Influencer Talk

In the realm of Social Media, individuals are constantly inquiring about how to expand, how to achieve viral status, well I did, once more, and this is what I've discovered.

I am so excited to share this post with you guys today, because the last few months have definitely been a whirlwind of emotions, in regard to my social media growth. 

For the newbies here, I'm Ashley and I have been a DIY/DESIGN content creator for the last nine years. I've had highs and lows; but overall I have enjoyed my creator career. I have been doing content creation full time, for the last four years; so I have seen and experienced more than a few things when it comes to social media and growth.

Before we dive in, some of you may be thinking this growth was achieved because of my years in the game, which some of that may be true; knowledge is a powerful tool. However, before May of 2025, I was on a social media hiatus of sorts for two years for health reasons. I decided to take a huge step back from social media and posting; and while I was still present; I was not consistent. Basically, posting just enough to make sure the lights didn't cut off; and even then, it was scarce. In May, I felt great about returning back, so I decided that I was going to jump back in full force and be super consistent and try to grow my channels, as a little boost and this is what I left with!

Virality is Achievable, But at a Cost

Obviously, virality is achievable; I've proven that and many others, but at what cost. From the start of my Influencer Journey, I have always said CONSISTENCY IS KEY, and although I know people hate hearing that because it's vague, it is true! But the truth is, in order to go viral, the level of consistency in which you have to sustain to go viral is unhealthy. 

I started in May, and being in September now; I can feel the burn out setting in, in terms of social media. As a full time content creator and someone who has longevity in the business, I can attest that work -life balance is integral to the success of your online career.

Which leaves us with a conundrum! We want to grow; obviously. No one wants to continue to spit out content with no reward; but we also want to maintain healthy lifestyles (or at least I do, and you should to!)

My Social Media Growth Journey

In June, I decided to focus on TikTok and Facebook! They are independent of each other so that worked great! I would wake up in the morning, every morning at 6am, and edit one minute long video (TikTok requires a minute to get paid in the Creator Rewards Program) I would then post that video on both socials, and engage with comments. Then in July, I started to focus more on Instagram, and then August, decided to add in YouTube.

But I didn't stop there; because I have learned over the years that, Social Media Platforms incentivize you when you use your app; you have to pay to play!

Going the extra mile looked like:

• Actually utilizing all the apps, browsing, engaging with others (The more I used Facebook, the more engagement I got on instagram, since they are owned by meta, so I also get on threads from time to time to signal I'm utilizing them all)
• Using their analytic tools to see what's trending at what times, discovering trending sounds. (TikTok: Utilizing 'Creator Search Insights') 
• Watching insights closely to see which posts are likely to go viral (Utilized trial reels often; at least 5 to 6 videos a week)
• Using specific programs/tools that are available (TikTok Shop, Facebook Posting Incentives, Collaboration Posts, Edits) Social Media rewards you for using their tools; especially the new ones!

and the more I immersed myself into these platforms; the more I could see exponential growth. But, if that sounds like a lot, IT IS and I noticed that the more I would focus on one platform, the more the other would get neglected and it became this cycle of constantly chasing growth. It literally is a full time job, and I can tell it was spilling over into my regular life; but it confirmed an idea that I've known for a long time. Social Media will reward you for constant and consistent interaction, even if it is unhealthy and unsustainable.

So you have to have barriers in place! Here are some helpful tips:

Set short-term goals for social media growth! 

After almost four months of consistent posting and growing on four platforms, I realized that it doesn't take long for a platform to realize your consistency and reward you for it. Most of the growth I achieved for each platform was within a 1-2 month span. Once the growth starts happening, it's easier to maintain. I would set a goal for 1 - 2 months where you can be consistent, and I'm not talking your regular, one post a week consistency. I'm talking; gun-ho, in it to win it, all in consistency; because unfortunately that is what it takes. Once you complete that 1-2 months, dial it back to your regular posting schedule. Because while we want growth; it isn't everything.  In my mind, twice a year(1st half and 2nd half), of experimenting with this would be a great goal! That's only 4 months out of the year that you have to commit to it and you likely won't experience burn out this way.

You Can't Effectively Focus on Them All, Choose Your Own 

One thing is for certain; if you are on multiple platforms like me; you cant give 100% to them all. I realized around month 3, that the more I gave to one, the more one suffered. So what did I do instead. I focused on my own; my website. The reason I have been able to sustain this growth for so long is because I have been utilizing my website as the hub to point everyone to. I have received thousands of views, comments and most every post points back to my website somehow.

