The biggest problem with the blogosphere and influencer marketing, in general, is the fact that many creators out there are trying to copy each others success. Let me tell you- I follow a bunch of amazing, travelling girls on Instagram and it’s pretty easy for me to mix them up and forget their usernames as they all seem to be doing a pretty similar thing. Bright colours, bikinis, healthy food and never-ending snaps of sandy beaches- can it ever get boring? Well, it’s already happening…

Don’t get me wrong, I know that life is so fun in Bali and I really hope to visit sometime soon. However, I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately and realised that I actually started to get interested in more and more REAL people out there. Seeing professionally taken photographs can be inspiring & I strongly believe that all influencers should really put an effort into the content they post. However, standing out in the crowd of this pinterested generation can be rough and this is why you shouldn’t be afraid to be the rawest version of yourself online.

You Will Build Your OWN Tribe This Way

I don’t feel like I’m personally doing this enough, but what I’ve learned from my experience is that people that share compassion to some of the not-so-great things that happened to me are the ones that usually stick around.

Look, I do love sharing Instagram snaps from my holidays, but I want to be clear with you all- that is not a real reflection of my day to day life. Not surprisingly, I do end up getting quite a few unfollows when I’m back & start posting about my newest products, businesses adventurous or running out of coffee struggles. And yet, that’s really, really fine with me!

You see, I want people to follow me because of who I am every single day, not just for those few sunny weeks a year. I want my tribe to be interested in my business, my relationships, my daily tasks & I really want to create that lasting, true connection with you guys. I’m no saint here tho & I rarely go on Insta stories without any filter, but that’s something I really want to work on!

The funny thing is, I’ve been afraid to be myself for years now & the more of myself I now show online- the more engagement & success I actually get. The rules online are changing quickly, but I now get what all that “you be you” fuss is all about!

Think About Your Role Models

Now take a moment here and think about the people that are absolutely winning in their careers right now. Do you admire Beyonce to bits or are you so inspired by Bill Gates’s success story? Any role model out there most probably have one thing in common- they don’t hive a damn about what others think of them. They do their own thing, speak their own words and are not afraid to truly listen to themselves and their own desires.

Being Someone Else Is Simply Exhausting

That perfect life story you’re currently creating might be working for now, but you’ll most probably burn out sooner or later. No judgement, I’m talking from my own experience over here!

It might just be me turning 27 this year, but I really feel like I don’t want to waste my time being someone else anymore. I’d much rather try and get to know myself & the truth is- admitting this to myself really lifted the weight off my shoulders. I went through it all- I took pictures certain way, I bought clothes I wouldn’t normally wear and I read books that were popular simply because I wanted to take a snap of them for my Instagram. I’m tired of this and I kind of feel like people online are tired of this too!

People Like Individuals

Imagine yourself walking into a party where you see everyone dressed in black and then, in the very centre of the dance floor, you would see that one person, wearing all red, dancing like nobody’s watching? You might end up thinking that person is annoying as hell, but be honest here for a second- you will definitely want to get to know that person at least a tiny bit more before you make that judgement.

The same happens online really. As much as we like this beautiful Insta-worthy life culture, it seems like only the stories behind pretty weird, outstanding personalities become viral. Authenticity is a key here, don’t be afraid to show your real colours!

Read more: The Social Media Effect: Are You Really Who You Portray Online?

Your Most Unique Features Are Probably Your Key To Success

So you’ve tried being someone else for a while now and that didn’t work out yet? What about trying to be yourself for a change then? You might be very surprised! If you seem to have friends or family that love your jokes or your willingness to help others- who makes you think that other people might hate it? You wouldn’t necessarily pretend to be someone else IRL, huh? Why the heck are you doing this online then? There are thousands & thousands of copycats out there, but there’s just one you & I can assure that people will LOVE you for who you are way more than for who you’re trying to portray yourself as.

To sum up, I really hope this post inspired you to at least consider bringing more of you to your online presence. Go ahead and share that goofy story on Instagram or simply post a no make-up selfie! Just a small step can really bring you closer to that end goal! By the way, let me know what are those raw personalities you currently love following online!

From the top of my mind, mine are:

• Mother Pukka – for her hilarious Instagram stories and everything she does with Flex Appeal in the UK.
• Hannah Gale – for keeping that “girl-next-door” vibe no matter how many followers she gets.
• Celeste Barber – for showing us all how perfect imperfections can be & how important it is to be able to laugh at yourself.