LIKEtoKNOW.it is a ready-to-shop content platform. With this book, titled LIKEtoKNOW.it: Stories from the Influencer Next Door, it now brings success stories of the influencers right on the pages of a coffee table book.
It features many influencers who are a part of the LIKEtoKNOW.it network. They are top global influencers in the lifestyle realm. They talk about various aspects of their influencer business. They tell their personal stories about how they started their business and the challenges they had to deal with.
Each person featured in the book has an interesting story to tell. The question answer format makes it easy to read and glean what is relevant and interesting. Most of the bloggers featured here belong to the fashion and lifestyle arena, and the majority of them are women. However, the lessons learnt are applicable across genres.
Many colourful and well-shot images add to the fun of reading the book. As a coffee table book, these images may just enhance the experience of browsing the book!
Here are some of the things the reader will know and understand about the influencer business: How do these influencers connect with their followers? What has made them find their USP and their niche? What led to the creation of their blog in the first place? What were they doing before blogging? What are the challenges that come along with the business of blogging?
There are little nuggets of wisdom and inspiration embedded in the stories of these women (and a few men). Many of them are parents, balancing the demands of a family with their work. They reveal their secrets in the pages. Some of them readily sought help from near and dear ones (many hubbies have turned photographers!) and that shows how one should ask for help from immediate family, especially in the early stages of the business when one needs to keep expenses low!
My takeaways about the influencer business gleaned from the book:
- Be yourself to make your blog stand out. Yes, be yourself even in the world of filtered realities.
- As an influencer and as a blogger you are primarily self-employed. You need to take in the advantages of that, and be aware of the pitfalls as well.
- Create beautiful content first. The money will come!
- In the beginning it is actually a labour of love. With persistence and planning, there will then come a stage when you must either blog full time or quit!
- Building a community is very important. These influencers have managed to slowly build up a responsive community with whom they share their lives.
- Be your best self and create unique content that brings value to your readers.
- You will need to multitask, especially in the initial stages
While the book has useful insights, I felt as if towards the end some points were repetitive. However, it does have plenty of encouragement for those who want to start their own influencer business. With the gorgeous photographs, it also makes for a good coffee table book.
