Community over competition seems to be a lot easier said than done. Especially in the influencer space.

I’ve never really understood the whole concept of competition within the digital world (as far as bloggers/influencers go). When you truly sit down to think about it, there’s absolutely enough space for everyone. Whether it’s campaigns, regrams, sharing latest items, there always seems to be the feeling of competition. And if I’m being honest, sometimes I think that there is even competition between blogger/influencer friend groups.

When it comes to people’s audiences, I think there’s actually sometimes a sense of resentment towards those who share their “perfect” lives on social media. I actually understand it a little more than competition within the influencer space. But at the end of the day, it’s a

choice

to follow someone on Instagram or go to their website every day. So why not support the hell outta them? Here are some ways to support your favorites.

like, comment, save

This should be a no brainer. If you like someone’s content, do something about it. Double tap, tell them what you’re loving about their post, and give it a save to one of your folders. Engagement metrics are BEYOND important these days, and you have no idea how much the support means when there’s positive engagement on posts. It obviously is super important when it comes to working with brands on projects. Without the support of readers and followers, our accounts and websites would be nothing.

shout out on instagram stories

This is personally like a “pinch me” moment. When I get tagged in stories telling people to go follow my page, I want to cry. It’s always so genuine to me. I actually need to start doing this more to spread the love. It’s a great way to get your followers to go and follow an account you’re loving! And on the flip side, it could also be a great way to open up conversations with your followers about why you BOTH love a certain account!

tell your friends

This is a pretty easy one. At least once a day I tell my coworkers about an influencer or blogger they should follow. I think sharing your favorite accounts and websites through word of mouth is really important, and a great way to bond with your friends/peers/coworkers! At the office, we’re always going into our favorite accounts and seeing who’s doing what, what we’re loving from them, etc.

if you want to buy something, use their links

I don’t know why this is super taboo. I know there are people who will GO OUT OF THEIR WAY to make sure they aren’t using someone’s affiliate link. This makes absolutely NO sense to me. Why shouldn’t influencers/bloggers make an

extremely

small commission for their work? They’re literally helping you buy something. It’s like you were going into a store and a sales associate helped you pick out an outfit. Do they make a commission? Yes. Do you go out of your way to say “nope, no one helped me today?” Probably not.

send them a message

If you love something someone is doing, tell them. It makes complete sense. I think a lot of people find bloggers/influencers intimidating. But getting a DM or an email from a reader/follower is truly one of the biggest perks of the job. I’ve always looked at is as super important to make sure you’re forming true connections with those who are genuinely supporting you.