It makes posting a lot easier when you already have a place with all of your resources, projects. I eliminate a lot of time explaining every single project by having one place to point people to.

If you see below, within my instagram profile, with the exception of the last link, all of these links head to my site. I know a lot of people utilize those fancy linking websites; but I feel like this is a huge missed opportunity. So many clicks come from your instagram profile; (or whatever platform) so why send those people to another site? You’re literally doing the work for these sites. They know the importance of clicks; and they’re doing a great job of appealing to people to get people to their site!

If you aren’t aware; clicks pay! I make an additional $600-$3000, just from people being on my website. Ask me how!? That’s all the reason for you to take the time and get that website going.

Creating your website may seem pointless; or feel like that "unneeded: task but it is the one thing that will last. As a nine year content creator; I can tell you things will change. It’s not a matter of if, but when. The beloved platform that you love right now; may not be as popular down the line; or something new may come along. My website is the one thing in my creator journey that has been constant. 

It’s the same thing with all of these affiliate and creator program sites like LTK, Amazon Storefront, etc. Everyone is creating their own affiliate page. I love these sites and the ability to make affiliate income; but somewhere down the line, I realized, that’s just another reason to get people away from my site and on to someone else’s. So what did I do? I created my own Shop My Page where people can see all of my projects ( the same thing they’re doing).

I utilize those affiliate links from all of those different platforms, but instead, now it’s all in one place! Again, re-directing people back to my own site. I’m definitely not knocking these sites; because I think it’s a great way to make additional income. But now instead of 2/3 different affiliates sites (with more being created each day), my followers always only have to remember one site. Trust me; it’s easier to remember one; and they will remember. 

Here's the thing, social media isn't ours, we don't own it, so we can't control it. But we can utilize it to help grow our own, and that is a focus worth betting on. For example, this whole TikTok ban, could potentially mean losing a couple thousand a month, but I have been pointing people back to my site in hopes that when it goes away; they still know where to find me!

Utilize Automation Sites

When you go viral, that is the worst moment to be set up for success. I like utilizing automation sites to help with insane amounts of comments. For example, I utilize LINKDM on many of my interior design posts, to automatically send people a link to my furniture products. That eliminates my need to respond to about 50% of the comments I receive.

For example, this desk post had 618 comments of people wanting a desk link, 278 opened it and 361 people clicked the link. That is 618 comments I didn't have to worry about and half didn't even open it anyways. But again, this system, helps me run all of my socials more smoothly and gives me more bandwidth to do other things.

Work smarter not harder. Having systems in place can only help you in your social media journey. (etc. ManyChat, MobileMonkey, LTK) and guess what; anytime you can provide a person with a resource; that's gives them all the more reason to want to follow along, or stick around. 

Repurpose across platforms

One piece of content = multiple posts. When I am filming my projects, I film vertically and horizontally to create content for all platforms. Once you have the content, its easier to edit for shorts, reels, etc.

• Turn on Cross-Promiting between Instagram - Facebook
• Utilize Threads to Share Instagram Content
• Link all of your platforms within other platforms

Make it hard for people not to find you! Once you get in a rhythm, it becomes easier to share your projects across platforms.

And don't be afraid to re-use your content. During these four months, I posted all of my projects over the course of nine years, which made it easy, because it only took a little bit of time to re-edit it for a fresh look. Consider which pieces of content you can save and re-use for the future.

Dedicate Certain Task to Certain Days/Times

Dedicate certain tasks to certain days. I typically like my Mondays and Fridays to be chill and then I can hit it hard in the middle of the week! I try really hard to not work on weekends (although I fail at it) but the key is growth and a healthy lifestyle!

I’ve heard for years that “hustle culture” is the way of the entrepreneur; that you’ll work a lot harder than you will at your 9-5; and while in some cases that may be true, I decided a long time ago that over hustling, working long hours; constant churning day and night wasn’t the type of entrepreneurship lifestyle I wanted. The true reward, in my book, is finding a way to run your business seamlessly while still having time to live a full life; building community and building real life relationships . If those two years off taught me anything, it was a big reminder that work shouldn’t over take your life! And I came back with a vengeance, because I was refreshed. It was like a creative reset; ideas started flowing again; and I wasn’t about to just give that up. Set the schedule, you want! It may take time to adjust to it, but it’ll be worth it! (A good social media community will praise you for rest!)

Monday: Admin (i.e. emails, check calendars, work on content calendar, organize/plan).

