Stop Getting Jealous and Start Celebrating Other Influencers’ Successes!
There comes a point in every influencer’s career when they see a friend land an opportunity that they wish they had. Whether that opportunity is a paid promotion of your favorite product, a trip to LA for a red carpet movie event, or a visit at your favorite company’s headquarters, the fact is it stings. Instead of getting jealous or begging your friend for a contact email (or even your own contact with that company) STOP!
No, seriously.
Before you start posting on social media about how you don’t understand why so-and-so got the opportunity over you, relax and take a step away from the computer. If this is really upsetting to you, it is time to re-evaluate your own social media presence. Go for a drive, take a walk, hit the gym, meditate, cook dinner. Whatever it is that you do to get your creative juices flowing, that is what you should be doing.
Then, evaluate your messaging.
Are you being clear about the opportunities you want? If you aren’t telling brands that you are passionate about something, how could they possibly know? By telling them I don’t mean bombard their email and throw around other bloggers’ names and the word compensation. That information gets back to the original blogger (and to me). It frustrates the brand and your fellow blogger, making them not want to work with you. Both the brand and the other blogger would probably be very willing to collaborate with you if you have your ducks in a row.
Instead, ask yourself: Are you even talking about that product, company, idea, or theme on your blog? When the person assigned with the task of finding influencers for a campaign scoured the internet, did your blog or your social media channels come up in their search as someone who would be a great advocate for them?
You can’t feel jealous if the brand didn’t know about you.
It’s time to get brands to take notice.
They know you love your pet and you are passionate about certain things around your pet. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be passionate about other things as well. If you want to get chosen for new, fresh opportunities, the first thing you need to do is figure out how those products or services fit your brand. If you can’t figure it out, that might be why you were left off the list in the first place.
You can change that. You can get to a place where you will be at the top of the list IF you are willing to put in the work.
Maybe it is time for a small (or major) re-branding!
Maybe you need to get really creative to make it happen, but if you are passionate enough, it will happen. Remember: Choices you make about the topics you cover might take you out of contention for other things. Be thoughtful about the changes you make.
If–after a lot of thought–you determine that the opportunity was never really the right fit for you, great! Instead of reacting negatively, you reacted in a way that strengthens your brand. And your community will feel your passion when the right opportunities do come your way.
If you do decide to pursue some changes and start creating content around these fresh ideas, make sure you are choosing the right keywords. How does this new avenue fit in your blog structure? Is this a topic that deserves a menu item or at least a sub-menu item on your blog? Remember, this is a place that brands and agencies look when considering you for an opportunity. What will they find there that sparks their interest and makes them say this influencer is a great fit?
And get your work out there on social media in a way that creates engagement and traction.
Action Items
Instead of getting jealous of influencers who earn the work you want, take the time to evaluate why you might not have been chosen in the first place. Don’t complain to the brand; backing the brand into a corner might get you something now but it is not the way to create a lasting relationship or get yourself on their VIP list for future opportunities. Instead, lead with your best foot forward. Make the changes you need to make in order to be attractive to that brand and then go out and pitch.
Then, tackle these action items to stay proactive for the next opportunity that comes your way:
- Check out your About and PR pages. If you don’t like what you find there take the time to clean things up!
- Do you mention the topics you cover anywhere on your about page? If not, are you passionate enough about it to get it on there?
- How are you going to introduce your readers, followers, and fans to a new topic? It needs to be genuine and well thought out!
- Figure out the keywords that surround new product segments and figure out how you would like to create content around those words.
Now it’s your turn: How do YOU learn from your losses? Any tips and tricks or suggestions for others? Share with us in the comments your questions about influencer marketing and working with brands! We’re here to help!
Learn more about influencer marketing and your keys to success. Check out Felissa’s other recent posts to dig deeper:
- What is influencer marketing?
- What is your role in influencer campaigns?
- How do brands choose bloggers for influencer campaigns?
- Promoting Yourself vs Promoting Your Content
Felissa Elfenbein is the Director of Influencer Marketing for BlogPaws. During the day Felissa can be found creating proposals for new campaigns, on the phone with brands, working on VIP events for the conference, and Skyping with the Pet360 Media Sales Team. Felissa lives in the Northeast Georgia Mountains and has two senior Cavalier King Charles Spaniels better known as the Two Little Cavaliers.
