YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok, and even LinkedIn, no matter what social media platform you’re on, you will come across some type of influencer. Influencers can be gamers, professionals, entrepreneurs, models, artists, parents, young kids and so much more. There’s no longer one type of influencer and most influencers make it look easy...but is it really all it’s cracked up to be? As someone who once battled with being called an influencer, let me tell you that it’s not as easy as it looks. There are pros and cons to becoming an influencer that not many may share.

Pros of Being an Influencer:

• Your content is up to you!

It’s your life and your platform. You get to share information about you and your experiences on your terms. That means if you have a bad day or a great day, you get to post about it.

• You can inspire others with your story

There are over 7 billion people in this world but there’s only one you. Only you can tell your story in your unique way and it can touch at least one person out there.

• Insights, branding/categories, promotions and apps are actually helpful

Social media and apps have made it easier to maintain your followers by creating presets, collecting insights on your behalf, and using specific categories to help you brand yourself as an influencer and help others find you using those categories. 

• Being the first to check out cool places or set trends

The ability and feeling of trying new restaurants, traveling to cool locations, and being the first to jump on a new wave is definitely top tier. 

• Money and write-offs

If you’re able to monetize your life as an influencer, not only would you be considered to be an entrepreneur, but there are so many write-offs available to you! For example, if your platform and income as an influencer is based on attending/commentating on basketball games, you can get paid (if you have enough of a following) to attend the games. Typically, you can write off most of your travel, your stay, your equipment, the food you eat at the game, etc. You might be able to get away with writing off the clothing you wear and the expenses for your hair if you are on camera or using your appearance to help draw in your audience.

There are some great pros but there are also some very real cons to consider before deciding that being an influencer is your goal.

Cons of Being an Influencer:

• Every moment, meal, interaction, life decision, etc. can become content- which can be exhausting! 

Influencers become influencers by sharing their life. It can be difficult to know where to draw the line, though. Just remember that this is your platform and you make the rules. You don’t have to share every moment in your life with your followers.

• Feeling the need to stay relevant

Influencers stay influencers by knowing how to stay ahead of trends and how to answer questions that people didn’t know they had. It’s up to you to find your niche and be a formidable account if that’s what you want.

• Not every person in your life will want to be connected to you as an influencer

Some people prefer to be out of the spotlight and you have to respect that. Also, not everyone will want your time together to be used as content or for you to make them the designated photographer/videographer. That’s a lot of pressure to put on someone who has no desire to be an influencer.

• Safety considerations

We all know the world is not the safest place to be vulnerable. Vulnerability is not just what you share but how visible you are to the world. That could mean assessing:

• If your page is public or private

• If/how you share your location

• Who you post on your page/story (children, vulnerable populations, etc.)

• Feeling confident in what you’re going to share

One of the hardest decisions can be finding the confidence to share who you are and not basing it on what others might think. After all, that’s why influencers become so popular. They share with an air of confidence that seems unapologetic and that’s what you’ll need. Some people choose to show their vulnerability or their insecurities, others may never share. You get to decide what makes you feel the most confidence.

• A lot of people will think your life is perfect because that might be all they see

“The grass is always greener on the other side” comes to mind but really, “the grass is greener where you water it” and on social media, more people tend to post the positive aspects of their lives. Most people will believe what you show them.