Working in influencer marketing requires you to be “always on” - whether it's planning an influencer event, negotiating contracts, or analyzing campaign results.
You’re expected to be the number one relationship builder, master negotiator, and social trend spotter which is asking A LOT from one person.
With so many responsibilities to juggle, it can be difficult to make sure you’re getting the time you need to rest and recharge.
We spoke to influencer marketing experts about how they protect their mental health while working in such a demanding industry. Here are their 4 major tips:
- Set “digital” boundaries
- Prioritize self-care
- Lean on your community
- Celebrate your wins
Influencer Marketing Mental Health Tip #1: Set “Digital” Boundaries
"Influencer and social media marketing often get called "always on" roles. By nature of being always on, you’re always expected to be responsive, engaged, and analytical even while being a consumer. It’s easy to get anxious, frantic and burnt out. To protect my mental health and fortitude, I have gotten much better at setting "digital boundaries" for myself to help ensure I have some time in my personal life to unplug. ” - Haley Schluter, Consumer Engagement Lead at LVMH Perfumes & Cosmetics
A lot is expected of folks in the influencer marketing and social media space, and burnout can easily creep in if you’re not careful.
By nature of the job, you’re likely constantly on screens - either scrolling through your phone or answering emails. One way to combat this constant screen time is to create boundaries around it.
For example, Haley explains that “digital” boundaries could look like,
- Getting a work phone. This is a great way to build a barrier between work and personal life as it allows you to put away your work phone at the end of the day.
- Using different logins for work. Again separating the work and personal life here is important! Just make sure to double check you’re posting on the right account (don’t worry we’ve all been there).
- Removing push notifications. Push notifications are the number one attention grabbers. Turning them off for work apps like email and Slack can be really beneficial in giving you space to not think about work.
- Setting app timers. Avoid the doom scroll by using screen-time limiting apps. Both IOS and Android have built in screen-time-limiting apps and there are plenty of more apps that can help you set goals to limit your screen time.
Influencer Marketing Mental Health Tip #2: Prioritize Self-Care
“I protect my mental health by setting work-life boundaries. I prioritize a morning routine that doesn’t allow me to check emails when I first wake up. Instead, I like to go on a walk with my son, get a workout in, and then dive into the day’s tasks. I find that this routine is almost meditative for me, allowing me to clear my mind and then jump into my day with a fresh perspective. - Bette Ann Fialkov, Influencer & Entertainment Marketing Consultant
Setting work-life boundaries and prioritizing self-care is extra important when it comes to protecting your mental health as an influencer marketer. If it feels too overwhelming to revamp your entire morning routine, start small!
Here are a few easy tricks to bringing self-care into your workday:
- Block time on your calendar. Zoom meetings and constant Slack pings can be super distracting, so block off 1-2 hours every day to focus on your big tasks for the day. This could also be a block for a lunchtime walk!
- Create 5 min brain breaks. Set a timer that goes off every hour of your work day. When that timer goes off, do something for yourself (i.e. stretching, meditation, drinking water, jumping jacks, ect.). Embedding in little pockets for yourself throughout the day can make a big difference!
- Schedule a walk and talk. Tired of the constant Zoom meetings? Ask if a meeting can be a walking meeting! You’ll be surprised at how easily the creative juices start flowing as you get a little movement in. This is also a great way to catch up with your influencer partners!
- Take a breath. An easy and fast technique to make a meaningrul impact on your stress levels is to take 2-5 minutes of breathing. Close your eyes and focus on using breathword techniques like the physiological sigh and box breathing. You’ll be amazed on how good you feel is such a quick amount of time!
There’s also a lot to be said about embedding some element of accountability into these activities! Sometimes it’s hard to take the time if it’s just for ourselves, but if we commit to doing an activity with someone else (e.g. a walk, phone call, or shared breakfast) the habit can be easier to keep.
“Marketing can be a thrilling field, but it can also be quite demanding, with tight deadlines and a tendency for work to creep into your personal time. My top tip for other marketers is to prioritize taking care of yourself and finding a healthy work-life balance. Most importantly, give yourself permission to take time off and recharge, to prevent burning yourself out. Personally, I've found acupuncture and meditation to be a great way to manage stress and be more mindful. My advice is to find something that works for you and stick to it. Make sure to take regular breaks and disconnect from work so that you can recharge and keep your well-being in check.” - Giovanna Rienzi, Marketing Director at Lula Skincare
Influencer Marketing Mental Health Tip #3: Lean On Your Community
Remember, it’s not just you and your phone against the world (although it might feel like that sometimes!). If you’re feeling stuck or need extra support, ask your team for help.
If you’re a mighty team of one, make sure to join communities like Women in Influencer Marketing (WIIM) to meet other influencer marketers. These types of groups are great for getting tactical and strategic advice on how to be a better marketer, but are also great for discussing and workshopping some of the personal challenges that come with this type of job. Another great resource is podcasts! Here are a few marketing-focused podcasts to listen to:
While it’s important to lean on your community when you need help, it’s just as important to trust yourself. Remember, you were hired for a reason so trust your intuition.
“Trust that standing your ground when you have a strong personal opinion about a subject can be the extra nudge or shift needed to inspire in your teams and partners. You can be a vector for change in your work, and that’s a strong motivation to stay engaged and happy with the choices you make on a daily basis.” - Sarah Ngoma, Influencer Marketing Consultant at Traackr
Influencer Marketing Mental Health Tip #4: Celebrate Your Wins
On the days when it seems like nothing is going right, it’s important to be gentle with yourself.
An easy way to get your spirits up is to celebrate your success by creating a “win” folder. This is a folder on your computer or phone that stores all of the positive messages others have given you.
So the next time you get a compliment from an influencer you just worked with or your boss congratulates you on a great campaign, make sure to take a screenshot of the message and save it in your “win” folder. Your future self will thank you!
And don’t forget a tried and true way to brighten up your mood is give a compliment! Spread the love by thanking your teammate or giving the new hire a shoutout for all they’ve accomplished in their first 3 months.