by By Jane Nyman
Build your Brand
Your personal brand as an influencer serves a similar purpose as a traditional company. So, to begin you will need to define your audience, your niche (the more niche the content, the better) and most importantly your values. These values will sink or swim your brand and it is important to carry these values through in every post, reel, TikTok, interview and brand deal. Make your values known.
Prioritize authenticity
Talk to your camera like you are talking to your best friend. Your followers feel more connected to you than you know. You very well might be their bestie, so be their bestie right back. No one likes an influencer that acts like a celebrity. The *magic* of an influencer is their relatability. A more authentic influencer will breed increased engagement and closer relationships with followers.
Research your brands
Just like they say in Pretty Little Liars— everyone has a secret. Therefore, a brand might look amazing externally, and they might have a diverse Instagram and positive company initiatives— but that doesn’t mean the brand doesn’t do wrong. I would suggest before working with a brand, simply google “Brand name…controversy” and see what comes up. The search engine can’t find anything? You are probably looking good. But go the extra mile by talking with the brands’ influencer relations team and see if your values and the brand’s values coincide.
Be socially responsible and aware
For example, the number of times I have seen influencers still refer to the primary bedroom as the master bedroom is embarrassing. Influencers are also digital ambassadors and have a social responsibility to remain respectful and politically correct on the Internet. And if they don’t? The internet doesn’t delete and with time they will probably be making a surface-level apology video that hopes to gain respect back with their followers. Don’t be that person.
Let people in
Followers love transparent content. Some of my favorite content is an “Unedited Day in my Life” or content with influencers and their families. People want to see what this person is like when you take away all the PR packages and brand deals. Take the makeup off, cut out the edits, show your mistakes and see what happens. Some of my favorite unedited days in my life are Danielle Carolans.
Written by Jane Nyman, connect with Jane on LinkedIn here.
Jane! What a great read. I love how you broke down what it means to be an influencer—and a huge part of that is they are NOT celebrities. I think the Emma Chamberlain Effect is a great parallel here. Obviously, Emma is hosting the Met Gala on the weekends and attending Louis Vuitton fashion shows in Paris, but that is not why millions of teenage girls watch her. It’s because she films herself ordering room service late at night and talks about her current favorite hobbies or relationship problems. I also loved how you mentioned Danielle Carolan here, she is becoming one of my favorite influencers because of her raw footage and real-life happenings.
I really enjoyed reading this as you made some great points about what it takes to be an authentic influencer. Although I’m not an influencer I think everything your list is useful to those who are starting out or need to reflect on their behaviors.
I love these specifics you laid out! I think that this would be a great toolkit for aspiring influencers, that clearly is based on research and informed by success you’ve seen in other influencers. I like the video you chose, it demonstrates your key points well.
I love these specifics you laid out! I think that this would be a great toolkit for aspiring influencers, that clearly is based on research and informed by success you’ve seen in other influencers. I like how you make the content more digestible with topical references. The video you chose demonstrates your key points well!
Hi Jane,
I loved these tips. As someone who has worked with influencers before, these are areas that stand out the most when brands choose which influencers to work with. It all comes down to who acts like an actual person and is transparent about what comes with being human. Looking at the current successful influencers, like Alix Earle, she exemplifies exactly what you’re saying. Good job!
I really enjoyed your post, you have some very resourceful information in here. I appreciate how you really broke down what it means to be an influencer and everything it entails. Although I have never worked with influencers or ever tried to be one, this piece would be a perfect reference point for if that time comes!