyone is participating because the follower gain is so great. But why be a bandwagoner? What is the worst that can happen? You dabble a little, learn some more about short form video and the app dies 6 months from now? That does not seem too bad to me. All of those users who joined your community will still be following you on another form of social media. On the other hand, you could not take it seriously and be very far behind 6 months from now when it explodes even more and you have not even started an account and the days of organic reach has gone down (like instagram). You will be kicking yourself for not joining sooner.
So just do it, I think you will thank yourself after! Not convinced yet? Check out our blog Why You Should Be On TikTok.
2. Building on Old & New Relationships
If you are new to the game or are a veteren, building quality relationships with brands, PR agencies and other influencers is KEY to succeeding in this industry. It is the New Year, New Decade, reach out to your favourite contacts from last year and ask them how their holidays went, or even send them something small to thank them for everything from 2019. Since January is a bit slower, now is the time to hit the ground running and be bold. Get some phone calls on the books to talk with some new or old brands and PR agencies about how you can best help them in 2020.
Travel with another influencer last year and love it? Shoot them a message and plan something for 2020 or hop on FaceTime and chat with a fellow content creator you’ve never met about the industry and see how you can come together to create some epic content this year. Think outside the box, be different and see what you can make happen. Need some more tips & tricks check out our blog on Brands and PR Agencies.
3. Try Long Form Content (IGTV, Youtube or Blog)
This can be a super daunting task for people, as long form comes with a lot of extra work and skills, that you may not have. Well…time to learn. Create a little IGTV or Youtube mini series. Come up with a really cool, valuable concept you can build into something more long form over the next 6 months to a year.
Going back to #2, find someone who is already doing it, that you love, reach out to them with a really cool idea for a video and make it happen! Step outside of your comfort zone because long form content has so much power for amazing engagement.
Start a blog, if you do not already. Same thing as the video. Come up with a cool concept and share your knowledge and value with your followers. Build that email list and grow a community outside of social media, so if social media were to ever die (it won’t, but hypothetically) you have build an audience that is all yours and is located at your own site.
4. Figure out what VALUE you can offer and find a direction to take it
What is it you are passionate about? What skill set or knowledge do you possess that you can share with your audience? Find the one or few things you love and create engaging content around that. Give your audience a reason to follow you outside of just beautiful imagery. Give them real value that will make them want to engage more with you than anyone else they follow, and engage back with them. Connect and show them you appreciate them being there. Remember! This is how you beat the Instagram Algorithm I spoke about in our first blog.
5. Find a Unique and new way to deliver your content
How does your audience prefer to ingest your content? Do they love your stories or maybe short videos you post? Find a cool and unique way to deliver your content. That could be a specific filter, start to each caption, story behind each post, a swipe to “behind the scenes”, whatever it might be, find a way that is unique to you and be consistent with that. This is a part of building your brand creating a concept of who ‘YOU’ are.
6. Align yourself with people who support you and build you up
Build a team. Find your friends, on socials or not, who truly support you and respect you for who you are and what you have chosen to do with your life. Create your own ‘tribe’ (overused word, but I feel it is a perfect fit for this), and find ways to utilize them in your online world. Create mini series, podcasts, co-blogs (blog written by multiple people), and so forth.
I am sure there are a ton of creators who you follow, support, love, so find a way to introduce yourself and build a group of link minded people. This industry can be very lonely at times, so build that family who will always be there. You could even see them as like colleagues at work. Find out more of why I think this is so important for our industry in our blog on Community vs. Competition.
7. Believe in yourself
This is a BIG ONE! As I just said above, this can be a lonely place to work and it is very easy to get in your head. I even have at times, and I am not even an influencer. Everyone does at some point. Just continuously remind yourself why you are here. Why you got started, and what you want to get from this industry. You have everything it takes to make it happen, so just keep telling yourself, YOU GOT THIS! If you need some help navigate all the business that will come with all your success check out Money Talk: When to Charge, How, and How Much?
8. Try New Trends Early
As I said above about TikTok, you can very quickly find yourself being lapped by everyone on the track of keeping up. This is so important walking into our next decade as it will bring new forms of communication and technology to our existing social media world. If you hear of something new, check it out, try it out, and keep your eyes on it. It never hurts to try that new Instagram filter, shooting technique, or social media platform. It is always better to be a pioneer, one of the firsts, than to be a late bloomer or tag along.
9. Try Something New Creatively OR Something New That Scares You
Like above, there are constantly new trends, new apps, new social platforms, techniques, etc. I challenge you over the first 3 months of 2020 to try out something new that is creative or that you were scared or not ready to try last year.
Get outside of your comfort zone. Remember! You are an influencer, so influence others to be the best versions of themselves and to always push the boundaries of what they are capable of. We should constantly be learning. The second we are stagnant in life is why we lose focus, energy, passion and our audience. Make it a habit to learn something new or try something you have been worried about and share that experience, your audience will love you for it. I took my own advice and embarked on a scary journey find out more: 10 Days, 8 Influencers and 2 Newuencers.
10. Be more Real, share more of yourself and build a deeper connection
To dive even deeper into the last sentence about sharing those experiences, I challenge you to be more vulnerable and open with your audience. Build those deeper relationships and connect with them on a level no other creator has before.
Some people might say that revealing or sharing more might not be the right answer and that you are sharing too much of your life, but in the end, your job is to build a community, a connection, friendships with your audience, and doing these things will only help that. Show them more and ask for more.
ASK QUESTIONS ALWAYS! Get to know your audience. Find ways to get them to engage with you and they will love sharing stories back with you.
If you can find a way to implement and act on these 10 things in 2020, I know you will see success within this industry. Comment below any other 2020 resolutions for the influencer industry you all will be trying out!
Next week I am going to dive into my thoughts on why buying followers and likes is a thing of the past and why you need to stay away from this practice.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
