All of these are available on @almost_everything_off_ebay’s Instagram Stories highlight titled “Instabands”.
Not only does this show really good differences in the selling points of these influencers, but it’s also a creative and practical way of networking on social media. This is just one example of how you can use your space and your voice in a way that showcases great lateral thinking. You gather content that stimulates your follower and interests you, and it can also effortlessly strengthen your relationships with other voices operating in the same space.
An often underrated way to really grow in a certain niche area is to actively collaborate and partner with other influencers in that field of interest. You can even put cash together and run a competition across your two or three profiles to give away a coveted voucher. If your audience is too small to secure a collaboration with a brand you might have on your vision board as a prospective partner, band together with allies who share the same conundrum. Attend events together and help each other gather content.
Generously share and repost their content, honestly ask for advice, share feedback and be the industry friend you wish you had. There is no guarantee that this will always work out the way you had planned, but the potential for growth and camaraderie – in what could be a very lonely pursuit – is a reward that is certainly worth the risk.
Being generous demonstrates to your followers that you don’t feel threatened and that you are a positive force in a social media era that is often perceived as narcissistic. You are a great tastemaker or even an aggregator in your field of interest; you fully recognise that your own style isn’t the be-all and end-all and you appreciate the creativity of others.
More truly is more!
Beware of pop culture blips and bubbles
Once you have figured out who you want to be, what your point of difference will be and what aspect of your story you want to put out there – what influence you want to have, basically – the next step is to figure out where best to do this.
Conventional wisdom points to the timeless value of creating your own blog or website platform – a central point that will collect all of your digital activities. We all know social media platforms tend to ebb and flow in popularity. Now add to this the fact that you (in spite of your best efforts at surfing these waves of platforms rising and falling) are ultimately also exposed to a powerful crosswind: the whims of algorithmic adjustments. As much as you can monitor, test and predict algorithmic behaviour, it does often leave influencers feeling as though they are only one adjustment away from invisibility. This is why some specialists in digital marketing still espouse the virtues of a corner of the web that you ultimately control: www.yournamegoeshere.com. A URL that you ultimately own.
This allows you to flex a bit of perceived power (even if it doesn’t boast massive traffic) by always having an address that users can click through to – a shopfront on the web that is not bound by the limitations of any one social network: a digital patch of land where you can create a portfolio of your projects, and a showcase of your track record. A space that you can optimise for search engines to pick up on the useful projects to which you have contributed – particularly the ones where you collaborated with brands. A space where you can even host added-value opportunities to the brands you partner with, regardless of what the algorithm might make of it, and where you can even start building e-commerce opportunities that also turn you into a better influencer.
As Mike Sharman duly points out, you need to remember that:
Every brand cent is accounted for, especially in tough economic environments. Modern influencers are learning a lot by experimenting with Shopify and those lessons are so valuable. Drop-shipping is another one: when you love a pair of sneakers, you can set up a store where people can buy them through you online; they’re delivered straight to the client from the source in China. You become the face of the storefront, but the product doesn’t ever actually pass through your hands. Ghost kitchens is another one: through Uber Eats you can now sell food that is available only through the delivery service; it’s not a traditional restaurant with chairs and tables. Influencers and their virtual storefronts are becoming the middleman. If you understand commerce and you’re commercially minded, there’s a bigger chance you’d do well working with a brand.
Bouwer Bosch agrees wholeheartedly.
Those things are all intertwined. I was 23 when [his Afrikaans band] Straatligkinders started doing well and back in the day we paid Loedi van Renen R20 000 for a music video. He was great, but then I realised he lives in Joburg and I lived in Potch, where we had a whole lot of bands. Loedi’s camera cost R17 000, so I drove to the bank and asked them if I’d qualify for a R17 000 loan as a student. They said yes. I took that cash right there and bought the camera. I taught myself how to shoot and started making R5 000 music videos for people in Potch. Not all of the bands could afford R20 000 videos, but there was a demand for R5 000 ones. Then, suddenly Elvis Blue saw my videos and I shot three for him. Then Rocco de Villiers. Then Gangs of Ballet and, before you knew it, I shot two videos for Matthew Mole, one which got more than 2 million hits. All of this because I took the leap to buy a R17 000 camera. Now we’re shooting R1 million ads!
Bouwer’s story gets even more unbelievable from here.
At one point I was even exchanging e-mails with Greyson Chance and his manager about making videos for him. This
