What’s the answer to influencer burnout?

You’d be forgiven these days if — as an influencer — you feel like every day you are in a race: A race to see who reviews a product, visits a place or writes up a fab recipe first. A race to land this campaign or that sponsor. A race to grow your followers or your email list. It’s all a recipe for influencer burnout.

This feeling is exacerbated by the social media platforms themselves which require seemingly constant attention to win with their algorithms. Even in the boisterous and high-energy world of TikTok — which sometimes seems to be hosting the party that all the other platforms want to be invited to — popular influencers can feel like they’re “tapping a keg that’s been empty for a year”.

The state of influencer marketing now

More than 50 million people worldwide consider themselves to be creators, according to research from venture firm SignalFire. There is so much creativity, energy and fun to be had in being a creator: sharing opinions, knowledge, skills and art. There is also a lot of money. The influencer marketing business is estimated to be worth about $13.8 billion worldwide — and that’s only predicted to grow. The number of influencers will be growing too, adding to the race and the pressures on what it takes to be an influencer and their mental health.

For those of us who do create online, even with the pressures, we don’t want to give up. As one blogger has told us, “It’s worse than trying to give up smoking. I look at life and see the things I want to share, photos I want to showcase, places I have been and recipes that worked. Blogging is part of me now, an intrinsic part of my makeup.”

So what’s the solution to influencer burnout?

Paul Bakaus, the Senior Staff Creator Advocate at Google, pinpoints one reason why influencers struggle with burnout. We’re too much like rock stars (cue guitars!). But seriously, we’re similar to them in that our product is ourselves. That creates an unrelenting focus on how we live. It demands our attention and cannot be easily outsourced (who with your face can do those daily live videos?). It makes it harder to evolve, grow and change without ruining your “brand” at the same time.

Bakaus doesn’t have any solutions. The platforms themselves can’t adequately grapple with it right now either. That means it’s down to us. We have to protect ourselves from burnout and support the evolution of influencer marketing so it makes room for the human element of influencing. Think of it as “slow blogging” (or TikToking or Instagramming, etc). Here are some ways you can do it:

How to avoid influencer burnout?

• Know your goals — Whether it’s earning a specific amount, working with particular clients or enjoying a certain lifestyle, you’ll benefit from figuring out exactly what you want from your influencer marketing work. With a clear goal, you’re exponentially more likely to achieve it.
• Set up a content schedule that’s sustainable — If you create a brand that’s all about you checking in every morning at 6am or live blogging every single meal, you are making a rod for your own back. Ask yourself if you’ll be happy doing this exact thing in 3 years or 5 years…or how you might be able to evolve it over time.
• Create content on a project or campaign basis — If you do desperately want to create content around a regular theme like above, do it on a short-term basis around a certain timeline or theme. Maybe it’s pegged to the change of seasons or a particular holiday or just a one-month special. If it works, you can revive it to repeat throughout the year or make an annual special of it. By keeping some projects finite, you also can keep up your motivation for them as well.
• Outsource when you can — Our friend Julie at A Lady in London has great advice on this: only outsource stuff that doesn’t affect your brand. So reserve your energy and creative talents for things that advance your brand and are things you enjoy. That might mean finding someone to distill your search insights or do your billing or sort your taxes. Depending on your proficiency with other tasks, they might be cheaper and quicker too.
• Take a break — After the grueling months of the pandemic, remember to take a break. That might be attending a party. It might mean a morning walk between projects. Whatever gives you a mental break from the grind.
• Plan an artist’s date — Julia Cameron’s classic book The Artist’s Way is all about nurturing the creative within. Part of that is scheduling regular artist’s dates with yourself: doing a creative stimulating activity just for yourself. It’s a way to stay connected to what animates your work as well as develop new ideas in a restorative way.
• Connect with other creators — Nothing quite gets us going then being a roomful of other influencers where everyone is sharing their successes, passing along stories and having a laugh or two. It’s not always networking. Sometimes it’s just having fun.

More advice for influencers

• How brands are working with influencers now
• 10 Black British influencers to follow
• Parent influencers: 10 TikTok tips for beginners
• Foodie Round-up: Slow cooking edition