In April of 2019, I thought to myself, "I spend so much dang time on my phone. Why am I not trying to monetize my work?" I was spending endless hours scrolling on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest... with what to show for it? Nothing. I was just wasting days that could've been productive. From that point on, I made it a goal of mine to become an influencer so that I could provide an extra income for my family. An income that I could save to the side for vacations, birthdays, Christmas, etc. One year and three months later, I have grown my Instagram page (@mylifedailyblog) from 0 to 41.8k followers. That's right! I started with zero - a completely brand new page. How did I do it? Well, I will save that for another blog. Today, I want to start with 5 benefits of being a social media influencer.
1. Community. Let me say this again. COMMUNITY. There is no doubt that you receive an incredible amount of support through your audience. They become your friends. Some become best friends that you've never even met. You create virtual friendships with people who are similar to you in so many ways. They get to know you through a phone screen and the outpour of love is truly inspiring.
2. Love what you do. When becoming an influencer, you choose a niche. A niche is the category of content you create (travel, motherhood, lifestyle, fitness). "When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life." This speaks so much truth. When influencing, you can focus on what you're really passionate about. You can learn more, educate others and share for those that have the same passions.
3. Paid work. Of course money plays a factor when influencing. Money can be made through collaborations, partnerships, affiliate programs, etc. The best part of this is the opportunity to work with brands that you use and LOVE in your daily life. Working with a brand you personally love brings so much feeling of accomplishment and pride. All brands pay differently depending on specific factors but it's essential to know your worth.
4. Product exchange. Slightly different from paid content, brands offer to exchange product for content, a review or just to try. I love this aspect of influencing because again, not only do you get to work with brands you love and use, but you can also try out products you've never tried! However, it's always important to stay true to your audience and only recommend products/brands that you fully support and stand behind.
5. Share your voice. As an influencer, it's obvious that you have a following. USE YOUR VOICE. You have people listening - something not everyone has. Speak up when you feel necessary. Whether it's to share a good cause, a meaningful story, to motivate and to inspire, use your platform for the good, always.
So there you have it. Five benefits of being an influencer. Have you thought about it? If you have, go for it! Give it your all. You will never look back and wish you hadn't. Were you just curious? Now you know a few of the pros.
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