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Stages of An Influencer
Becoming An Influencer: Stage 2 - Develop Your Brand
Published
April 5, 2022

Current Status: You like creating content.

At this point, you’ve been creating content for a while (we recommend at least a few months, consistently), and hopefully have started to develop a pretty firm understanding of what you want your focus to be (or are at least getting into a content creation groove). At this point, you realize that you enjoy creating content and you’re ready to invest more of yourself, your time, and your money because you can see yourself doing this for an extended period of time.

Recommended Approach: Develop your brand and focus.

Though you should never stop experimenting with your content, now is the time to think about what you want your main focus to be. Additionally, you should think about your brand voice, so that you can develop some consistency. It’s time to develop a consistent and recognizable aesthetic that genuinely feels like “you.” Keep your focus on the content and develop your brand. Also start to engage with other creatives in your space who you admire. Work with these other creators to gain inspiration and push your skill set and work quality to the next level.

When You Have A Spare Minute:

Spend it with other creatives, getting inspired and brainstorming to continue to develop your brand.

The Tools: Do not go big yet, it’s not the time.

If you’re going to make an investment, the first place you want to do that is in content, so maybe it’s a camera, or camera equipment—something that will help you continue to improve. But don’t feel like you have to buy something, in fact, rent some different equipment first to see what you like (and if you need it). Other than that, at this stage you already have everything you need. Now is not the time to add an additional layer of “professionalism” to everything, but instead stay focused on what makes your content great. Investing time and effort into content right now will provide you with the highest possible ROI. Spend your spare time brainstorming and moodboarding, rather than trying to add a cool new feature to your website.

Bottom Line: It’s a mental shift.

Now is a mental shift more than anything else. You might decide to make an investment in equipment, but otherwise this is a time to zero in on your content. The business side will come later, but in order for that to work you have to invest in your creativity (and business follows).

Developing your creative mind means exposing yourself to other creatives and new experiences. An hour spent brainstorming or getting inspired is a great thing, and a far better way to spend your time right now than getting in the weeds on the business side. So make room for that, and always be thinking of ways you can push the envelope creatively. If any of this feels like a chore, some component of what you’re doing isn’t right for you. You should be excited about this, looking forward to putting in the work.