Introduction
It is almost impossible to master a new craft right from the start. We’ve all heard the saying, practice makes one perfect. Even if you are passionate about something and feel you know everything about it, there are high chances that you don’t have every piece of information about a particular niche or category. Most people are afraid to make mistakes but it is because of those mistakes, that one can improve sevenfold and become a perfectionist. There is always a lesson to be learned from making mistakes. Also, it is more likely that one will take care of those aspects the next time and avoid making any further mistakes.
The world of social media and digital marketing is always changing and evolving. It is often quite a task to stay up-to-date with everything new that’s going on or with all the latest updates across the digital platforms. While implementing the new tools and strategies might take a bit of time to get used to, influencers at the start of the journey make mistakes that can have adverse effects. Read on to steer clear of these common mistakes.
Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs
- If you are an influencer or want to start your journey as one, do not indulge in buying followers just to get a sponsorship. Before getting finalized for an Instagram sponsorship program with a brand, they will in detail check the kind of followers you have. Having fake accounts or bots as followers, or buying likes and comments doesn’t have any benefit. The quality and correct demographics of followers trump the number of followers, likes, and comments. Earning every follower, the right way sits well with brands and even with the other people who are following you. No one likes to see likes and comments from bots.
- Overthinking the username often leads to a delay in getting started with more important things. You can always change your Instagram username and bio. Spending too much time to come up with the best possible one means wasting precious time. You can give your Instagram feed a makeover from time-to-time and changing the username, bio and aesthetic is the easiest way possible. Some of the best names are so random, yet good because of their obscurity.
- Comparing yourself to others. Everyone is unique and has something different and personalized to offer. There is no point comparing yourself with others and feeling negative about yourself. There’s always room for improvement even for the ones with millions of followers. You can always learn something new from others and try to add your twist to it. Stand out with confidence and work your charm.
- Never say yes to anything and everything that comes your way. Before you start collaborating with a brand or another influencer, take a look at the demographics of your followers, is it something they’d like to see and be interested in? Saying yes to all potential opportunities might result in loss of followers or lower engagement metrics. You must always go with your gut instinct. Try to make a list of things that your brand stands for. Write down keywords that explain your style, your blog, and the overall vibe that you want to put out into the world. If an opportunity comes your way (even if it’s another blogger wanting to cross-promote), and in case it doesn’t match the list, then let it go.
- Even if you have been in this business for quite some time now and have gained experience, don’t let it get to your head and think that you are now an expert. Create relatable content, indulge in humor, keep your audience engaged. Sounding or pretending to be an expert or a professional removes the relatability score. Be informal and chill and see how well your followers react and respond to you.
- Being random or all over the place. When you start your journey as an influencer, pick out a few niche domains or categories that you feel drawn to. Promoting and creating content about literally everything under the sun will only create confusion for your followers and the brands who might be interested in a sponsorship program with you. People should know what kind of content they will get. Having too many different content types creates chaos and confusion and may hamper the specific demographics. You can start exploring different categories one at a time after regular interval periods. Sticking to the same industry works well with both followers and potential brands looking for a collaboration.
- Don’t be inconsistent. No matter how many times a day or week or month that you are posting – do it consistently. Consistent topics, words, photos, and even color schemes will show your audience that they can rely on you. When you are consistent, your audience knows that they can rely on you to upload a post on a particular day or at a particular time so they will remember to come to visit your site or account.
- Being impatient and wanting things to materialize as fast as possible. Good things take time and the road to success is long. You have to be patient when it comes to increasing your number of followers, improving your engagement metrics, and finding or getting more and more sponsorships and collaborations.
