A few years ago, content creation may have seemed like an unstable career. That was then. This is now, where we are currently riding the high of a multi-billion dollar creator economy in 2023. Love that for us!

You may be wondering, is that sustainable? What is the future for influencers and how long can this really last for?

Today, I really want to dive into 8 questions to help you become a successful influencer and think about how to consistently create great content and scale your business over the years.

We’ll chat through the different ways you might be monetizing your influence and most importantly, what your ultimate end game with content creation really is.

1. Where is your influencer career headed?

I feel like this question isn’t asked a ton these days, because for the most part in the creator economy, things are running really smoothly.

Right now, more platforms are allowing creators to monetize brands or recognizing the value of influencers.

Content creators are getting more and more innovative about where they're creating content, what type of content they're creating, and how they earn money from doing so.

Why worry about the future when the present is so good?

We all may be content creators, but we're also all business owners.

Many of us do this primarily alone and when you’re a solopreneur, you don't always necessarily have someone asking you the questions like, “so where's this going?” (Which is why I’m here!)

You may have a successful creator business right now, but I really want to encourage you to start thinking about the long-term.

If you have put the time and effort into creating great content, building an audience and hopefully making some money off of it, you want to ensure you can continue to see success with that in the future.

That’s why it’s so important to plan ahead, regardless of what is going on with the economy, brands, or the world at large.

Let’s go through some questions you can ask yourself or some things to think about in order to set yourself up for long term success as a creator.

2. What would you do if you weren’t a content creator?

Imagine a scenario in which you are not a content creator and what you might do instead.

We've gotten little glimpses of this even over the years during the early stages of the pandemic or even on an afternoon where Instagram has gone down.

If marketing spend gets put on hold or platforms you’ve depended on to be successful change the rules it’s important to be prepared.

This industry is one of the most fast moving and quickly changing ones in the world, even where we are today is very different from where we were a year ago.

Because of this, it's a little harder to predict where we as an industry will be in one year or five years from now than it is in some more traditional industries.

However, just because it's unpredictable, doesn't mean that we can't start to plan ahead in some ways.

3. What are your long-term goals?

The year is 2053. You are 59 years old. You pull out your phone, open Instagram, get on stories and say "Hey guys, me again! I’m here trying Rihanna's new Fenty Beauty gloss bombs!"

Is that something you picture yourself doing 30 years from now? It might be. Or could you maybe see a world in which your business and your influence translate into other areas?

There are some bloggers and creators who I’ve been following for over a decade and I’ve watched them grow their brands, get engaged, have kids, move and do plenty of things that are different from what they were doing when I first started following them.

I’ve learned lots of skills from my time as a magazine editor that translate to my job now (writing, editing, photo shoot planning, meeting deadlines.)

I’ve also learned skills from my time working at a tech startup (influencer campaign execution from the brand side, video editing, marketing) all of which have shaped me into the creator I am today.

Whether it’s SEO, community building, event production or something else, think about the skills you’ve learned and how they could translate into other industries or jobs that are related to content creation.

Those skills that you've learned will always be relevant and will always help you in whatever creative endeavors you're pursuing.

Understand your goals

What you want long-term out of content creation can help you shape what you work on day-to-day.

4. How can you continue to learn new skills and improve existing ones?

Utilizing your skills and understanding what you're good at can help you position yourself as an expert in your field.

If you establish yourself as an expert in a particular topic, you can take that into other brands or industries.

You may still very well be posting to your own platform years from now, but knowing you have the option to branch out can help you expand your reach and connect with more people.

Influencers I follow have gone on to become consultants, public speakers, contributing editors, and so much more.

Honestly, I think job titles have less and less value over time, but all of those skills that you've learned and that you've picked up and the way that you present yourself will help position you as an authority in your industry.

If you’re a fashion content creator and know your way around a clothing store, maybe you can consult as a trend forecaster, work as a stylist or appear as an expert on a local TV news segment because of the brand you’re building online.

Or maybe you've gone through something hard in your life that has led you to help others heal and move on from hard things they may have gone through too.

For you, maybe that looks like creating a new lifestyle brand to appeal to people who are on a healing journey or helping different companies talk to their customers about their own unique experiences.

None of these things have to be figured out today, but I really want to encourage you to think beyond tomorrow.

What could you see your content creation experience leading you into in the next 5 or 10 years?

5. Are you diversifying your income streams?

This leads into the next thing that I think is so important to do if you've not done it already, which is to diversify your income streams.

