They’ve Got Your Back
Being an influencer is so fun, but it can also be very challenging. Having a reliable community that you can lean on is key to finding success in this industry. From keeping each other sane, bringing insight to the harder times, and always knowing what to say – I absolutely count on my community to help me through this journey and you should too!
You Can’t Do This On Your Own
That might sound dramatic, but it’s true.
One of the most challenging parts of being an influencer is the lack of human interaction. On a day to day basis we don’t typically have a group of ‘colleagues’ that we interact with. This can get really lonely and even stressful. We need that support of others to bounce ideas off of, build relationships, and work through things together. And just because we aren’t able to have a traditional work setting with colleagues, higher ups, and the alike does not mean we can’t have support.
*Enter your influencer community*
Now this isn’t to say that I don’t highly value the support and love of my family and friends – it means the world to me and it gets me through many a hard times. However, the industry that I’m in is confusing, relatively new, and very fast paced. Sometimes it’s hard to explain to someone who isn’t in this industry why you’re so stressed out about your engagement on Instagram, how frustrated you are that so and so bought their followers, or how much to charge for a story feature etc.
This is why you need an influencer community. They will and do understand all of these things and they can relate to them. This has been hugely important to me in this journey as it allowed me to have an outlet so to speak on expressing many of my concerns, experiences, and ideas. When I vent, pitch, or inquire to my influencer community they just get it. And that is invaluable.
Your Influencer Community Will Often Be the Voice of Reason
Remember how I said this was a confusing, fast paced, new industry? Well I wasn’t kidding.
There’s basically no guideline or rule book on how to do anything in this industry. Every single day is a learning experience and a trial and error effort. There is a growing amount of resources available but in general it’s a pretty big adventure figuring out how to do any of this right. This can make it fun and exciting, but it can also become stressful and overwhelming.
This is where you can depend on your community. Wether you’re looking for some advice on how to respond to an email, an inquiry on what it’s like to work with a certain brand, or how not to lose your marbles in the chaos of everything – they will be there for all of these things and many more. Not to mention, you will find that these people will also become some of your best friends.
Network, Socialize, and Create Your Community
Now that you know how important a community is, let’s talk about how to become a part of one!
If you already live in an area that already has a community of influencers – don’t be shy! Reach out, hit up social/blogger events, and try to connect. I am always a little bit nervous heading into events like this because I’m kind of shy when it comes to group settings. But I always end up meeting some really sweet/amazing/inspiring individuals. And if you don’t have access to events but you know there are influencers in your community reach out and ask them to coffee or dinner, it never hurts to ask and you will probably end up meeting and amazing person!
Even if you don’t have the luxury of physically meeting up with other influencers and bloggers you can still grow a genuine and meaningful relationship online. I’m fortunate to have a little bit of both. I’ve met some amazing people (IRL) and I’ve become really close to girls that are countries away from me. I literally talk to these people online, or in person every week.
As always when building relationships remember to be genuine, kind, and equally giving. You won’t get very far (in anything) if you’re just trying to benefit off of others. But if you’re actually getting to know someone, being genuine and candid with them, and fostering a meaningful connection you will be sufficiently rewarded with a supportive community and some great friends!
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Love this article! It’s all so true 😉