Tuesday: Content creation (dedicate a day to shooting while “camera-ready”)

Wednesday: Open Day (Things often pop up, so I leave an open day for anything! If nothing pops up, I take this time to be creative and think of something new, or learn a new skill; which is very important to being able to pivot and evolve.)

Thursday: Content creation (dedicate a day to shooting while “camera-ready”)

Friday: Admin (Wrap up the week)

I typically work from 9-1, except on content creation days because my projects are so involved.

I also have certain one-off tasks I've been doing daily. Like mentioned above, every morning around 6, I take an hour to edit one social media video; my hubs usually wakes around 7, so by the time I'm done, I can still tend to him. I am a morning person, so I’m up early. I decided to use that time to get the day started. You have to find a balance that best works for your schedule.

Think about a Team  Nothing provides more optimization than offloading tasks you shouldn’t be doing! Time is money and you shouldn't be wearing hats that don't fit you.

Things that you can potentially offload (i.e. editing, DM management/engagement, affiliate marketing, content support, etc).

I personally have a social media manager that handles all of the brand deals, pitching, contracts and it is a huge life saver, so I can just focus on the content. This gives me more time to be able to dedicate to posting and creating!

At first I was nervous to offload these tasks, but because of it. I can confidently say that I'm making 30% more because I did so.

All in all, the Numbers aren't worth the burnout! We want growth; but we want it the healthy way! 

In your journey to grow your social media, there are ways to effectively grow, while still maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Hope this helps, and thanks for reading guys, Ashley.

Feeling consumed or overwhelmed by social media? Check out these social media boundaries I've put in place to prevent social media burnout.

Disabling Notifications

Real Life Connection

Nurturing an online community can often feel like an amazing thing; but don't let that replace real life connections. Face-to-Face interactions are much needed. I try to check myself often on whether or not I'm letting my social media life overtake my real life connections.

It's also a great way to unplug and step away from social media. Call a friend or go on a walk with one and just catch up. A good mix of the two will ensure a healthier you.

Treating Your Social Media Like Your Home

Rules on Free Coaching in the DMs

Daily Engagement, Follow for Follow & other “Growth Strategies” 

Give Yourself Permission to Just Unplug

Spending too much time on social media is just not healthy for your mental. If you aren't taking time to just step away from it; consider carving out some time to just step away from social media. Don't let it become an idol in your life.

As a person who relies heavily on social media to make a living, I get that it can be scary to step away sometimes; but it's needed. 

Establish an appropriate amount of time that works for you. Whether that be phone-free Sundays, or only posting certain days; whatever it may be; actually write down a boundary; and stick to it! Your body will thank you for it!

Disregard The Follower Count

I always shout this to the mountaintop and this is a hill I am willing to die on! I do not focus on the follower count; and this has allowed me to stay away from unhealthy strategies that aren't always good for my health and business long term. It also has allowed me to learn how to become profitable without having a huge following.

In my Making Money Online book, I share how I was able to secure my first 5-figure brand deal as a new influencer. Number of followers doesn't always mean profitable and it isn't indicative of your value as an influencer. Don't let it hinder your mindset!

Making Money Online can be a very lucrative business; but how you manage it will make all the difference.

In the past, I've always been pretty transparent about what I make from my business in hopes that people would be motivated to start their own brands; but after going full time, I've realized that making a bunch of money just isn't enough. Whether you're making an extra $40k or $200k; how you budget and plan will be the determining factor for how your new side hustle will set you up for success. 

So today, I thought I would share a full look into not just what I've made in 2023, but what I've spent. I will be sharing the budgeting and planning strategies that have helped me to be the most successful and hopefully there is something you can take away from it! 

Being a business woman has definitely taught me a lot; but my growth in finances has probably been my favorite area to continue to grown in. Lets take a look at the damage for 2023!

Now looking at this chart; one might think that my 2023 didn't go so well; but I think the complete opposite; and I'm going to get into a little more detail on why I think this way!

Quickbooks Online

First, I must talk about how I organize all of my accounting information and stress how important it is to keep up with all of your business expenses and income! Quickbooks Online has always been a favorite of mine. It helps me organize all of my accounting information and makes tax time A LOT easier! Whether you make a little or a lot; you want to get into the habit of organizing your finances early on. If you're interested in checking out I have a 30% off discount for new members for 6 months.

