Photo via @flamcis — *Photo via* *@flamcis*

Becoming an influencer has never been easier. You can launch a new Instagram account and start posting photos and gaining a following almost instantly! Of course, because the title of influencer has become such a lucrative career for some, there are new influencers popping up every day, and some of them are more successful than others.

Here are the 5 biggest mistakes we see new influencers making, and what you should be doing instead:

1) Trying To Do It All

Starting a new project is always exciting, but it is really easy to burn out by biting off more than you can chew. You don’t need to tackle every subject and interest, and don’t overcommit beyond your bandwidth. Instead, create a realistic and attainable schedule for posting—maybe it’s once a day on Instagram and once a week for blog posts—and define your niche.

2) Having An Undefined Voice

You can build a decent following by just posting aesthetically-pleasing pictures and cutesy captions, but if you want to truly influence people and create a community for your followers, you’ll need to define your voice and share your personality.

Try talking to the camera on Instagram stories and sharing your daily life. Followers love to see what influencers do when they’re not posting perfect photos and wearing glamorous outfits, so don’t be afraid go get real on social media and share what makes you unique!

Check out how influencer Quigley does this with her content!

3) Posting Inconsistently

As we mentioned before, creating a consistent post schedule is key to success. Don’t overcommit to something that you cannot maintain, but generally speaking, we recommend posting to Instagram at least once a day, and if you’re maintaining a blog as well, you should post there at least once a week.

Creating a rhythm to your posts will help build trust with your fans, as they’ll come to expect your content on a regular basis.

P.S. Because life is unpredictable, we recommend stockpiling photos to use for those days when you just can’t get out and create content. Whether you’re sick, stuck in meetings, or just cannot create new photos, having a reserve of images will let you maintain a regular posting schedule even when life gets in the way!

4) Not Engaging With The Community

Influencing is a two-way street: if your followers don’t feel connected to you, then you aren’t really influencing anyone! Take time each day to respond to comments, DMs, and emails from followers. It will go a long way toward building a strong relationship with your followers.

Additionally, you should be commenting and interacting with other influencers, as well as your followers. Social media is, after all, about being social and engaging with the larger community.

5) Doing It For The Money

Influencer is now a full-on job title, with some top influencers earning hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. However, if you’re trying to become an influencer just so you can make money, you’re doing it for the wrong reasons and people will see through that in no time.

Additionally, it may seem like creating sponsored content for your feed is as easy as snapping an iPhone photo and posting it, but there are contracts, approvals, content guidelines, and more that go into each sponsored post. Being an influencer is about so much more than earning a few quick bucks, so make sure you’re doing it because you truly want to.