Make a Name for Yourself: Stand Out as a Digital Influencer
As the world of digital media continues to grow, more and more people find themselves in the position of digital influencers. Whether they’re sharing their lives on YouTube, Instagram, or any other platform, these influencers have managed to build up a following of loyal fans. And as their brands continue to grow, they’re learning that there’s more to being a successful influencer than just posting content. They also need to be concerned with building their brands and maintaining consistency across all their platforms.
Fortunately, there are plenty of resources available to help influencers learn how to grow their brands and maintain consistency. To get a better idea of what an influencer is and how to grow your brand, we’ve put together the following guide.
The Rise of the Influencer
In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of digital influencers. This is due in large part to the rise of social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Influencers are able to build vast audiences on these platforms by posting engaging content that resonates with their followers. And as their audiences grow, so too do their opportunities to partner with brands and earn a living from their online presence.
The Allure of Being an Influencer
There are a number of reasons why people are drawn to this career path. One of the main reasons is the amount of flexibility, which is highly appealing for generational groups like Millennials, Gen-X and Gen-Z. Influencers can work from anywhere in the world and set their own hours, and it’s a great way to connect with people from all over the globe. It’s also an excellent way to earn a living.
Digital influencers can make a significant amount of money by promoting products and services that they believe in. Most importantly, it’s a fun and rewarding career. People who choose to become digital influencers get to share their passions with the world and help to shape the conversations that are taking place online. It’s a unique and exciting way to make a difference in the world.
Fumbling in the Dark
Despite their success, many influencers consider themselves to be amateurs. This is because the field of digital influencing is still relatively new and there are no established pathways to becoming an influencer. As a result, many people who have found success in this field have had to learn through trial and error. However, this lack of structure can also be seen as one of the major advantages of being an influencer. It allows people from all walks of life to break into this field and find success on their own terms.
Consistent Branding Matters
Maintaining a consistent brand identity is essential for any business, but it can be especially challenging for digital influencers who operate across multiple channels. For example, an influencer who posts fashion-related content on Instagram might also have a YouTube channel where they post haul videos and unboxing videos. If the two brands are not carefully aligned, it can create confusion for followers and damage the influencer’s credibility.
Another common mistake is failing to update branding elements as an influencer’s career evolves. For instance, an influencer who started out posting DIY videos might eventually branch out into other topics, such as beauty or parenting. If their branding fails to reflect this change, it can make them seem out of touch with their audience.
Finally, some influencers make the mistake of using generic or “default” branding elements, such as generic logos or stock photos. This makes it difficult for followers to remember the influencer’s brand and can make the influencer seem less professional.
To get a handle on brand consistency, apply these practices:
- Keep your overall look and feel consistent. This means using similar colors, fonts, and overall design elements on your website, social media channels, and any other promotional materials.
- Use the same profile photo and bio across platforms. This helps people to instantly recognize you, no matter where they see you.
- Be consistent with your content. If you typically post lifestyle content, for example, make sure that your YouTube videos, Instagram photos, and blog posts all reflect that same general theme.
Be Professional with PDFs
If you want to exude more professionalism as an influencer when you start connecting with brands, start using PDFs for all your documents, price lists, contracts and agreements. PDF is the standard format for documents, and there are many reasons why PDFs are more professional than other file formats.
For one, PDFs maintain their original formatting, so you can be sure that your document will look the same on every device. You can also password-protect PDFs to prevent unauthorized access, and add watermarks to deter copying. In addition, PDFs can be signed electronically, so you can avoid the hassle of printing and mailing documents back and forth.
While it is important to be true to yourself, it is also important to maintain a consistent persona across all of your social media platforms. This can help you to build a strong brand and gain a loyal following. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you have to be robotic or post the same thing every day. Instead, think about the overall image that you want to project and make sure that your content is in line with that. If you are genuine and authentic, your followers will appreciate it and will be more likely to stick with you for the long haul.