Lifestyle blogs are still widely popular today, but with the increasing preference for video-centered platforms like YouTube, you’re in trouble of losing touch with your audience. The solution should be simple: why not create a YouTube channel? That would be great if everyone is as engaging as Jon Olsson and Zoe Zugg (Zoella). But what if film making isn’t your niche and being in front of the camera makes you want to melt?
The good news is that making videos is just one of the many options to choose from in stepping up your game as an influencer. Depending on your branding and specific goals, three methods, in particular, can catapult you to the next level of your career.
Become an Author
Nothing screams “respectable” better than publishing a book. If your website caters mostly to women, think along with the terms of Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis. Emulate The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. It won’t be a compilation of all your previous blog entries. Instead, it will be a sneak peek at how you apply the tips you share and the daily struggles you experience in becoming the best version of yourself.
The great part about authorship nowadays is that you don’t have to go through the gruesome process of traditional publishing. To produce a quality book, you’ll need to spend money on getting a professional editor, typesetter, and layout artist. You will also have to assess the best ways to publish and to market. Otherwise, you’re free to be a lifestyle blogger with a possibly best-selling book under your belt.
Collaborate with Other Influencers
What’s the best way to further your reach and promote your merchandise? Collaborate with other influencers. This is one of the simplest and most efficient ways to tap their followers and introduce yourself to a new audience.
If you have a considerable following for your blog, others in your industry will not hesitate to work on a project with you. It’s normal among influencers, and you’re pretty behind in your game if you haven’t done one before.
Whatever you decide to do, may it be a tutorial, an interview, or a parody of something, fix your eyes on appealing to that other influencer’s audience. Help your friend appeal to your audience, too. A successful first collaboration can lead to more down the road. It can even compel other influencers to contact you.
Maximize the Power of Stories
Here’s a simple but extremely powerful tool in expanding your reach: Instagram and Facebook stories. When you can’t commit to publishing blogs and social media posts daily, stories are your ultimate weapon.
It’s an effective means of sharing a social experience with your followers through a few seconds of videos and photos on their feed. Another great facet of stories is that you can be more personal, which is key to keeping and retaining your audience. Just as Instagram has altered its algorithm to create more genuine engagements, so must you.
There’s a fine line between being authentic and compromising your privacy, and if you don’t want to cross that, you have to be careful. Plan if you must, and create guidelines for yourself. What your followers want most of all is to see the person behind the blog and feel that you’re sincere in building a connection with them.
Explore and Expand
You won’t lose anything by giving these three ideas your best shot. You do, however, gain much when you succeed and attract a huge following.
The trends in lifestyle blogging and other forms of social media engagement will come and go. Don’t be afraid to try new things to see which ones work and which don’t. At the end of the day, it’s your ability to adapt to these changes that will determine your enterprise’s longevity and success.
