Top Three Lessons I Learned in my Third Year of Influencing
Top Three Lessons from a Content Creator
On the eve of my third influencer anniversary, I am shocked and so proud of myself for sticking with this hobby turned career. What started as a fun place to post daily outfit ideas has turned into a lifestyle page filled with fashion, food and travel content. I now even have a TikTok to accompany all the content I’ve been making!
As I continue to reflect on this milestone, I cannot help but think of the 3 big lessons I also gleaned from the experience. If you told Lauren of 2019 that my reach would be over 12,000 people and I now make social media posts for a living, I would have laughed. I remember a month or two in wondering if I would ever reach the 1,000 follower milestone and now I have 10 times the number!
If you have ever contemplated content creation or just starting on social media, I hope my page can be a place of inspiration. It took me years to finally start posting consistently on Instagram but I am so glad I did because I now get to travel and create the coolest content for my audience. Now, if you want to learn what lessons I’ve gleaned from the experience, keep reading!
Lesson One: Consistency Will Always Pay Off
I think the key to my success these last 3 years has always been my consistency. When I first kicked things off, I was very strategic and made it a point to post daily. I tried to go out on photoshoots once or twice a week and batched a bunch of content before going to work or spending time with friends. By planning ahead and subsequently planning for posts each day, I was able to consistently show up for my audience and I built that trust early on.
Now, to do this successfully, I recommend having a separate page for content creation. I made a solely fashion blogger page to share my outfits and slowly found my audience and rhythm from there. By dedicating each day to my page and always trying to show up, I was able to blossom and do what I do now!
*Pro Tip: I also recommend creating a content calendar for your posts. I update mine weekly based on events I have coming up and with fashion trends constantly changing I try not to over plan and I do allow myself flexibility in what I share. However, with this flexibility still comes rigor and I try to post Sun-Fri on Instagram and daily on Tiktok. When you always show up, your audience will follow suit.
Lesson Two: Embrace Rejection
This has been a weird lesson for me to learn but embracing rejection has been a huge lesson for me as a creator. At first, I took it personally when a brand would reject me, especially when I was trying to get a paid promotion with them. After about 8 months online, I slowly started making an income digitally and now at the year 3 mark, I am making more this year than I did in 2021!! I am still in shock but it was due to being rejected constantly and improving my work to get the campaigns and audience that truly believed in me.
In a similar vein, you also need to get comfortable with unsavory comments, especially on video platforms. I have found the meanest people to be on TikTok but after awhile you learn to focus on positive comments and lean on those who support your brand instead of put it down. Believe me, it takes awhile but it will make you a stronger person because of it!
Lesson Three: Always be Willing to Learn
For the longest time, I was hesitant to learn from others and actually invest in myself. I always tried to do things on the cheap and had a difficult time accepting help from others. I think a part of me was always afraid of scams too and didn’t really know when it was the best time for me to further my education.
Fast forward to now, I have finally invested my time and money into a masterclass course! I personally purchased the Sidewalker Daily class and have learned so much about pitching and figuring out how to present myself as the entrepreneur I am. By humbling myself and telling myself it’s time to learn and grow as a creative, my content has finally flourished. I am now inspired to create top tier posts for my platforms and my media kit/pitching strategy is so much stronger.
Similarly, I am now more open to learning from fellow creators and having those meaningful conversations. One influencer friend taught me how to increase affiliate sales and I have noticed a huge spike in sales since I started implementing her tips. Again, once I humbled myself and embraced a lifelong learner mindset, my business has blossomed.
Thank You!!
All of the above is truly just a big thank you to YOU my audience! I am so thankful to each and every one of you who has spent time and energy on my page watching me grow. I would not be here if it weren’t for you all and I am just so grateful and appreciative. For my own curiosity, leave a comment below regarding what brought you to my page initially. I love hearing how people found me and I look forward to our next year together!
Until next time,
Lauren