A few years ago, I had a clear goal: reach 100K followers on Instagram. In order to grow you need to increase your engagement. So I made a plan on how to do this and also looked at what I wanted to radiate as a brand to attract the right audience and potential partners. I combined strategy with aesthetics, and also added a lot of data analysis into the mix. More on data later…
Without realising it, I had just created my first Social Media Strategy. A successful one; my profile grew with 150000 followers within a year. Within no-time I was a full-time influencer and worked with the most amazing brands.
Losing my identity
The tricky part of this success however, was that I was the brand. I could only see ‘Lian The Jeans Loving Influencer’ and couldn’t remember who I was as a person. That’s when I lost myself.
Ever since I’ve been searching for what it is I want to do. While trying different things, from taking a 5-month sabbatical to launching a clothing brand, several business owners requested me to manage their social media, create content and even design some branding here and there. By taking on these projects, I realised I’m pretty fucking good at creating an online image. It gave my confidence a boost when I needed it the most and it helped me to slowly let go of my identity as an influencer-only. I am more than that. Yet my Instagram still does not represent that.
New direction
I tell my clients that it’s not just about engagement and growth, but also about creating a vibe around your brand, so that your audience instantly knows what you’re about and what to tag along.
It’s time I take my own advice at heart, meaning my account will not only be a fashion lookbook anymore, but also my portfolio. A place to share my creative outburst, cool client content and tips on how to score online. Truly a diary of an online creative - that loves fashion of course.
Not posting content based on what my followers want to see will make my engagement decrease massively. Which honestly will be challenging for someone who’s life at one point revolved around likes, comments and follows. What an exhausting time that was… But I’m up for it, more than ever before!