Top 10 Things for Influencers & Content Creators to Focus On in 2020

What word best sums up our influencer marketing world? Competition or community? Let me guess, most of you chose competition. You probably find yourselves competing daily as a content creator. What if I told you that you're on the wrong path. Find out 5 ways influencers and content creators are hurting themselves and what to do about it here.

The top 10 things influencers and content creators need to do to grow their brand in 2020

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 – and there’s a pandemic on top of that!

Ten years ago, 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 for Influencers to focus on in 2020. These are in no particular order and should be kept in mind moving forward if you want to keep up with the times.

1. Get 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, 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 about why you should be on TikTok.

Get on TikTok before it is too late

2. Building on Old & New Relationships 

If you are new to the game or are a veteran, building quality relationships with brands, PR agencies and other influencers is KEY to succeeding in this industry. Reach out to your favorite contacts from last year and ask them how they are doing with everything going on right now, or even send them something small to thank them for everything they have done in the past.

Need some tips & tricks about working with brands and PR agencies? Check out our blog post all about Brands and PR Agencies.

As travel starts to come back after the pandemic, brands will start wanting to work together again to help get their businesses up and running again. However, some brands are still working with influencers in various capacities right now. If you feel like you can bring value to a brand right now and truly love that brand, you could still reach out to see if you can help them during this time. Even if they can’t work together now, it helps build a relationship or keep a relationship going for the future.

Did you travel with another influencer last year and love it? Shoot them a message to see how they are doing. Maybe start brainstorming for something later in 2020 when travel opens back up. Hop on a FaceTime call with a fellow content creator you’ve never met to talk about the industry and see how you can come together to create some epic content in the future.

Think outside the box, be different and see what you can make happen. Is there a way you can join forces to bring value to both of your audiences right now? If so, go for it! Even if you can’t travel, there are other ways to provide your audience with value, so brainstorm and then make those ideas happen.

Build relationships with PR agencies, brands, and other influencers to grow on Instagram in 2020

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. Most people have some extra time at home right now, so jump on YouTube or take a class and learn a new skill.

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. Maybe even just learn the skill and practice for when you can start traveling again if you are in the travel niche.

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. It can be overwhelming at first, but here are some tips for getting started with a blog. Come up with a cool concept and share your knowledge and value with your followers. Just start – don’t wait until you know it all to get that first blog post up.

Build that email list and grow a community outside of social media. Create a freebie that provides your audience with value to get people to sign up. This way, if social media were to ever die (it won’t, but hypothetically), you have built an audience that is all yours and is located at your own site. Plus, if the Instagram algorithm changes, you still have access to your audience.

Try out long form content like IGTV, YouTube, or a blog in 2020

4. Find How You Can Provide VALUE

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.

Provide value for your audience to give them a reason to follow you in 2020

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 might be a specific filter, the way you write each caption, giving the story behind each post, a swipe to “behind the scenes”, etc. 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.

Be unique and find new ways to deliver content to your audience to create your own personal brand.

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, collab posts on blogs (posts written by multiple people), and so on. 

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 like 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. One of the biggest mistakes influencers make is competing instead of forming a community.

Build relationships with influencers you admire as well as others at the same point in the journey as you are

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. It is so important to know your why to keep you going on the hard days. If you don’t know why you are doing what you are doing, it makes it much easier to give up.

You have everything it takes to make it happen, so just keep telling yourself, YOU GOT THIS! If you need some help navigating all the business that will come with your success, check out our blog post: Money Talk: When to Charge, How, and How Much?

Believe in yourself and remember why you want to be an influencer

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.

Try out new trends on social media to see if you like them

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 course 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. 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.

Maybe that scary new thing will even be something outside of the influencer space. What are some goals you have in life? Start making them happen. What are some business ideas you have? Why not give it a try?

Try new things that scare you

10. Be More Real, Share More of Yourself and Build a Deeper Connection

To dive even deeper, 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.

Be real with your audience at all times as an influencer

*****

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 with some of the ways you are trying to grow as an Influencer this year.

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These are the top 10 things content creators and Instagram influencers need to do in 2020. From trying new trends to building a deeper connection with your audience, these are the tips that will help you grow in 2020. #influencer #instagram | influencer Instagram | how to be an influencer | Instagram influencer tips | how to be a travel influencer | travel influencer content | travel influencer Instagram | how to be a lifestyle influencer | lifestyle influencer Instagram | content creator tips

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