Originally, the primary way creators made money was from brand deals. But with a looming recession, brands are scrutinizing each dollar that they spend and are measuring the success of social media influencers more carefully than ever before.

Having multiple income streams means you’re not dependent on any one income source to make your money—instead you’ll find flexibility and freedom from creating your own revenue sources.

I thought it’d be fun and helpful to share some examples of creators who have done this:

Brooklyn-based content creator Rachel Martino is the founder of Dream Loft Studios, a vibrant photo studio that creatives can rent out hourly for photo and video shoots.

I actually shot my brand photos there and I think that not only is this a beautiful space, but such a great idea and an extension of her own colorful interior design style featured in her apartment.

Another NYC creative who I want to spotlight is my internet friend Tara. Similarly to Rachel, she rents out her loft on Peerspace and she also has a brand called Lovers Sunday, inspired by an Instagram story series she started.

She took this concept and turned it into her own physical products including sweaters, towels, hats, prints and more.

A third example I wanted to highlight and shout out is my friend Emma. Emma is a Seattle-based content creator and she, like me, shares a lot of influencer education and tips on behind the scenes.

In addition to sharing behind-the-scenes she also creates and sells courses for influencers on Teachable to earn passive revenue based on her knowledge.

6. Is at least part of your income passive or consistent?

While it is important to diversify your revenue streams I think it’s also important that some of them are passive and consistent revenue streams.

This means revenue streams where you can expect about the same amount of money coming in each month from that particular source.

One consistent, passive revenue stream for you could be your blog ads if you get around the same amount of traffic each month and are set up on an ad network.

This is reliable and predictable income, unlike something like revenue you generate from brand partnerships which tend to be one-off and sporadic.

To earn passive revenue you will need to put in some upfront work, but it can pay off time and time again once the setup is complete.

Take a digital product as an example. It takes time to create, design and market that product to your audience for an initial launch.

But if you promote that product in searchable, evergreen content you don’t necessarily have to post Instagram stories or send emails every single day to get customers.

Digital products can also be great because you don't need to do a lot of upkeep, except for maybe updating it every 6-12 months depending on what the product is.

If you want to hear me talk a little bit more about income streams and building a profitable influencer business in 2023, I hope you’ll join me for my free workshop coming up in February! You can enroll here.

Enroll Now!

7. Do you publish content on searchable platforms?

Another thing that you can do right now to set yourself up for success long term is to publish content on a searchable platform.

I really can’t stress enough how important and helpful this can be, especially for long term success and future consistent revenue as a content creator.

I would definitely recommend setting up either a blog or a YouTube channel if possible.

If you don't have as much time to dedicate to those, Pinterest is another good third option because the lifespan of the content on searchable platforms will help give you a much higher return on investment.

8. Are you experimenting and adapting as the industry changes?

When something new comes up in this industry, whether it's a new platform, a new trend or a new style of content creation—promise yourself that you’ll give it a try.

I think it's really important to stay up to date on what's happening, what new products are launching, what apps are coming out, even what's trending on TikTok and those platforms right now.

Give yourself a chance to try whatever it is.

You just never know what that thing is going to be that really sticks to you as a creator and makes you feel really creatively fulfilled or lets you try something that maybe you didn't think you could do, or what's going to really resonate with your audience.

This is a fast-paced industry with new platforms and people popping up every single day and your willingness to experiment can give you more visibility in terms of testing new trends or posting content on new places.

Being an early adopter of new apps or features of existing apps can get you brownie points and more reach, so don’t hesitate to try new things as they come along.

I hope you enjoyed reading through these questions and you have a good brainstorming session curled up with a blanket and your favorite beverage.

I hate not knowing what’s around the corner but that’s the reality of the influencer industry a lot of the time. Anything can happen and the best thing you can do is prepare for the unexpected.

Overall, I think that right now things are looking really good for the creator economy and I think we've made so much progress.

Remember to diversify the platforms that you're creating on and diversify with different ways that you're making revenue. Doing both just allows for room for things to go wrong or for things to change, whether they be good things or bad things.

I really think this is important and something I want to continue to talk to my peers about and hear about from you all as well, so please share your thoughts in the comments down below.

Remember, you can still sign up for my free webinar all about how to build a profitable influencer business in 2023. Choose the time that works best for you here.

yours,

Austen

Photos by Jessie Alcheh

8 Questions To Ask About Your Influencer Career