3 Things a New Influencer Shouldn’t Waste Their Money On
As a Brand Coach, I work with hundreds of new influencers each year. Over time, I’ve learned that newbies typically spend more time and money than needed while launching their brand. Want to avoid losing more than you put into a project? Here are three things to avoid emptying your bank account for when you’re starting out.
Branding and Graphics
Spending money to get the perfect branding, logo, and blog design is just not worth it for a beginner influencer. While I can appreciate someone who wants to put their best foot forward, it just doesn’t provide a return on your investment when you’re getting started. Instead, your focus should be on making highly engaging content.
As someone who has been a creator for 10 years, I can assure you that you will, most definitely, not stick with your initial branding and logo for the rest of your influencing career. So, save all your coins by using free programs like Canva or Sparkpost to make your branding graphics.
These FREE programs have changed the game for me because:
- You don’t need design skills.
- They’re easy to use.
- The possibilities are endless.
- You can work with a team.
- It’s (mostly) free.
- You can grow your brand quickly with custom designs.
View this post on Instagram
An Expensive Camera
Investing in expensive tools is another no-no, especially when plenty of cost-efficient alternatives exist. For example, one item that influencers invest in before making a reasonable profit is a camera. Because many influencers are asked to promote products, some believe they must have the most expensive camera to create quality content for their promotional partnerships. This is simply untrue.
Most smartphones, android or iPhone, have built-in cameras that can produce quality pictures and videos. I tell all of my content creation students that their iPhone or another smartphone coupled with a tripod is all you need to make content that will help to build a following as well as attract brand partners.
Social Media Likes and Followers
Yes, this is still a thing. Though it seems like a quick solution, many social media platforms have adopted technology for cracking down on this shortcut. And once you’re caught, it’s likely that you’ll lose those social media accounts, along with your authentic likes and followers.
Additionally, if somehow, you’re able to buy likes and followers and not be caught, you’re likely to end up with low engagement rates, no brand loyalty, and vanity metrics. This is not the way to build your influence, and reputable brands and agencies are able to tell when someone’s metrics are not authentic. My advice? Focus on creating authentic content, interact with your followers, and be yourself. The followers will come, and your influence will be noticed.
Make sure you’re registered for BlogHer Biz, where I’ll be sharing more advice for small business owners, whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned pro.