If you have been in the influencer game for a while and are still not attracting a following, here are some tips that helped me.

Let me start off by telling you a bit about my influencer journey.

How I Started As An Influencer

I began when blogging was a relatively new concept. There had been Myspace blogs prior, but the real stratosphere of blogging was just beginning to take off.

In my early 20s I met the editor of an online publication called TorontoIsAwesome.com. He was just starting up the new website, an extension of Vancouverisawesome.com and was looking for a Fashion Editor. Me being in the right place at the right time, I was offered the position.

I worked tirelessly on articles for all different local designers in Toronto. Attended all the Fashion Weeks and Fashion Art Toronto and really started getting the TIA (Toronto Is Awesome) name out there.

I shot photos in the pit at Fashion Week and interviewed designers and celebrities backstage. My world became filled with fashion and glamour and I even got some recognition from brands. I started working with bigger brands like Converse and Moose Knuckles to name a few. Things were looking good.

When I left my position at Toronto Is Awesome, I started my own blog, R Blog, and diversified to write about other topics I was passionate about like women’s issues and cultural lifestyle topics like travel and healthy food.

I yearned for more value in my writing. As much as I had created some great work for TIA, I felt like it was all surface level and shallow. It was fun, yes and I got lots of perks and swag but did writing about fashion make me happy?

The answer is no, I wanted to have an impact and help people. That is why finding your niche is so important.

Find Your Niche

It took me a long time to find my niche. I wanted to be relatable but high fashion wasn’t the most relatable topic to the average person. As my priorities changed when I became a new mother, so did my writing. I wrote more about life as a single mom, but I still hadn’t found a niche I was comfortable in.

Mommy blogs were already really popular but I didn’t see myself as the arts & crafts type A mom that is married to a perfect husband and has her shit together–so that she can relate it to other women. If you want more tips on finding your niche, check out this influencer’s interview here. This leads me to my next point.

Leading Authentically

This is by far the most important advice I have for any new influencer. Be yourself and be authentic. This is something I only learned recently after being an influencer for ten years. People want to hear the raw unfiltered YOU.

I spent a lot of time and energy trying to look perfect, in photos on Instagram, I wanted my articles to be perfectly edited and my designer outfits were always meticulously co-ordinated. That is not me being authentic.

After joining TikTok, I realized the social platform was different from all the others, people actually wanted to hear authentic voices of real people. No glitz, no glamour and NO celebrities. It is really refreshing. Finally acknowledging myself as a nonconformist has served me well in growing my influence. If you want more tips developing your authentic voice, check out this Forbes article.

Post Your Content, EVERY DAY!

When I started posting on TikTok I had about 80 followers. In September, I decided to commit to posting a video every day on TikTok. In the past four months I have grown my following to over 3500 and counting. What changed? I posted every day and responded to every comment. Acknowledging my followers really made them feel seen and included. I notice when I respond to someone’s comment, they are more likely to follow me afterwards.

My posts became less about me and more about the people that consumed my content. I accessed what videos did better than others and kept posting on topics people were interested in.

I cared less about making a perfect video and more about talking about things I cared about. Often I will film a video first thing in the morning in my pyjamas with no makeup.

I literally stripped down the facade to expose the real me and people started following me like crazy! At first I was insecure about posting videos with no makeup, but the amount of women that started commenting and following made me realize, I can be myself and that’s what people really want to see.

This can also be really empowering for other women to see. With the amount of filters and beauty modes these days, it’s nice to embody my natural self–authentically and challenge modern beauty standards. This leads me to my next point.

Be The Change You Want To SEE

Now as an influencer, not only do I get to post content about things I’m passionate about and grow a tribe of like-minded followers, I’m finally starting to get paid for being an influencer. Being a thought leader is the coolest and most rewarding experience.

So in your quest to influence others you really need to ask yourself, “Who am I when no one’s watching?” That is who you need to be for your audience. Be yourself.

I know it’s not easy, but you will gain more confidence and traction as you go.

In your quest to influence others, guaranteed the person you will see the most growth in, is yourself.