This spring, I conducted off-the-record interviews with dozens of influencers from around the world and across various niches and platforms. I was struck by the similarity in their responses to my main question: why do top influencers fail? Based on my research, I’ve uncovered six mistakes influencers make that lead them to either disappear or destroy their self-built empires.
1. Underpricing themselves
Countless top influencers don’t know their own worth. Many don’t even ask for compensation for work. An influencer who doesn’t know his or her value will settle for luxury bags or hotel stays in exchange for social media shares, despite having access to a specialized following of millions. Think about it: the companies that benefit from a blogger’s audience are getting paid big time. Why should their intermediary get nothing? Without the blogger sharing the company’s product, the company has nada.
Several top bloggers shared the same sob story with me: they are often put up in a fancy hotel in exchange for promoting a company’s brand – but they can’t afford the room service bill. Seriously guys. If you can only afford the dollar menu, you need to rethink your life choices. I get it, I get it – fake it till you make it. But let’s be real here. It’s not enough if you get the free stuff or free nights in luxury suites. Know your worth and leverage your following to buy the fancy The William Vale cheesecake.
2. They don’t see it as a business
Nearly every single one of my new students asks me the same first question: “Nora, when will I earn money by this?” Really!? They haven’t even started, they have no idea how to create content – for fun or for business, but the million dollar question is already there. I know so many influencers – big names from Budapest and the states – and they were not profitable for the first several years but they did it because they loved it. They only became profitable because they invested all of the money they earned in their business. And yes, they saw and treated their blog like a business from early on.
How can you avoid this trap? In the wise words of Gary Vee, “Work your face off.” Work on your blog and your personal brand every minute of the day. Dare to invest a big chunk of your income in yourself a.k.a. your business. Before I was making money, I took myself on a 4 weeks long trip around the states, interviewing best selling authors, famous influencers, and networking as much as I could. I believed and believe in myself so much, that this is the third year I am doing something like this. Isn’t it risky? Hell, yeah! But who cares? At the end of the day, I can surround myself with people like Jake Paul, Tim Greenberg or Tony Conrad. What could be better than that?
It has to be more than just you posting about your amazing life. This will only turn people off. Inspire me, have a message, and maybe after that, I will follow you for a while. And if you’re really on point, I’ll become a devotee of your mission. But don’t expect to gain lifelong fans if your only focus is playing the me-me-me game.
3. They do everything alone
“No one can do this the way I like it done.” – I hear this more times than my own name. Seriously, guys, wake up. If you want to grow, you have to find the right people to grow with you as your team. And if they can’t be “as good as you are,” then teach them! You can even find an intern! Just please, start today. You have to focus on the things that you are the best at and not waste your time on menial tasks and everyday e-mails that an assistant could easily take care of. Ask for help, focus on your strengths and let others support you on the rest.
4. They are competitive instead of supportive
Many times when I reach out to someone to interview, I either don’t even get an answer, or when they see that I only publish something if they share real knowledge, they disappear. It might happen because they have fake likes and fake activity, and they have nothing to share. Wonderful. I’m glad they weed themselves out. If you cannot get and build 100 devoted followers, you don’t deserve 1 million
5. Difficulties behind the scenes
Some bloggers spill their guts about personal issues every time they post. And others hide issues that they’re struggling with, only to unravel due to overwhelm. Instead of receiving support, the only response they get is “You live the dream life.” No one should say such a things like that. Always try to picture yourself in this person’s situation. Again, bloggers are people too and without support, they can easily end up doing drugs, and drinking alcohol, or harming themselves because “no-one understands” them. I’ve been there. Back then as an influencer at the busiest times, when I was overwhelmed, my drug of choice was sleeping and not eating, until I ended up at the hospital.
You don’t need to do that. I believe in the power of connecting to people who understand you. It can save your life and it can be a restart for your system. Even talking to a stranger is more than enough to get understanding and be able to continue. One thing is for sure: if you are emotionally not ready, if you are depressed, or if you are in a different mindset, no big opportunities can find you. Always have people who love you – offline and on. Yes, there will be haters but be ready for them with a wealth of self love you’ve harvested for yourself and a community of loved ones that no nameless online spammer can touch.
6. They don’t have an advisory board
Huge mistake. If you want to build a sustainable personal brand, a trusted advisory board is a must. Collect people from different areas to support and advise you. I have amazing people on my advisory board from various industries and expertise levels including from the startup world, VC’s, investors, famous influencers, and so on. They have been with me every step of the way in making my dream of an international personal branding business come true. This doubles down on my point about letting the strengths of others piggyback on your strengths to make something bigger and better than you could’ve done solo.
I’m going to leave you with one final note that I could write a million times: there’s no social media growth without personal growth. You have to ask for help, and you need to stay grounded and not forget where you came from. Always remember: the market will correct itself, and it will either erase you or launch you to the top.
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Nora Oravecz is a self-made social media personality, best-selling author, and speaker on a mission to help the next generation of influencers and entrepreneurs by exploring and sharing the stories of some of the world’s most successful people. Learn more: noraoravecz.co
Edited by: Erin Schneider