 Profit First Model

I just recently adopted the profit first model for my business and It has definitely been a game changer for me. This has really helped me to organize my business income effectively. To explain it in a nutshell, there are several buckets that your business income is categorized into and based on what you make, there are guided percentages that help you determine where to put your money. This really helps me stay within my financial goals for the year.

Here is an example.

Here's my expertise gained from 7 years as an influencer and content creator...a post.

Every year; I typically see people wrap up the year sharing all of the accomplishments they've made for the year. I decided to get a little real about the realities of being an influencer and wanted to share some of the things I've learned that I feel are important for any influencer to hear!

No Amount of Money will Make Your Heart Content

There’s no amount of money that will make your heart content. I’ve had months making $69k, hours making $2k;  all while living through some of my darkest moments. The money alone will not satisfy you. I made $200k less than I did last year and feel more fulfilled than I have in a long time . The answer: Jesus.

Business Evolves Constantly

There are ebbs and flows to business. Not every month will be a good month. Planning ahead and knowing the season you’re in is vital. You may hear “diversify your income” a lot because it’s real. I’ve had so many changes within these 7 years with my revenue streams. One stream in year 3 brought in $6k a month and now bringing in $2k; another stream brought $30k a year now bringing $200k a year. Things WILL evolve and the social media world is finicky; be diversified!

If you'd like more information on how I make money with my online business; check out my "How to Make Money Online Ebook." I walk through all of the ways I've diversified my income. 

Budgeting is a Habit; How's your habit?

Discipline in budgeting will take you a long way; especially when you start making upwards of $400k+ and a lack of discipline will bite you in the butt every time. Start creating healthy money habits early; it will benefit you in the long run.

The best and most beneficial decisions I’ve made as a business owner:

⭐️Paying Off All Personal Debt

⭐️Adopting the Profit First Model for my Business 

⭐️Having a Team

⭐️Separating Personal Funds from Business 

⭐️Always Maintaining a 6 Month Emergency Savings 

⭐️Not Chasing Followers

You Always Come First

Prioritize yourself! The business will be there; but if you don’t have a healthy you, the business will ultimately fail. Prioritize your mental health over a social media post. If a healthy mind equates to low social media engagement; so be it. There are so many other ways to make money. Social media was designed to help you; not break you! 

In 2023, I posted on Instagram (main platform) 73 times out of 365 days; still cleared $300k+. Don't let folks pressure you into the “post everyday” mentality. It is NOT sustainable and if you are sustaining it, you’re likely giving up something else that’s valuable.

Value Things You Can't See

Along the lines of money won’t bring you happiness; things won’t either. Be mindful when you make big purchases like houses and luxury cars. Sure you may be able to afford it and don’t get me wrong those things are nice. But typically those nice things take from something. Whether it’s your time; decreased budget; less spending power. Sometimes being happy with less is the right mentality; even in an abundant season. 

I speak from experience. Bought a major house with all the bells and whistles; pool; land; over 6,000 square ft of space and what did I lose…time maintaining it all and money trying to upkeep; and although I can afford it; I kind of enjoyed the simpler life when I could see the money in my account vs. in pool chemicals. Not to say that these things are wrong; but I would encourage a little more thought before taking the plunge. I highly suggest waiting a little later for those things in life if you’re a single business owner.

No Debt is the Best Debt

If you can pay it off; pay it off! I hear all of this advice about using credit/investments to build wealth and that’s great if you can master it; but the best feeling will always be no debt!

Peace of mind wins for me every time.

Find Your Own Way

Other peoples path may not be yours. Find what works for you. This is a simple thing, but I think people really miss this because of the simplicity of it. Just because everyone grows one way does not guarantee you success the same way. The two things that will help you grow are consistency and grind; how you do it can look completely different than everybody else’s. Embrace the uniqueness; there are enough carbon copies out there.

Website is King

Having your own website will always be the move! You own it; you don’t own social media. When I started 7 years ago, Facebook was the "IT" social media and instagram was slowly becoming more popular; TIKTOK didn't even exist. Imagine having to build platforms from scratch on all of these social medias; no way. Instead I leveraged my social media to point to my website. I don't chase followers;  so what do I chase you may ask? Direct Website Visitors!

On the graph below; Direct = Visitors who visited my website by entering my website name Handmade-Haven.com directly. Not redirection from social media. This is the number I want to grow. Followers on social media are great; but this number tells me something. If social media was to shut down; or another social media takes over; I feel at ease knowing that I have a substantial amount of people who know my site "directly". As if; this is my own little social media. Build your own folks..and then utilize social media to point people to your site. After while; they will go directly to you as a source!