Inspiration porn only goes so far.
Ive visited around 100 countries, slept in thousands of hostels, and flown hundreds of thousands of miles.
Along the way, Ive documented my journey to help others live their dreams.
Raphael
I have hundreds of thousands of social media followers and a million visitors tomy websiteeach month.
You might say I amliving the dream, specifically the influencer dream.
Not because my life isnt wonderful but because being an influencer is not a job.
Conversations with influencers usually go like this:
What do you do for work?
What does that mean?
So youre a marketer for brands?
No, Im an influencer.
But it sounds like you just promote brands that pay you?
No, Im an influencer.
People value my opinion and look to me for advice.
Because the conditions that create influence are timeless and universal.
It is something you have when people listen to you and take some action.
They got people todo something.
To take some action in their life.
To read more, follow their dreams, change society, or strive to be better.
When I find myself thinking What would Bill Bryson do?
My friends have influence over my life when I follow their recommendations.
In some ways, I have influence when I suggest something travel-related and someone does it.
You have influence when you provide value and make someones life better.
You do NOT have influence because 20,000 people liked a photo on their way home from work.
If you do video, youre a vlogger.
If all you do is post pictures on Instagram, youre an Instagram photographer.
That is something you do.
That is a definable job.
Does your doctor call him/herself a medical influencer?
That is a job with a description and a function.
For example, I am a writer.
Iwrite books on budget travelthat help people travel better.
We created products, ran tours, and got people to purchase their travel through our website.
We did it by creating useful content that solved someones problem.
They needed to know how to travel on a budget.
We provided the tools to do so.
It didnt happen overnight.
It took years to create.
Yeah, we left a lot of (easy) money on the table.
And, as someone who provides lots of useful information to people, I do have influence.
I have a track record.
But calling yourself an influencer is all aboutyou.
You know why its hard?
No one wants to read endless stories of someone doing things they can never do.
On the other hand, do you know who the most successful people are?
The ones who wake up and think about how they makesomeone elseslife better.
The people who do whatever it is they do for a reasonbeyond themselves.
Because everyone wants people and businesses that solve a problem in their life.
That can be anything from the mundane (How do I dress better?)
to the esoteric (What do I do with my life?).
So no matter what you do, do it for your readers.
Think about how to solvetheirproblems.
Do something that makes your audience go, Because I came here, my life is better.
For me, thats helping people travel cheaper.
Figure out what it is for you.
If your mission is reader-centric, youll stand the test of time.
Your mission should never be How can I makemylife better?
People will see through that.
Being a personality on the internet only lasts as long as your shtick is in vogue.
And folks like me will be there to welcome your readers when they do!
