We live in an internet age where everyone around the world is part of a massive virtual reality. One of the most popular parts of this virtual reality is social media, which is something that everyone is using, including businesses and brands.
Influencers have become very popular and powerful on social media and these days brands and businesses need to employ the help of influencers at some point.
It is not easy to be an influencer because there is a lot of competition. However, if you enjoy interacting with people and would like to make a career out of this trendy new profession, here are a few tips that can help you.
Table of Contents
Choose a Channel
There are many social media platforms available and you will need to select which one you want to use before you begin your quest to become an influencer.
The most popular social media platforms for influencers are Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Facebook is the most popular social media network with 2.7 billion monthly active users. Users between the ages 25-34 are the largest demographic. In this age demographic, at least 19% are male and 13.1% female. 72.8% of Facebook users are between the ages 18-44 years old.
YouTube on the other hand has more than 2 billion monthly users. 56% of these users are male and 44% are female. After google, YouTube is the second most visited website in the world and is the second most used social media platform after Facebook.
Lastly we have Instagram with one billion users worldwide There are many opportunities to use the perfect hashtag which can be found using a hashtag generator like the one from TaskAnt. On Instagram, 71% of the users are under the age of 35 and spend on average 53 minutes per day on Instagram.
Before you select a platform, you need to consider your niche and which platform is best for the type of content you want to put out. You also need to keep in mind that each platform supports different types of content. Facebook supports images, videos and text, Instagram is image based and YouTube is video based.
It might be difficult to use multiple platforms so you might want to consider just choosing one.
Create a Network
The very first step to becoming an influencer we are going to explore is building a network. This means to go out and talking to people at networking and industry events in order to form a connection with them. It is very important that you go out and make real contacts and not just rely solely on contacts on social media. The benefits of a network include:
- Raise your profile
- Strengthen business connections
- Get fresh ideas
- Build your confidence
- Increase knowledge
- Create more influencer marketing opportunities
- Potential collaborations
To create a network you need to be approachable and more importantly be yourself. Let your personality shine when you engage with people.
Once you’ve created contacts, always follow up with them by messaging them, sending a personalized video, or simply giving them a call.
Lastly, always stay visible and approachable so that people can become find you.
Have a Niche
It is important to have a niche on social media if you want to be a successful influencer. Never focus on too many things, instead choose a field in which you have interest and then create meaningful content for that specific niche. As an influencer, you will have to do a lot of research on your chosen topic so make sure you choose one that you are passionate about. Some popular niches include:
- Travelling
- Beauty
- Fashion
- Lifestyle
- Food
- Photography
Be Consistent
Another very important factor that contributes to whether you will be successful as an influencer is consistency. You need to ensure that you are posting regularly if you want Instagram followers without the hassle. It is advisable to create a posting schedule. Also make sure you are posting good quality content to attract brands and new followers.
Also, post frequently to increase visibility. Algorithms favor those who post regularly.
Know Your Audience
It is vital to know your audience. When people like and comment on your posts you should engage with them so that you can connect with them. Reply to comments and answer questions from your followers. Also ask your followers questions and start conversations this will help you build a connection with your followers and help establish yourself as an influencer.
