8 Key Lessons I Learned about Content Creation after Accidentally Becoming an Influencer

I started my account 8 months ago, not knowing what my actual goal was.

I just wanted to share my daily life in Israel, and document all those weird, complicated feelings I struggled with - and still do - as an Olah. I had no idea that, eight short months later, I'd have nearly 30,000 people following along.

I can't say that I never thought about having followers as a potential outcome of starting this account - but becoming an "influencer" was never part of my plan.

And now that I'm here, seeing all the amazing opportunities coming my way just from me being vulnerable in front of an audience of total strangers, I want to give you my totally-unplanned formula for success.

Grab your notebook and let's get started.

Lesson 1: Choose being controversial over being liked.

The first post that went viral on my page was a 7-second joke about moving to Israel for the Zionist dream, but ending up stuck in traffic 90% of my time here.

And the internet got MAD. That post blew up with angry comments, and my DMs were instantly flooded with hate from every corner of the planet. But... I knew it was only temporary. Because as soon as the hate came rolling in, so did the love, the support, and the kindness of strangers who were on my side - as "controversial" as it was.

Being polite and unproblematic will NEVER serve you in this oversaturated social media climate - but being yourself, as complex and unsavory as it may be, will make you stand out from the crowd.

Lesson 2: Learn to be okay with being "cringe"

I distinctly remember someone I knew making a joke about how embarrassing my content was. It was a joke - but it stung a little. Because it hit that deep fear I'd always had about sharing my life online. The fear of being seen as "cringe."

Who does she think she is?

Why does she think anyone will find this interesting?

Ick... Why is she opening up about THAT online?

That's what ran through my mind for months before, and weeks after starting my account. And I wish I could say these thoughts were unfounded - but I know for a fact that this is what people thought about me when they saw my page, with all of 45 followers in the first few weeks.

Eventually I started to slowly get more comfortable with exposing myself online, one cringe post after another. And it paid off.

But even if it hadn't, even if I'd never reached the followership I have now - what's the worst thing that could happen? People thinking I'm embarrassing?

I can live with that. And so can you.

Lesson 3: The goal is NEVER to be "famous"

I truly believe that one of the reasons I reached the success I did online was because I never thought I would.

I started my page for the innocent purpose of sharing my life with people who, like me, are moving to a new country or considering it. I wanted to give my honest advice, and show my real struggles. The ones no one talks about.

My content was never perfectly curated, or designed to match a color scheme.

And people felt that.

It's okay to want to be successful - but you need to remember that people can sense how authentic you are through your content.

Ask yourself: "What's my real purpose? Why am I doing this?"

If the first answer that comes to your mind is "to gain followers/success/fame", then you need to re-think your "why."

Lesson 4: You don't need fancy editing tools to be successful

When I start creating content just eight months ago, I didn't really know how to make it "pretty."

Yes, I did have experience as a content creator for other brands - but most of the time, I was just the copywriter behind posts, and worked alongside an actual professional graphic designer who would put together the most beautiful content.

Now, it was just me - the writer, the creator, the editor.

And what I quickly realized was, yes, my posts were "uglier" than those of most content creators on Instagram. But yet... they still performed well!

Today, I know a little bit more about editing. I use the Edits app, and I play around with fonts, transitions, and other fun tools when putting together my posts. But they're still very rough-around-the-edges.

And I'm ok with that.

Because I know it's not really about the way a post looks - it's about the message behind it.

If you have an idea for a funny, informative, or emotion-inducing post, make it - it doesn't have to look perfect to perform well.

Lesson 5: Create an entirely new account for the "influencer" version of you

Yes, it sounds counterintuitive to start a brand-new account, with zero followers, when you could simply build your pre-existing one.

But there are two very important reasons why you need to start fresh:

1) You're training the algorithm to reach the right audience

Your current page has been around for a while, and therefore probably already has a set algorithm for the people it reaches. But when you start a new account, you can train the algorithm to reach a new audience - the one that would be interested in the niche subject you're sharing.

Do some research on how to optimize your bio, name, and hashtags to reach the right people, and you'll be more likely to start seeing success faster than if you were to just continue working on your current page.

2) You won't get inhibited by the fear of "what will John/Jane/whoever think?"

Weirdly enough, creating an account that reaches total strangers is easier than posting on one that reaches your direct family, friends, and colleagues. Because you can really be whoever you want to be, when you're not feeling the pressure to conform to someone's vision of you.

So start that new account, and only let your inner circle know about once you're ready. You'll feel a lot more comfortable, and a lot less "cringe."

Lesson 6: You don't need to reply to every single DM

Seriously. Don't.

I know it sounds mean, and I know you'll feel guilty if you don't immediately text back every person who sends you a supportive DM.

But the more your page grows, the more you'll need to start thinking about your priorities.

Do you want to spend all your time replying to hundreds of DMs? Or do you want to focus it on work, friends, and creating posts that will likely help those very same people who are DMing you?

Your time is your most valuable asset - and you need to stop feeling bad about prioritizing it.

People WILL still love you. Trust me. I haven't replied to 99% of my DMs, and still, my followers enjoy watching my stories and engaging with my posts.

More likely than not, they understand that I'm often too busy to reply back, especially with my growing audience, and all the other responsibilities I deal with outside of my social media side hustle.

Lesson 7: Learn from your viral posts - but don't get stuck re-creating them

The first time a post of yours goes viral, you'll feel like a star. I'm not kidding - that's exactly how I felt when I saw the numbers go up, and up, and up on my first successful post.

But after a few hours, the high will wear off, only to be replaced by a wave of anxiety and self-doubt.

How can I make sure all my posts are as "good" as this one?

You'll likely want to do what I did - which is, start to create content similar to the one that performed well.

And you wouldn't be wrong for doing that. In fact, it might even help you maintain that initial growth.

But here's the catch - getting stuck creating one type of content WILL eventually get tiring. For you, because you'll get bored. And for your audience, because they'll start to see you as a performative, one-trick pony.

Instead, keep exploring and expanding.

You'll see unexpected success in posts that are nothing like your first viral moment. And that's the whole point!

Lesson 8: Get comfortable with people being jealous of you

A couple months into my content creation journey, when I had just about 4,000 followers under my belt, I found out that a handful of Israeli influencers were talking behind my back.

They were apparently saying my content was "bad hasbara."

I thought a lot about that at the time.

But now, seeing where I'm at, I know the real reason they were upset. It's because they saw I was doing well. And they were simply jealous.

It sounds very high-school to say something like that - but honestly, it's true!

The more success you garner, the more people you'll find who will try to bring you down. Whether it's by commenting about your appearance (which happens especially to us female creators), trying to demean your accomplishments, or calling you a "bad example" to others, people will try and make you feel like you're just... not good enough.

Don't. Let. It. Get. To. You.

Just don't.

You're better, stronger, and hotter than that.

I truly hope all these tips helped!

And if you want more advice where that came from, or someone to consult with while you start your not-so-accidental influencer journey, I'm here for you.

Email me at yulia@diaryofgirlabroad.co, and let's talk.